AGRICULTURE

Q1. What is the importance of agriculture?

Ans. (a) Agriculture provides as self-sufficient food for the increasing population.

(b) The commercial crops provide raw materials for industries.

(c) In order to keep the economy of our country on a sound footing its necessary to
balance trade through having sufficient foodgrains and agricultural raw material.

Q2. What are the reforms which had taken place in agriculture?

Ans. (a) Soil and water conservation.

(b) Multiple cropping programme.

(c) Agricultural education.

(d) Horticulture.

(e) Animal Husbandry.

Q3. Explain kharif crop.

Ans. The kharif crops are associated with South-West monsoon. They are sown in the
months of June and July and harvested in autumn months, i.e. September and October.
Important kharif crops are rice, bajra,jowar.

Q4. Explain the rabi crop.

Ans. The rabi crop begins with the onset of winter, October-November and ends in March-
April. The low temperature conditions during this season helps in cultivation of temperature
and subtropical crops like wheat, barley, peas, linseed,etc.

Q5. What are the climatic conditions necessary to cultivate rice?

Ans. Temperature 35°C and rainfall 150-300 cm.

Q6. What should be the soil condition for cultivating rice?

Ans. Clayey or loamy soil is necessary for cultivating rice.

Q7. What are the characteristics of upland rice?

Ans. (a) Grown on mountain region.

(b) Sown in March-April and harvested in September- October.

(c) This type of rice requires plenty of water during the sowing and harvesting period.

Q8. What are the characteristics of lowland rice?

Ans. (a) Grown on low lying region.

(b) Sown in June and harvested in October.

(c) This typr of rice requires plenty of water during the sowing and harvesting period.

Q9. What are the methods of cultivation of rice?

Ans. (i) Sowing of seeds.

(ii) Transplanting.

(iii) Harvesting.

(iv) Processing.

Q10. Name the leading producer of rice.

Ans. West Bengal, Tamil Nadu.

Q11. With reference to wheat answer the following:

a. What are the climatic conditions?

b. What is the soil condition necessary?

c. What are the methods of cultivation?

d. Name the leadin producer of wheat?

Ans. (a) Temperature 10°C-15°C for sowing; 21°C-26°C for harvesting and rainfall 8°C.

(b) Well clayey and loamy soil is preferred.

(c) (i) The seeds are sown by drilling or broadcasting method.

(ii) The seeds germinate when it is about 15-20cm tall it needs good irrigation.
 (iii) The plant needs three or four times irrigation during the growing period.

(iv) It is harvested when the wheat crop starts ripening in the month of April.

(d) Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh.

Q12. With reference to millet answer the following:

• Climatic condition for wheat?

• Soil requirement.
• Leading producers.

Ans. (a)

TEMPERATURE RAINFALL
I. Jowar- Not below 16°C < 100cm
II. Bajra- 25°C- 30°C 40-50cm
III. Ragi- 20°C-30°C 50-100cm

(b) (i) Jowar – clayey and loamy soil.

(ii) Bajra – sandy and red soil.

(iii) Ragi – red soil and sandy loam.

(c) (i) Jowar- Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh.

(ii) Bajra- Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh.

(iii) Ragi- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.

Q13. With reference to pulses answer the following:

1. Climatic condition.
2. Soil requirement.
3. Leading producer.

Ans. 1. Temperature: 20°C-25°C

Rainfall: 50-75cm

2. Dry, light, soft.

3. Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra.

Q14. With reference to sugarcane answer the following:

(a) Climatic condition

 (b) Soil requirement.
(c) Leading producer.

Ans. (a) Temperature 20°C-26°C

Rainfall 100-150cm

(b) Well drained rich alluvial soil, heavy loam or lava soil.

(c) Sowing just before the hot season:

(i) Sett Method.

(ii) Ratooning.

• Harvesting.
• Processing .

(iii) In the mills the crane is crushed between rollers and then boiled with lime. The
sugarcane juice crystallises and forms raw brown sugar.

(d) Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu.

Q14. With reference to cotton answer the following:

(a) Climatic condition.

(b) Soil condition.
(c) Describe processing of the crop.
(d) Leading producer.

Ans. (a) Temperature - 21°C- 30°C.

Rainfall- 50-75cm.

(b) Deep black soil, alluvial soil and laterite soil.

(c) (i) Ginning is the process to separate the fibres or lint from the seeds and the short
fibres or linters which adhere to them.

(ii) The seeds may be crushed to yield oil, the residue is used for cattle fodder.

(iii) The cotton lint fibre is baled for transport.

(iv) The fibres are washed and comb known as silver.

