Agriculture

11. Dry land farming in India is largely confined to areas with rainfall l

Dry land farming in India is largely confined to areas with rainfall less than

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100 cm
85 cm
80 cm
75 cm
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2020
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Dry land farming in India is typically defined as farming practiced in areas receiving annual rainfall less than 75 cm. These regions are prone to moisture stress, and cultivation relies heavily on the limited rainfall received during the monsoon season. Specific moisture conservation techniques and drought-tolerant crops are employed in such areas.
– Dry land farming focuses on cultivating crops in arid and semi-arid regions where rainfall is scarce and irrigation facilities are minimal or absent.
– The threshold of 75 cm annual rainfall is commonly used to delineate dry land farming areas in India.
– These areas constitute a significant portion of the cultivable land in India, particularly in states like Rajasthan, parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
Areas with annual rainfall between 75 cm and 115 cm are often classified under “rainfed farming”, where moisture stress is less severe but supplementary irrigation may still be beneficial. Areas receiving more than 115 cm are generally considered “wet farming” regions, suitable for water-intensive crops.

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12. Which one of the following is a Rabi crop in the Northern States of In

Which one of the following is a Rabi crop in the Northern States of India ?

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Rice
Bajra
Barley
Ragi
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2019
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Rabi crops are winter crops sown in October-December and harvested in April-June. Kharif crops are monsoon crops sown in June-July and harvested in September-October. Rice, Bajra, and Ragi are primarily Kharif crops in Northern India. Barley is a significant Rabi crop grown in the winter season in Northern India.
Major Rabi crops in India include wheat, barley, gram, peas, mustard, and rapeseed. Major Kharif crops include rice, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut, and soyabean.
The timing of sowing and harvesting for Rabi and Kharif crops is primarily determined by the monsoon season and the availability of water, as well as temperature requirements for the crops. Some crops are grown in a shorter season between Rabi and Kharif, known as Zaid crops (e.g., watermelon, cucumber).

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13. Cultivable land, which is left uncultivated for more than a year but l

Cultivable land, which is left uncultivated for more than a year but less than five years, is known as:

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cultivable waste land.
current fallow land.
fallow land other than current fallow land.
barren and waste land.
This question was previously asked in
UPSC Geoscientist – 2021
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According to land use classification systems, particularly those used in India, land that has been left uncultivated for more than one agricultural year but less than five agricultural years is categorized as ‘Fallow land other than current fallow land’.
Current fallow land is land left uncultivated for the current agricultural year only. Cultivable waste land is land available for cultivation but not cultivated for more than five consecutive years.
Barren and waste land includes land that cannot be brought under cultivation without high expenses, such as rocky areas, deserts, etc.

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14. Which one of the following crops is not cultivated under dryland far

Which one of the following crops is not cultivated under dryland farming ?

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Jowar
Ragi
Sugarcane
Groundnut
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-2 – 2023
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Sugarcane is the crop among the options that is not typically cultivated under dryland farming conditions. Dryland farming is practiced in regions with low and erratic rainfall, and the crops grown are selected for their ability to tolerate drought or mature quickly using limited moisture.
Jowar (Sorghum), Ragi (Finger Millet), and Groundnut are common rain-fed crops suitable for cultivation in dryland areas due to their drought tolerance. Sugarcane, however, is a water-intensive crop requiring significant and consistent irrigation for optimal growth, making it unsuitable for dryland farming where irrigation is limited or unavailable.
Dryland farming aims to conserve soil moisture, utilize available rainfall efficiently, and cultivate drought-resistant crops. Examples of crops suited for dryland farming in India include millets (Jowar, Bajra, Ragi), pulses (gram, moong, arhar), oilseeds (groundnut, sesame, castor), and cotton in some areas. Sugarcane cultivation is concentrated in areas with assured irrigation facilities, either from canals, wells, or abundant rainfall.

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15. What is culturable wasteland?

What is culturable wasteland?

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Land that has been left fallow in last four years
Land that has been left fallow between one and two years
Land that has been left fallow for less than one year
Land that has been left fallow for more than five years
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2024
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The correct answer is Land that has been left fallow for more than five years.
Culturable wasteland is officially defined as land available for cultivation, whether not taken up for cultivation or taken up once but not cultivated for more than five years in succession for one reason or the other.
Fallow land is land that is intentionally left uncultivated temporarily. Current fallow refers to land left fallow for less than one agricultural year. Fallow land other than current fallow refers to land left uncultivated for one to five agricultural years. Culturable wasteland is land that *could* be cultivated but has been neglected for a longer period (> 5 years).

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16. Growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same field in a def

Growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same field in a definite pattern is known as

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mixed cropping
inter cropping
mixed farming
hybrid farming
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2021
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Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field in a definite pattern is specifically known as inter cropping.
– Inter cropping involves planting crops in specific arrangements, such as alternating rows of different crops. This pattern helps in efficient resource utilization and can offer benefits like pest and disease control, as well as soil improvement.
– Mixed cropping involves growing multiple crops simultaneously but without a definite pattern, typically by mixing the seeds before sowing.
– Mixed farming is a broader term that involves both crop cultivation and livestock rearing on the same farm.
– Hybrid farming usually refers to agricultural practices that utilize hybrid seeds or potentially a combination of conventional and modern farming techniques.

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17. The number of people per unit area of arable land is termed as

The number of people per unit area of arable land is termed as

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agricultural density
arithmetic density
physiological density
economic density
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2020
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The correct answer is physiological density. Physiological density is defined as the total population divided by the area of arable land.
This density measure provides insight into the pressure exerted by a population on the available agricultural land.
Arithmetic density is total population divided by total land area. Agricultural density is the number of farmers per unit area of arable land. Economic density can refer to population density in relation to economic indicators.

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18. The ratio of gross cropped area to the net sown area is called:

The ratio of gross cropped area to the net sown area is called:

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cropping intensity
intensity of crop rotation
crop productivity
cropping diversity
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
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The ratio of gross cropped area to the net sown area is called cropping intensity.
Gross Cropped Area (GCA) is the sum of areas under all crops sown during the year, counting area sown more than once in the same year as many times as it is sown. Net Sown Area (NSA) is the total area sown with crops only once during an agricultural year. Cropping intensity is calculated as (Gross Cropped Area / Net Sown Area) * 100. It indicates the degree of multiple cropping practiced on the same land during a year.
A higher cropping intensity implies that the same piece of land is being used for cultivation multiple times in a year, indicating more intensive land use. Crop productivity refers to the yield per unit area, while crop rotation is the practice of growing different crops sequentially on the same land to improve soil health and reduce pest buildup. Cropping diversity refers to the number and variety of crops grown in an area.

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