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 geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

Shifting cultivation is practiced in many parts of world with different local names. identify Incorrect pair among following: 

  1. Lading - Southeast Asia

  2. Milpa - Australia

  3. Tavy - Africa

  4. Chena - Sri Lanka
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Shifting Cultivation is practiced in different regions of world with local names. 
Lading - Southeast Asia ; Milpa - Central USA(Not in Australia) ; Tavy - Africa ; Chena - Sri Lanka. 

Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

The crop grown in shifting cultivation is _____.

  1. Maize

  2. Rice

  3. Wheat

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

A plot of land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them. The ashes are then mixed with the soil and crops like maize, yam, potatoes and cassava are grown. After the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a new plot. Shifting cultivation is also known as ‘slash and burn’ agriculture. 

Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

A single crop grown on a large area and using intensive capital inputs are some of the major features of __________ type of agriculture.

  1. Intensive subsistence farming

  2. Commercial

  3. Primitive subsistence farming

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

The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry. Plantations cover large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of migrant labourers. All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries. In India, tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc.. are important plantation crops. 

Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

The growing of grasses in between rows of crops is known as ___________.

  1. strip cropping

  2. row cropping

  3. line cropping

  4. sequence cropping
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
  • Crops are grown in alternate strips of land to check the impact of the winds.
  • It is used when a slope is too steep or when there is no alternative method of preventing soil erosion.
  • Strip cropping helps to stop soil erosion by creating natural dams for water, helping to preserve the strength of the soil.
Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

Which one out of the following is a 'Kharif crop'?

  1. Maize

  2. Wheat

  3. Gram

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

Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the country and these are harvested in September-October. Important crops grown during this season are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean. 

Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

The north-eastern and central India have been deforested due to ________.

  1. Mixed cultivation

  2. Shifting cultivation

  3. Terrace farming

  4. Intensive farming
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
Shifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which areas of land are cultivated for a short time. Then they are left to grow back their natural vegetation, while the farmer moves to another area. Shiting cultivation is particularly practiced on a large scale in north-eastern and central India.
However, the greatest damage inflicted on Indian forests was during the colonial period due to the expansion of the railways, agriculture, commercial and scientific forestry, and mining activities. Even after Independence, agricultural expansion continues to be one of the major causes of the depletion of forest resources. 
Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

'Mixed farming' refers to __________.

  1. Growing rabi crops and cash crops

  2. Growing food and non-food crops

  3. Growing more than one crop in the same field

  4. Growing kharifand cash crops
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
In mixed farming the land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock. Two or more crops are grown together. 
Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

When a farmer produces just enough to sustain his family, it is called _________.

  1. Subsistence agriculture

  2. Commercial agriculture

  3. Pastoral farming

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

Subsistence farming is characterised by small and scattered land holdings and the use of primitive tools, like a hoe and digging sticks by family members. As the farmers are poor, they do not use fertilisers or (HYV) seeds in their fields. Most of the food production is consumed by the farmers and their families.

Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

Subsistence farming is practised to meet the needs of _____ family.

  1. Contractor's

  2. Jagirdar's

  3. Owner's

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

Majority of farmers in India practice subsistence farming. It is characterised by small and scattered landholdings and use of primitive tools, like hoe and digging sticks by family members. As the farmers are poor, they do not use fertilisers or (HYV) seeds in their fields. Most of the food production is consumed by the farmers and their families.

Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

Which one of the following is not a plantation crop in India?

  1. Coconut

  2. Cotton

  3. Tea

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

Plantation crops constitute a large group of crops. The major plantation crops include coconut, arecanut, oil palm, cashew, tea, coffee and rubber; the minor plantation crops include cocoa.

Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

Plantation is also a type of ________.

  1. Big farming

  2. Household farming

  3. Group farming

  4. Commercial farming

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Commercial farming.

Commercial farming is a type of farming in which crops are grown for commercial use only. It is a modernized method of farming that is undertaken on a large scale. In this type of farming the large land, labour and machines are used. Aquaponics farming is the best way of commercial farming because in this farming we can grow plants and fish in a single farming system. So it can decrease our production cost and increase our profit of farming.

Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

Which one ofthe following describes a system of agriculture where a single crop is grown on a large area?

  1. Shifting Agriculture

  2. Plantation Agriculture

  3. Horticulture

  4. Intensive Agriculture

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
Plantation Agriculture.
Plantation agriculture has its roots in the past. In the early 18th and 19th centuries, a number of plantations were set up by westerners and western companies. They employed either local and foreign workers who were willing to work for a small wage. For example, the rubber plantations set up by the British in Malaya employed many workers from India. Today, most plantatons are owned by the local governments or big compnies.

PURPOSE
-Plantation agriculture is a form of commercial farming where crops are grown for sale. Some crops are sold as raw materials to manufactoring industries.

INPUTS:
-Land: Plantations are huge and can extend from a few hectares to a few thousand hectares. For example, in Malaysia, an oil palm plantation is usually at leasy 40 hectares in size.

-Capital: A large amount of capital is put into building roads, buying machinery and building factories to process the crops harvested from the plantations. 
Plantation owners also invest large amounts of their capital on fertilisers and pesticides. Fertilisers are applied to plantation crops as frequently as these crops use up nutrients from the land quickly. Since plantations usually grow one type of crop, pest attacks can cause total destruction of the plantations. Pesticides are therefore used in huge quantities to prevent crops from being entirely destryed by pests.

--Labour: Due to the large size of a plantation, a lot of labour is needed to tend to the crops and work in the nearby processing factories. For example in Malaysia;s large rubber plantations, many workers are hired to tap latex from rubber trees.

PRODUCE:
-the total output of a plantation is usually high. However, as a plantation covers a wide area of land, its output per unit are is usully low.

-Usually, only one type p crop is grown in a plantation. Common examples include rubber, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar cane, oil palm, cocoa and tobacco
Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

The method of farming where cultivation of crops and rearing of animals occur in the same area of land is called?

  1. Plantation fanning

  2. Intensive subsistence farming

  3. Mixed farming

  4. Extensive commercial farming
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Mixed farming is an agricultural system in which a farmer conducts different agricultural practice together, such as cash crops and livestock. The aim is to increase income through different sources and to complement land and labour demands across the year.

Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

High doses of fertilizers and pesticides are used in _____ type of agriculture. 

  1. Primitive subsistence

  2. Commercial

  3. Intensive subsistence

  4. All of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Commercial farming is an agricultural type that aims to maximize production through various means, such as the heavy use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

Multiple choice geography human environment interactions: the tropical and the subtropical region plantation of crops agricultural nature of indian economy the nature of the indian economy part 1

High yielding variety of seeds and use of chemical fertilisers are widely found in ________.

  1. Commercial farming

  2. Sedentary intensive farming

  3. Shifting cultivation

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

This system of agriculture involves cultivation of crops for sale in the market. These crops are called cash crops. They include sugarcane, tobacco, oilseeds. This type of agriculture involves the use of High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides to obtain higher productivity.