(v) Silver is fed to the spindles and spun to make the cotton yarn.

(d) Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh.

Q15. With respect to jute answer the following:

(a) Climatic condition

(b) Sol condition
(c) Explain its processing known as retting.
(d) Leading producer.

Ans. (a) Temperature : 24°C-35°C

Rainfall: 150-90cm

(b) Light sandy or clayey loams.

(c) Jute is harvested by hand by pulling up the stem. It is dried and shipped of
unwanted leaves and is put in water and allowed to rot. This process is known as retting.

(d) West Bengal, Bihar, Assam.

Q16. With respect to tea answer the following:

(a) Climatic condition.

(b) Soil condition.
(c) Types of tea found in india.
(d) Leading producer.

Ans. (a) Temperature : 24°C- 30°C

Rainfall: Atleast 150cm.

(b) Forest soil is rich in humus.

(c) Black tea, Greenm tea, Oolong tea, Brick tree.

(d) i. Assam- Brahmaputra Valley.

ii. West Bengal- Dooars, Darjeeling.

iii. Tamil Nadu

iv. Kerala.

Q17. With respect to coffee answer the following:

(a) Climatic condition.

(b) Soil condition.
(c) Types of coffee found.
(d) Leading producer.

Ans. (a) Temperature- 15°C-28°C

 Rainfall – 150-200cm.

(b) Well drained loamy soil.

(c) Coffee Robusta, Coffee Libeuica, Coffee Arabica.

(d) Karnataka, Kerala , Tamil Nadu.

Q18. With reference to groundnut answer the following:

1. Climatic condition
2. Soil condition
3. Leading producers

Ans. 1. Temperature- 20°C-25°C

Rainfall – 50-100cm

2. Sandy loams, well drained.

3. Gujarat, Tamil Nadu.

Q19. With respect to soyabean answer the following:

a. Climatic condition.
b. Soil condition.
c. Leading producer.

Ans. a. Temperature- 13°C- 24°C

Rainfall – 40-60cm

b. Friable, loamy acidic soil.

c. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan.

Q20. Explain briefly the following terms:

a. Ginning
b. Transplantation
c. Broadcasting
d. Ratooning

Ans. a. Ginning is the process by which cotton seeds are separated from the fibre.
 b. Transplantation: in this method seedlings are first grown in nurseries and after 4-5
weeks they are transplanted flooded prepared rice fields in groups of four to six at distance
of 30-45cm.

c. Broadcasting Method: in this method the seeds are scattered all over the field after
ploughing it. This is done before the onset of monsoon.

d. Ratooning: Ratooning is a method of sugarcane cultivation. In this method the cane

is cut close to the ground. After sometime the stem begins to grow again and produces a
second crop called ratoon.

Q21. Give two reasons for pulses being grown extensively in India. Name any two pulses.

Ans. (i) Pulses can be grown in all types of soiland do not need much irrigation water.

(ii) They have a high demand as they are a good source of protein.

Two Pulses- green gram/ mung bean, sesame.

Q22. Name the most important fibre crop in West Bengal.

Ans. Jute is the most important fibre crop in West Bengal.

Q23. Name a cash crop which is also a kharif crop.

Ans. Cotton is a cash crop as well as a kharif crop.

Q24. India is the largest producer of tea. State the climatic factors necessary for its growth.

Ans. The climatic factors necessary for its growth are high rainfall (150cm-250cm) and
moderate temperature (10°C-25°C)

Q25. Explain the following methods of propagation and name the crops associated with
each:

(a) Bud grafting

(b) Ratoon Cropping

Ans. Bud Grafting means to untie a bud with a growing plant by insertion or by placing in
close contact. Bud grafting is used in the propagation of rubber.

Ratoon Cropping is used in the propagation of sugarcane. During harvesting, the

sugarcane is cut, leaving a little bit of the stalk in the soil with roots. The stem begins to
grow and produce a second crop called ‘ratoon’ or successive crop obtained from the roots
left in the field.

Q26. Explain two important characteristics of plantation farming. Name one important
plantation crop.
Ans. Plantation crops are raised in large estates, crops are raised only for sale. Coconut.

Q27. Name the leading producer of jute. Give two factors responsible for this.

Ans. West Bengal is the leading producer of Jute.

Factors responsible:

(a) The jute plant needs heavy and evenly distributed rainfall (170cm-200cm) which is
found here.
(b) Jute is a soil exhausting plant and grows well on alluvial soil. Ganga Brahmaputra
delta has alluvial soil and soil is replenished every year.

Q28. (I) The yield of sugarcane is higher in the Deccan. Give two reasons for this.

