Introduction To Agriculture and Crop MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Introduction To Agriculture and Crop - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is 3 - 6 years.

Key Points

• Sustainable agriculture is a type of scientific farming practice that aims to reduce the environmental impact and maintain a higher yield.
• Modern agriculture is a method of deploying innovations to increase yields and reduce the dependency on exploiting natural resources.
• It takes 3 to 6 years for the conversion of modern agriculture to sustainable agriculture.
• The conversion mainly depends on land and the ecological situation.

India has three cropping seasons — rabi, kharif and zaid.

• 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.
• Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December and harvested in summer from April to June. Some of the important rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard. 
• In between the rabi and the Kharif seasons, there is a short season during the summer months known as the Zaid season. Some of the crops produced during ‘zaid’ are watermelon, muskmelon, and cucumber.

Additional Information

• Wheat:
• This is the second most important cereal crop. It is the main food crop, in the north and north-western part of the country.
• This rabi crop requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening.
• It requires 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall evenly distributed over the growing season.
• There are two important wheat-growing zones in the country – the Ganga-Satluj plains in the northwest and black soil region of the Deccan. The major wheat-producing states are Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and parts of Madhya Pradesh.
• Oil Seeds (Mustard): In 2008 India was the second-largest producer of groundnut in the world after China.
• Main oil seeds produced in India are groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum (til), soybean, castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower. Most of these are edible and used as cooking mediums.
• Linseed and mustard are rabi crops. Castor seed is grown both as rabi and Kharif crop.
• Barley: It is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It is a rabi crop.

The correct answer is ​26th November.

• November 26 is celebrated as National Milk Day, since 2014, to commemorate the birthday of the father of India's White Revolution, Dr. Verghese Kurien (also nicknamed as Milkman of India).
• India has become the largest producer of milk.
• India is the world's largest milk producer, with 22 percent of global production, followed by the United States of America, China, Pakistan and Brazil. 
• World Milk Day- 1^st June.
• World Animal Day- 4^th Oct.

Key Points

• Wheat is the second most important cereal crop in India after rice, making it a crucial component of the Indian agricultural sector.
• It is a Rabi crop that requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening.
• Wheat cultivation is predominantly concentrated in the Ganga-Satluj plains in the northwest and the black soil region of the Deccan.
• However, the Black soil region of the Deccan is generally not suitable for wheat cultivation due to its moisture-retentive properties, which are not ideal for wheat.

Additional Information

• Rabi Crop
  • Rabi crops are sown in winter and harvested in the spring season.
  • Examples include wheat, barley, peas, gram, and mustard.
  • These crops require a cool climate for their growth and a warm climate for their germination and maturation.
• Ganga-Satluj Plains
  • This region extends across the northern part of India and is known for its fertile alluvial soils.
  • It is one of the most productive agricultural areas, supporting the cultivation of wheat, rice, sugarcane, and other crops.
• Black Soil
  • Also known as regur soil, it is found in the Deccan trap region and is rich in iron, lime, calcium, potassium, aluminum, and magnesium.
  • It is highly moisture-retentive but tends to crack during the dry season, making it less suitable for wheat cultivation.
  • Black soil is ideal for growing cotton, hence it is also called "cotton soil."

The correct answer is Green and orange.

• International Seed Testing Certificates are designated by the colour of the paper they are printed on: orange, green and blue.
• For an orange international certificate, the ISTA accredited seed testing laboratory takes responsibility of the sampling and sealing of the seed lot as well as the testing of the seed.
• The green certificate is also a seed lot certificate but is for the situation where the seed lot is in one country and the testing needs to be carried out in another country. 
• The blue certificate covers the situation where only information about a sample is asked.
•  The accredited seed testing laboratory in issuing a blue certificate only takes responsibility for the seed test carried out on the sample submitted for testing.

Shifting cultivation is practiced in the thickly forested areas of the Amazon basin, tropical Africa, parts of Southeast Asia, and Northeast India.

Key Points

Shifting cultivation:

• It is a traditional practice of agriculture prevalent in various parts of Asia, Africa, and South-America.
• It is known as: 
  • Lading in south-east Asia.
  • Milpa in Central America.

The correct answer is Mexico. So, option 3 is correct.

Other names of shifting agriculture:

• Chitemene or tavy in Africa.
• Chena in Sri Lanka.
• In India, it has different local names like Dhya, Penda, Bewar, Nevad, Jhum, Podu.

The Correct Answer is Intensive subsistence farming.

 Key Points

• In intensive subsistence farming, the farmer cultivates a small plot of land using simple tools and more labour.
• Intensive subsistence agriculture is prevalent in the thickly populated areas of the monsoon regions of the south, southeast, and east Asia.

 Important Points

Commercial Farming

• In commercial farming, crops are grown and animals are reared for sale in the market.
• The area cultivated and the amount of capital used is large. Most of the work is done by machines.
• Commercial farming includes commercial grain farming, mixed farming, and plantation agriculture.

Primitive subsistence farming

• Primitive subsistence agriculture includes shifting cultivation and nomadic herding.

Extensive subsistence agriculture

• Extensive subsistence agriculture is farming in thinly populated areas.
• The vast expanse of land is cultivated to yield minimal output of crops and animals for the primary consumption of the grower's family.

The correct answer is Option 3.

