Geography · Economics

Agricultural Practices in India

2,453 Questions

Agricultural practices in India form a core segment of geography and economics syllabi. This hub covers crop distribution, farming techniques, and land measurement terms. These concepts regularly appear in SSC, state PSC, and civil services examinations.

Plantation and food cropsCrop cultivation regionsLand measurement unitsAgricultural storage techniquesIntercropping systemsWater resource management

Agricultural Practices in India Questions

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a cash crop?

  1. Jute

  2. Paddy

  3. Cashew nut

  4. Sugarcane
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Paddy (rice) is a food crop grown primarily for subsistence and direct consumption. Jute, cashew nut, and sugarcane are cash crops grown primarily for sale and commercial purposes. Cash crops are agricultural products sold for profit rather than direct food use.

Multiple choice

In which crop India stands first in the world?

  1. Wheat

  2. Rice

  3. Sugarcane

  4. Cotton
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

India ranks first in the world in sugarcane production, not in wheat, rice, or cotton. India has favorable climatic conditions for sugarcane cultivation in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. While India is a major producer of rice and wheat, it holds the number one position specifically for sugarcane.

Multiple choice

Khadar and Bhabar are

  1. types of grasslands in M.P

  2. plantations in tribal areas

  3. soil types

  4. chos in Punjab
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Khadar and Bhabar are both soil types found in the northern plains of India, particularly in the Ganga-Brahmaputra river system. Khadar is the newer, fertile alluvial soil deposited by floods, while Bhabar is the coarse pebbly soil at the foothills of the Himalayas where streams disappear underground. They are not grasslands, plantations, or seasonal streams (chos).

Multiple choice

IR - 8 is a variety of

  1. rice

  2. wheat

  3. maize

  4. mangoes
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

IR-8 is a high-yielding semi-dwarf variety of rice developed at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. It played a crucial role in the Green Revolution of the 1960s, significantly increasing rice production across Asia. IR-8 was known for its short stature (reducing lodging), resistance to diseases, and responsiveness to fertilizers.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements :

  1. Bajra (pearl millet) is essentially a rabi crop in India
  2. Though maize is cultivated as a rabi crop in some areas, it is also grown as kharif crop. Which of the statements given above is /are correct?

  1. 1 only

  2. 2 only

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect because bajra (pearl millet) is primarily a kharif crop in India, sown at the onset of monsoon. Statement 2 is correct - maize is predominantly a kharif crop but is also cultivated as a rabi crop in some regions like Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh under irrigation. This dual-season flexibility is a characteristic of maize cultivation in India.

Multiple choice

Which of the following crops requires a large amount of rainfall but no water logging?

  1. Rice

  2. Jute

  3. Tea

  4. Groundnut
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Tea requires heavy rainfall (2000-2500 mm annually) but needs well-drained soil to prevent water logging, which damages its roots. Rice grows in standing water and actually requires water logging. Jute also needs substantial water but tolerates waterlogged conditions. Groundnut is a drought-resistant crop requiring less water.

Multiple choice

Which one of the following is not a cash crop?

  1. Cotton

  2. Tobacco

  3. Sugarcane

  4. Maize
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Maize is a food crop (cereal) primarily used for human consumption and animal feed. Cotton, tobacco, and sugarcane are cash crops - grown mainly for sale in markets rather than subsistence. Cash crops typically have higher economic value and are processed into various products.

Multiple choice

Which are the major Kharif crops of India?

  1. Wheat and barley

  2. Rice and millets

  3. Oil seeds and pulses

  4. Green vegetables
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Kharif crops are sown during the monsoon season (June-July) and harvested in autumn (September-October). Rice and millets are classic Kharif crops that require heavy rainfall. Wheat and barley are Rabi crops grown in winter, while oil seeds and pulses can be grown in multiple seasons.

Multiple choice

Which is the crop of kerala?

  1. Cotton

  2. Coffee

  3. Tea

  4. Bajra
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Coffee is indeed grown in Kerala, primarily in hill regions like Wayanad. However, this question is misleading - Kerala is most famous for rubber, spices (pepper, cardamom), and coconut. Cotton, tea, and bajra are not major Kerala crops (tea is more associated with Assam/Darjeeling, bajra with dry regions).

Multiple choice

Directions: The first and the last sentences of the passage are numbered 1 and 6, respectively. The rest of the passage is split into four parts A, B, C and D. These four parts are not given in their proper order. Read the sentences and find out which of the following combinations is correct.

  1. The investment in supercrops reflects the government’s intention of ‘doing development differently’. A. They have been created through selective breeding of strains with naturally higher levels of certain vitamins and minerals. B. And iron-rich pearl millet and zinc-rich wheat and rice are aimed at India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. C. The crops include vitamin A-rich cassava and maize and iron-rich beans – targeted at the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Zambia. D. The six new supercrop varieties of staple crops will be distributed to 3.8 million farmers and their families by 2015.
  2. The nutrient-loaded crops will contain between 30 and 50 percent of the average daily requirement for vitamin A, zinc and iron.

  1. ACDB

  2. DACB

  3. BDAC

  4. DABC

  5. CDAB
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

“They” in A refers to the “six new supercrop varieties of staple crops”. "And" in B means that B will follow C, which names all the crops. So, DACB is the correct order.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the question below, the first and the last (correctly ordered) sentences are numbered 1 and 6. The rest of the passage is split into four parts and named P, Q, R and S. These four parts are not given in the proper order. Choose the correct combination among the four alternatives given.

  1. Bananas are thought to have been first domesticated in southeast Asia.

P. Their consumption is mentioned in early Greek, Latin and Arab writings.

Q. They were first established in Hispaniola and soon spread to other islands and the mainland.

R. It’s written that Alexander the Great saw bananas on an expedition to India.

S. Shortly after the discovery of America, bananas were taken from the Canary Islands to the New World.

  1. Cultivation increased until bananas became a staple foodstuff in many regions and in the 19th century, they began to appear in the markets of the United States.

  1. PSQR

  2. PRQS

  3. QRPS

  4. PRSQ
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

‘First domesticated in southeast Asia’ in 1 and ‘early Greek, Latin and Arab writings’ in P connect with each other. ‘Arab writings’ in P also connects it with ‘It’s written that Alexander the Great’ in R. ‘from the Canary Islands’ in R is followed by ‘to other islands’ in Q and the mention of US in 6 and America in S connects all three of them.

Multiple choice

The cultivation of which crop requires waterlogging?

  1. Cotton

  2. Rice

  3. Tea

  4. Oil seeds
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Rice cultivation requires fields to be waterlogged or flooded throughout much of the growing season, which is why rice paddies are common. Cotton, tea, and oilseeds do not require standing water and in fact can be harmed by waterlogging. This makes rice unique among the options for requiring waterlogged conditions.

Multiple choice

The package technology which bought about green revolution comprised mainly of

  1. man power, mechanical cultivators and electricity

  2. changes in crop pattern, industrialization and chemical fertilizers

  3. irrigation, bio-chemical fertilizers and high yield verieties of seeds

  4. electricity, irrigation and introduction of dry farming
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Green Revolution in agriculture (1960s-1970s) relied on three key components: extensive irrigation systems, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds. This package dramatically increased crop production, especially wheat and rice, in developing countries.