30 Days Revision Module Day 29 - Agriculture (UPSC Prelims 2021)
1) “Mulching is the process of covering the soil around the plant root area to insulate the plant from the effects of extreme temperature fluctuation.”
Which of the following are used as mulch in agricultural fields?
Compost
Manure
Dry grass clippings
Plastic sheets
Left-over crop residues
Crop stems and stalks
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
Mulching is a process of covering the soil around plants with organic wastes, like straw, hay, dry grass or leaves, saw dust and crop residues, etc., or synthetic materials, like plastic sheets.
2) Consider the following statements:
According to the recent Economic Survey, during the year of 2020-21, the Gross Value Added for agriculture contracted by 7.2 per cent.
Since 1991, India has remained a net exporter of agri-products.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
On the supply side, Gross Value Added (GVA) growth is pegged at -7.2 per cent in 2020-21 as against 3.9 per cent in 2019-20.
Only Agriculture contributed to positive growth while Service and Industry contributed to the contraction in GDP.
Agriculture is set to cushion the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Indian economy in 2020- 21 with a growth of 3.4 per cent.
Since economic reforms began in 1991, India has remained a net exporter of agri-products, with agri-exports touching 2.52 lakh crores and imports at 1.47 lakh crores in FY 2019-20.
3) Consider the following passage
“Use of recent advances in the field of sensors, remote sensing, deep learning, artificial intelligence and IoT for monitoring and quantification of soil, plant and environment to enhance farm productivity with increased input use efficiency and environmental sustainability.’
Which of the following terms is explained in the above passage?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
Precision Agriculture aims to enhance farm productivity by monitoring and quantification of soil, plant and environment using advances in the field on sensors, remote sensing, deep learning, artificial intelligence and IoT.
4) Consider the following statements about the “National Policy on Biofuels”
The Policy expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing the use of Sugarcane Juice, Sugar containing materials like Sugar Beet, Sweet Sorghum and Starch containing materials like Corn and Cassava.
The Policy allows the use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol.
It also allows the use of damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice, rotten potatoes, unfit for human consumption for ethanol production.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
The policy covers Fuels produced from materials that have sugar such as sugar cane, sugar beet, sweet sorghum, etc.; Also materials that have starch such as corn, cassava, rotten potatoes, algae, etc are covered.
Cellulosic materials such as bagasse, waste wood, agricultural/forestry residues, etc. or other renewable industrial waste also fall in the Bioethanol category of the Biofuel policy.
The policy allows B-molasses, sugarcane juice, damaged food grains such as wheat and broken rice, which are unfit for human consumption and surplus food grains for ethanol production.
5) Consider the following statements regarding the “Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020”
It allows the central government to regulate the supply of certain food items only under extraordinary circumstances such as war and famine.
Under this Act, the stock limits may be imposed on agricultural produce only if there is a steep price rise.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
The Amendment Act provides that the central government may regulate the supply of certain food items including cereals, pulses, potatoes, onions, edible oilseeds, and oils, only under extraordinary circumstances.
These include war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamity of grave nature.
The Act requires that imposition of any stock limit on agricultural produce must be based on price rise. A stock limit may be imposed only if there is
a 100% increase in retail price of horticultural produce; and
a 50% increase in the retail price of non-perishable agricultural food items.
The increase in price will be calculated over the price prevailing immediately preceding 12 months, or the average retail price of the last five years, whichever is lower.
6) Consider the following statements about aerobic rice cultivation:
Throughout the growing season, aerobic rice field is kept under unsaturated condition.
Water productivity is reported to be higher in aerobic rice.
It reduces labour usage by more than 50 per cent.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
In aerobic rice cultivation, rice is cultivated as direct sown in non-puddle aerobic soil under supplementary irrigation and fertilizer with suitable high yielding rice varieties. Throughout the growing season, aerobic rice field is kept under unsaturated condition.
The field is irrigated by surface or sprinkler system to keep soil wet. In the aerobic rice by 64-88 % and utilises 3,000 to 3,500 litres of water to produce 1 kg of rice compared to rice raised under transplanted flooded system which uses 5000 litres of water. Therefore, water productivity is increased.
The aerobic rice cultivation system involves mechanized way of sowing, transplanting and not need of frequent irrigation, which reduces the labour usage by more than 50 per cent, compared to irrigated rice.
7) Consider the following statements
Agricultural production in India is dominated by cereals.
India produces more Rice, Wheat and Sugarcane than it consumes.
Of the cereals grown in India, wheat consumes the highest water per tonne of output.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
Agricultural production in India is dominated by cereals.
