Agricultural Practices in India

SO₂ is poisonous, and irritates the respiratory system of animals and humans. A continuous exposure to concentration of 0.2 ppm lasting for 3-4 days or even 0.5ppm for full day has been reported to damage the lungs and increase the rate of mortality. In plants and grasses, SO₂ also produces leaf injuries (called necrotic blotching). Sulphur dioxide damages, barley, alfalfa, cotton and wheat.

Growing crops for production of alcohol and other fuels is known as energy cropping e.g., sugarcane, maize, sugarbeet, potato etc.

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is cultivated practically every state in India with leading Uttar Pradesh followed by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtar, A.P., Karnataka, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Orrisa and Rajasthan.

 Cotton is the most cultivated fibre crop in India.

Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) is situated at Cuttack (India) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Manila (Phillipines).

The Green Revolution in India refers to a period of significant increase in agricultural production due to the adoption of modern methods and technology, making it synonymous with agricultural revolution.

Diesel engines, electric motors, and bullocks are traditional or mechanical sources of power for agricultural work. A cow is primarily kept for dairy and breeding, not as a draft animal for field work.

In traditional ploughing with a deshi plough, the technique of 'halai' involves specific patterns to ensure uniform coverage and avoid leaving unploughed strips.

A seed drill is the most efficient implement for sowing seeds, as it ensures uniform depth and spacing, leading to higher efficiency and lower waste compared to manual or traditional methods.

Ploughing by making 'halai' is a standard term used in agricultural practices to describe the systematic turning of soil. The other options describe specific patterns that are less universally defined as the primary method.

The deshi (traditional) plough is a versatile tool used by farmers for various soil preparation tasks. It helps in breaking the soil, uprooting weeds, and creating a tilth suitable for sowing.

Winnowing is the agricultural process of separating grain from chaff (straw and other light material) after threshing. The correct answer B describes this process, though 'lank' appears to be a typo for 'grain' or 'stalk'. Winnowing uses wind or air currents to blow away the lighter straw while the heavier grain falls back down.

Crop rotation is the practice of growing different crops in succession on the same land to improve soil health and optimize nutrients.

This is a correct option. Barley is not a Kharif season crop. It is a Rabi season crop. Soyabean is a Kharif season crop. Barley is not a Kharif season crop. It is a Rabi season crop.

As most of the area under cultivation in India is already intensively cultivated, so there is no major scope for increasing the area of land under cultivation.