(II) Give one advantage and one disadvantage of ratoon cropping.

Ans. (I) Sucrose content is higher.

Good amount of rainfall.

(II) Advantage: cost of cultivation is less.

Disadvantage: Low quality crops as the causes are thinner with lower sucrose.

Q29. Study the picture given below and answer the following questions:

(a) (i) Name the crop which is being planted. Give one benefit of this method of
planting this crop.
(ii) Mention the climatic conditions which favour the cultivation of the crop being
planted.
 (b) Name the state in India which leads cotton cultivation. Mention two climatic factors
which affect the cotton cultivation adversely.
(c) Give geographical reasons for the following:
(i) Tea bushes are pruned at regular intervals.
(ii) Oil cake is a useful residue.

Ans. (a) (i) Rice is being planted by the transplantation method. The yields of the rice crop is
highest if planted by this method.

(ii) Rice requires a temperature of 22°C to 32°C and rainfall of 150cm to 300cm.

(b)Gujarat. Climatic factors affecting the cotton plant adversely are frost, which
destroys the crop rain during the ripening period makes the fibre moudly and
muddy.
(c) (I) Tea bushes must be pruned at regular intervals to encourage the fresh leaf
growth and also to keep the bush at convenient level.
(II) Oil cake is useful residue as it serves as fodder and used as a fertiliser.

Q30. With reference to the cultivation in southern India:

(i) Why are coffee estates inter-planted with orange trees, cardamom ans pepper
vines?
(ii) Name one state where coffee is grown extensively.

Ans. (i) Coffee estates are inter-planted to supplement farmer’s income.

(II) Karnataka.

Q31. Explain the following terms:

(a) Withering.
(b) Plantation farming.
(c) Drilling.

Ans. (A) Withering- The tea leaves are spread over shelves called withering rocks and air is
flown over the leaves to reduce their moisture content and to make them soft.

(B) Drilling- It is the method of dropping the seeds in a straight line at regular intervals
through a bamboo shaft attached to the plough. It is by far the best method of
sowing rice.
(C) Plantation farming- It is a single crop farming practised on large estates in the
tropical countries. They are scientifically managed.

Q32. Explain the following:

(I) The propagation of rubber by the bud grafting method.

 (II) Propagation of sugarcane by ratooning.
(III) Propagation of paddy by transplantation.

Ans. Bud Grafting- This is done by insertion of a strip of bark containing a bud from high
yielding clones under the bark from a young seedling.

Ratooning- It is the process by which the cane is cut to the ground where the sugar
content is concentrated.

Transplantation- It is the sowing of seeds which is usually done in well prepared

seedbeds called nurseries, at the beginning of the monsoons. After four weeks, they are
uprooted and replanted in parallel rows at regular intervals in well prepared flooded FIELDS.

Q33. Mention three differences in the geographical conditions and cultivation of rice and
wheat.

Ans. Rice is a kharif crop, grows in tropical areas . It requires warm temperature around
16°C-20°C in growing season and 18°C-32°C in ripening stage . It needs abundant rainfall
from 150cm to 300cm. It grows well on alluvial topsoil and clayey impervious soil.

Wheat is a rabi crop grows in temperate regions. It requires cool climate around 10°C-
15°C while growing season and 25°C-28°C while ripening. Rainfall ranges from 50cm to
100cm. It grows well on drained clayey and loamy soils.

Q34. Give a geographical reason for each of the following:

a. Cotton grows widely in Maharashtra.

b. Clonal planting is the best method for tea propagation
c. Oil seeds are an important commercial crop grown in India.

Ans. a. Cotton grows widely in Maharashtra because of the availability of black soil and
humid climate.

b. Clonal planting is gaining popularity as it uses cuttings from good high yielding
mother plants.

c. Oil seeds are an important commercial crop as it is an important export item

becoming a foreign exchange earner of India. Vegetable oils are in great demand. It is a
source of employment. The oil cake is used as an excellent cattle feed.

Q35. Cultivation of sugarcane from the root stock of the cane which has been cut. Give the
geographic term.

Ans. Ratooning.

Q36. Tea is cultivated on hill slopes. Give reasons.

Ans. Tea cultivation cannot withstand stagnant water.

Q37. With reference to rice cultivation answer the following.

A. Why does rice grow well in a soil with a clay like subsoil.
B. What is the advantage of growing rice in nurseries before it is transplanted?

Ans. a. Rice needs flooded fields and the subsoil of clay does not allow the water to
precolate.

b. By growing rice in nurseries, we save water, and the plants can be transplanted in
rowsto facilitate the use of pesticides and harvesting.

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