The government buys sugar, wheat, and rice at remunerative prices, which assures economic justice to these farmers.
India still produces more rice, wheat, and sugar than it consumes.
Wheat and rice production consumes the greatest amount of water (80.6% of total water use) and the. Rice has the highest water footprint in Rabi followed by sorghum.
8) Arrange the following agricultural products in decreasing order in terms of their total value of Agricultural exports
Marine Products
Rice Basmati
Spices
Sugar
Tea
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
The exports of Agri-commodities during March 2020 to June 2020 were Rs. 25552.7 Crore against an export of Rs. 20734.8 Crore during the same period in 2019, showing a sharp increase of 23.24%.
The agricultural products of total value of Agricultural exports can be arranged in the following order:
Marine Products> Rice(basmati)>spices> Sugar>Tea
9) Which of the following are considered by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices in the calculation of Minimum Support Price in India?
Costs incurred on hired human labour
Costs incurred on machine labour
Rent paid for leased land
The imputed value of family labour
Expenses incurred on use of fertilizers
Interest on working capital
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
The minimum support prices are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
The Commission takes into account, apart from a comprehensive view of the entire structure of the economy of a particular commodity or group of commodities, the following factors:
Costs incurred on hired human labour
Costs incurred on machine labour
Rent paid for leased in land
Imputed value of family labour
Expenses incurred on use of fertilizers
Interest on working capital
10) Consider the following statements regarding Micro-irrigation
It cannot be adopted for water intensive crops like rice and sugarcane.
Micro-irrigation results in reduced fertilizer and energy consumption than surface irrigation.
Which of the statements is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
Micro-irrigation technique can be adopted even for water intensive crops like rice and sugarcane
Micro-irrigation system can apply chemicals to plants through fertigation unit.
‘Fertigation’ is the application of fertilisers used for making soil amendments in order to improve plant growth.
Since the fertilisers are applied directly to the root zones of the plants, a reduction in the total amount of fertiliser applied is possible, which saves an average of 25–50% of the total cost
11) Which of the following measures can help in managing air pollution due to stubble burning in the North-western part of India?
Establishment of Custom Hiring centres near the cultivable areas.
Awareness creation of in-situ crop residue management.
Replacement of short duration variety with long-duration paddy.
Bringing crop diversification in the present cropping patterns.
Implementing Pradhan Mantri VRIKSHAYUSH YOJANA.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
Pradhan Mantri VRIKSHAYUSH YOJANA was announced for the cultivation and post-harvest management of medicinal plants , covering 10 lac hectares.
This will also cover cultivation of medicinal plants in an area of 800 acres along the banks of river Ganga.
In the longer term, another way to reduce stubble burning is to replace long-duration paddy varieties with shorter duration varieties like Pusa Basmati-1509 and PR-126, which can be harvested in the third week of September itself.
This will widen the window between the end of the rice season and start of the wheat season, allowing enough time for the paddy stubble to decompose, and eliminate the need for stubble-burning.
12) Consider the following statements
The laterite soils of Western Ghats promote the production of Tea, Coffee and Rubber.
The forest soils, also known as Alfisols, are found in the Northern Alluvial plains of India.
Peaty soils of India are used for rice cultivation during the rainy season.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
Laterite soil are widely spread across India. They are mainly found on top of western ghats which are known for cultivation of plantation crops liketea, coffee and Rubber.
Alfisol is found under forest vegetation with Humid and sub-humid condition. The northern plains are covered with alluvial soil.
The peaty soil are usually submerged during the rainy season and hence are utilised for the cultivation of rice.
13) Which of the following techniques can enable “Biofortification” of plants to enhance its nutrient capacity?
Conventional plant breeding
Improved agronomic practices
Genetic modification via Genetic engineering tools
Seed Priming
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
Selective breeding is a technique in which the germplasm of crop which is high in nutrients are crossbreed with high-yielding crop varieties.
Agronomic bio fortification is the application of micronutrient-containing mineral fertilizer to the soil and/or plant leaves (foliar), to increase micronutrient contents of the edible part of food crops.
In Genetic modification, source of gene are identified and introduced into the crop (eg) genes from soil bacterium Erwinia or daffodil plants that contain increased levels of β-carotene, is used to make Golden rice which is rich in Vitamin.
Seed priming involves treating the seed with iron-oxide nanoparticles before sowing. This has positive effects on the shoot and root growth of seedlings of wheat can be observed.
14) The climatic conditions of Eastern Himalayas are considered suitable for tea plantations than the climatic conditions of Western Himalayas. Which of the following statements favour this argument?
