Agricultural Practices in India

Punjab contributes the highest share of wheat to India's central pool due to its highly fertile soil, excellent irrigation facilities, and agricultural prosperity. Punjab's farmers achieve some of the highest wheat yields in India. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are also major contributors, but Punjab leads in per-acre and total procurement.

Green revolution used the greater knowledge in the form of improved production technologies.

Rice production is the highest in India among cereals but its quality cannot compete with other rice-producing countries. Most of the rice produced in India is meant for internal consumption. India is a major producer and exporter of Basmati rice.

The terminator gene is a specific genetic sequence inserted into a seed’s DNA. Once activated by a synthetic chemical catalyst of the manufacturer’s choosing, the sequence renders the seed and crop it produces sterile. This means that the farmer cannot retain seeds for future crops, as is the practice in India. The farmer has to repurchase the seeds at a heavy cost.

Maharashtra produces 52% of the total production of jawar in India. Groundnut production is the maximum in Andhra Pradesh, not in Gujarat. Maize production is the highest in Karnataka, not in Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan has the maximum cultivable wasteland in India.

The reduction of rainfall and leak of seed preservation technology are the main causes.

Jatropha curcas is the most widely used crop for biodiesel production, especially in India and other tropical countries. It is preferred because it grows on marginal, arid land without competing with food crops, produces seeds with high oil content (around 35-40%), and requires minimal maintenance. The oil is processed into biodiesel.

Bollgard is a genetically modified variety of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton that produces its own insecticide to resist bollworms. It was developed by Monsanto and significantly reduced pesticide use in cotton farming while improving yields.

The Green Revolution in India was most successful in wheat and rice cultivation. Introduced in the 1960s, high-yielding varieties of wheat (initially in Punjab, Haryana) and rice (later) dramatically increased production. India became self-sufficient in food grains, with wheat showing particularly remarkable success.

In Akbar's land classification system, Polaj land was the highest category - land regularly cultivated and capable of producing good crops year after year. The other categories were: Parati (land left fallow for one year to recover fertility), Chachar (land left uncultivated for 2-3 years), and Banjar (barren land unfit for cultivation). Polaj represented the most productive and valuable agricultural land in the empire.

Bollgard is a genetically modified Bt cotton variety developed by Monsanto (now Bayer). It contains genes from Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria that make it resistant to bollworm pests, significantly reducing pesticide use and improving yields.

The correct answer is 'are being subsidized'. The sentence describes something happening now (present continuous) in the passive voice. 'Several crops are being subsidized by the government' shows current action. The other options are grammatically incorrect: 'will have been subsidizing' is future perfect active, 'being subsidized' lacks the auxiliary verb, and 'are subsidizing' is active voice when we need passive.

This is the correct answer. Rice and wheat are the grains that are acquired by the FCI at MSP.