Key Points

• Rearing of animals and cultivation of crops together are the chief characteristics of mixed farming and in India, animal rearing is considered an associate business with agricultural activities in rural India.
• Animal husbandry is an integral component of Indian agriculture, supporting the livelihood of almost 55% of the rural population as India is the highest livestock owner in the world.
• Cultivation of crops in India is the primary activity, which produces food grains and raw materials for industries as two-thirds of India’s population is engaged in agricultural activities.
• Mixed farming is a type of farming that involves both the growing of crops and the raising of livestock together.
• Alternatively, Mixed farming is one of the agricultural methods in which more than one agricultural practices take place on the same agricultural field.

Mistake Points

• Mixed Farming and Mixed cropping are two separate concepts.
• In mixed cropping, two or more plants are simultaneously cropped in the same field.
• Mixed farming means crops + animal rearing.

Here best option is Rearing of animals and cultivation of crops.

The correct option is [4] i.e All of the above​.

Key Points

• Chemical fertilizers should be used in optimum amounts with great care.
• Their excess use may lead to soil infertility, water pollution, and even cause disease. Overall, it damages the crop.
• Alternative methods for soil replenishment are vermicomposting, crop rotation, growing of leguminous plants, etc.
• Vermicompost: 
  • Vermiculture is the compost obtained by the activities of various strains of earthworms on organic wastes.
  • These are used as manure.
• Crop rotation: 
  • It is an ancient method where different types of crops are cultivated in alternate years.
  • This increases the mineral content of the soil.
• In some regions, leguminous plants like pea plants are also used in crop rotation.
• The root nodules of leguminous plants consist of nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as Rhizobium. 
• Soil replenishment is essential for the healthy growth of the crop.

The correct answer is option 4 i.e. Rainy

• Sowing of Kharif crops is done in the months of June-July.
• The monsoon rains begin from the month of June. Which provides a favorable environment for the Kharif crop.
• The winter season starts from November-December, at this time the Rabi crop is sown.
• Wheat, gram, pea, mustard, etc are the major Rabi crops.
• Paddy, Bajra, Jowar Millet, maize, etc. are the major Kharif crops.

The correct answer is Rice.

• Rice is a Kharif crop.
• It is the important food grain of India.
• India is the 2nd largest producer after China.
• Out of all food crop production, Rice comprises 42%.
• West Bengal is the top producer of rice in India, accounting for over 14% of the country's total production in 2022/2023. 

Wheat:-

• It is a Rabi crop.
• It is 2nd important crop after rice.
• It requires precipitation of 75 cm.
• 35% of production is from Uttar Pradesh.

Jowar:-

• The maximum production of Jowar is from Maharashtra(52%).
• It requires a warm and arid region.
• 45 cm of annual rainfall is required.

Pulses:-

• It contains protein, so everyone prefers it.
• Rajasthan is the top producer of pulses in India, accounting for over 19% of the country's total production in 2022/2023.
• It requires an arid region.

The correct answer is Maize.

Key Points

• Maize is a crop that is used both as food and fodder.
  • It is a Kharif crop that requires a temperature between 21°C to 27°C and grows well in old alluvial soil.
  • In some states like Bihar maize is grown in the rabi season also.
  • The use of modern inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilisers and irrigation have contributed to the increasing production of maize.
  • Major maize-producing states are Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Additional Information

• Kharif Crops: Paddy, Jowar, Bajra, Maize, Ragi, Arhar(Tur), Moong, Urad, Cotton, Groundnut, Sunflower Seed, Soybean Black, Sesamum, Nigerseed.
• Rabi crops: Wheat, Barley, Masur (Lentil), Rapeseed/Mustard, Safflower, Toria.
• Other Crops: Copra, De-Husked Coconut, Jute, Sugarcane.

Hygroscopic substances are those substances that tend to absorb moisture from the air.

• Fertilizer is a chemical or natural substance that is added to soil or land to increase its fertility.
  • All fertilizers are more or less hygroscopic. They start absorbing moisture at a specific humidity or at a certain water vapor pressure.
  • A blend of two-component can be more hygroscopic than the components on their own.
  • Nitrogenous fertilizers are highly hygroscopic. 
  • Urea is a remarkably hygroscopic substance when the humidity of the air is at a relatively high level. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
  • Urea is the most important nitrogenous fertilizer in the country because of its high nitrogen content of 46%. When it is applied to the bare soil surface, significant quantities of ammonia may be lost by volatilization because of its rapid hydrolysis to ammonium carbonate.
  • Urea is typically stored either in closed or sealed bags on pallets because it rapidly absorbs moisture.

Key Points

• Calcium ammonium nitrate contains 20.5 to 25% nitrogen.
• Sodium nitrate contains 16% nitrogen.
• Ammonium Sulphate contains 21% nitrogen.

The correct answer is Hot and wet.

• Kharif crops are also called monsoon crops as they are grown in the rainy season.

Key Points

• Their time is from June to September.
• Cultivation of these crops is started after the first rains.
• The timing and quantity of rainwater are very important for this crop, as they decide the good and bad crops.
• The main crops of the Kharif season are mainly paddy, millet, maize, sorghum, cotton, moong, groundnut, cowpea, etc.
• Apart from this, the production of some other important crops like sugarcane is also done in the Kharif season.

Additional Information