Low temperatures of Eastern Himalayas.
Proximity to the Bay of Bengal.
Cleaner soil with fewer toxins.
Heavy rainfall for a longer period in a year.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
The temperature required for the production of Tea is 21 C to 29 C and even higher during the summer.
Western Himalayas have low temperatures compared to eastern Himalayas.
Tea requires high Humidity. Proximity to Bay of Bengal provides that humidity required.
Cleaner soil without presence of much toxin is an added advantage of the eastern Himalayas.
The rainfall required is high, that is about 150-200cm. Due to funneling effect, the rainfall in eastern Himalayas is higher than western Himalayas.
15) Consider the following statements about the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the Minor Forest Produce (MFP)
The MSP for MFPs is revised once every three years by the Pricing Cell constituted under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The Scheme has been implemented only in eight States having Schedule areas as listed in the Fifth Schedule of the constitution of India.
The MFP includes all non-timber forest produce of plant origin but does not cover bamboo and canes which are trees in nature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
MSP for MFPs is usually revised once every three years by the Pricing Cell constituted under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The Scheme was been implemented in eight States having Schedule areas as listed in the Fifth Schedule of the constitution of India. From November 2016, the scheme is applicable in all States.
MFP comprises all non-timber forest produce of plant origin such as bamboo, brush wood, stumps, cane, tussar, cocoons, honey, wax, lac, tendu or kendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots, tubers, etc, according to the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
16) With reference to the agricultural practices, consider the following statements
Ratoon cropping is a method used in the production of wheat to reduce initial expenditure.
The technique of alternate wetting and drying is used in paddy production to save water as well as reduce carbon emission from the field.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
Ratoon cropping is raising a crop with regrowth coming out of roots or stocks of the harvested crop.
Ex: Sugarcane, Banana, Sorghum and Lucerne fodder, Pineapple, etc, are ratooned.
Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) is a water-saving technology that lowland (paddy) rice farmers can apply to reduce their water use in irrigated fields.
17) Which of the following are the benefits of “Minimum tillage” in the agricultural field?
Reduces wind and water erosion.
Enhance soil aggregation.
Promote biological activity.
Increase water holding capacity and infiltration rates.
Weed Control.
Reduce Insect, Rodent and Pathogen related problems.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
Reduce Soil erosion- The minimum or no soil disturbance strengthens soil structure which resist movement of soil by rain water.
The minimum soil disturbance ensures that the activities of breakdown of materials in the soil is enhanced which helps in soil aggregation.
The minimum soil disturbance ensures that the small organism in the soil thrive and multiply.
Water retention- retains and increase the amount of water in the soil. Higher infiltration caused by the vegetation present on the soil and channels formed by the decomposition of dead roots.
In Minimum tillage there is increased usage of herbicides to control weeds which might lead to increased soil Pollution.
There is no any proven relationship between minimum tillage and reduced problem of pests, insects and rodents.
18) With reference to Minichromosomal Technology, sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements
A minichromosome is a small structure within a cell that includes very little genetic material.
Using minichromosomes, agricultural geneticists can add traits to a plant such as a drought tolerance and nitrogen use.
Through this technology, the plant’s original chromosomes are not altered in any way.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
The minichromosome includes very little genetic material but can hold a quantity of information.
Agricultural geneticists can add dozens of traits to a plant using minichromosomes. These traits can benefit a plant with drought tolerance and nitrogen usage.
Minichromosomal technology does not alter the plants genes in any way. Resulting in faster regulatory approval and a quicker acceptance by farmers.
19) Consider the following statements about the National Agriculture Market (eNAM)
It is a Pan-India electronic trading portal that seeks to network existing physically regulated wholesale market.
It will facilitate transparent and competitive bidding by enabling inter-mandi trade of farm produce.
Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium is the lead agency for implementing eNAM under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
e-NAM i.e., the National Agriculture Market is a pan-India electronic trading (e-trading) portal which seeks to network the existing physically regulated wholesale market (known as APMC market) through a virtual platform to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
Better market linkage has been provided under e-NAM by Integrating 1000 markets across 18 States and 3 UT. So far, more than 1.69 crore Farmers & 1.55 Lakh traders have registered on e-NAM platform.
The online and transparent bidding system is encouraging farmers to increasingly trade on e-NAM platform.
Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the implementing agency of eNAM under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.
20) With respect to the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), which one of the following statements is not correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane payable by sugar mills to the Farmers.
It is approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
The ‘Fair and Remunerative price’ of sugarcane is determined under Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966. This will be uniformly applicable all over the country.
