WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 Geography And Environment India – Agriculture Of India

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board India – Agriculture Of India True Or False Type:

Question 1. Most of the rice in India is cultivated in winter as a Rabi crop.
Answer: False

Question 2. Tank irrigation is practised in the Deccan.
Answer: True

Question 3. Well, irrigation is practised in the North-Western part of India.
Answer: True

Read and learn all WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 Geography And Environment

Question 4. Taichung is an HYV seed of Rice.
Answer: True

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 5. Moti is an HYV seed of Wheat.
Answer: True

Question 6. Sujata is an HYV seed of Cotton.
Answer: True

Question 7. Basudev is a HYV seed of Jute.
Answer: True

Question 8. Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of Sugarcane.
Answer: True

Question 9. The agriculture done to meet the ‘requirements of the people is called subsistence agriculture.
Answer: True

Question 10, The Kharif crop is sown in winter and harvested in spring.
Answer: False

Question 11. A crop produced in the Zaid season is coffee.
Answer: False

Question 12. The raw materials that do not lose weight even after manufacturing are called impure raw materials.
Answer: False

Question 13. Coffee is the crop of a cold country.
Answer: False

Question 14. Punjab holds the leading position in Jute.
Answer: False

Question 15. Palai’s hilly region has tea estates.
Answer: True

Question 16. Tea is a plantation crop in India.
Answer: True

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 17. Uttar Pradesh holds the leading position in rice production.
Answer: False

Question 18. In Gujarat, cotton is the most important cash crop.
Answer: True

Question 19. Bihar also produces some jute fibre.
Answer: True

Question 20. India is famous for the production of tea in the world.
Answer: True

Question 21. Assam is the largest producer of tea.
Answer: True

Question 22. Punjab is the largest producer of wheat.
Answer: False

Question 23. Irrigation is needed in Indian agriculture.
Answer: True

Question 24. West Bengal ranks first in the production of rice and jute.
Answer: True

Question 25. Cotton is a fibre crop.
Answer: True

Question 26. Wheat production requires high temperatures and rainfall.
Answer: False

Question 27. Tea production requires high temperatures and low rainfall.
Answer: False

Question 28. Rice production requires low temperatures and high rainfall.
Answer: False

Question 29. Regur is favourable for the production of cotton.
Answer: True

Question 30. The most important plantation crop of India is coffee.
Answer: False

Question 31. Jute is mostly grown on alluvial plains.
Answer: True

Question 32. Rajasthan is the largest producer of Maize.
Answer: True

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE India – Agriculture Of India Fill In The Blanks Type:

Question 1. ______ occupies the second position in the production of rice.
Answer: Andhra.

Question 2. ______ holds the leading position in the production of wheat.
Answer: Uttar Pradesh.

Question 3. Assam is noted for ____ production.
Answer: Tea.

Question 4. ______ tea is famous in the world.
Answer: Darjeeling.

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 5. Aman is a ______ crop in India.
Answer: Winter.

Question 6. Tea is produced in ______ in south India.
Answer: Tamil Nadu.

Question 7. India holds the ______ position in tea production in the world.
Answer: Leading.

Question 8. ______ is the largest exporter of tea in the world.
Answer: India.

Question 9. Fertilizer Corporation of India (H.Q.) is situated at ______.
Answer: Sindhri.

Question 10. Black soil region is noted for _______.
Answer: Cotton production.

Question 11. Darjeeling is noted for ______ production.
Answer: Tea.

Question 12. For sugarcane cultivation ______ is suitable.
Answer: Mixed soil mixed with lime and salt.

Question 13. For coffee, forest-cleared ______ soils are ideal.
Answer: Brown.

Question 14. For tea, cultivation is required.
Answer: Fertile soil with iron, and phosphorus.

Question 15. ______ is the staple food of Indian people.
Answer: Rice.

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 16. Tea is a ______ crop.
Answer: Beverage.

Question 17. Revolution in the field of Milk is called _____ Revolution.
Answer: White.

Question 18. Winter crops are called ______ crops.
Answer: Rabi.

Question 19. Summer crops are called _____ crops.
Answer: Kharif.

Question 20. ___ is the largest producer of tea in India.
Answer: Assam.

Question 21. ______ is the largest producer of coffee in India.
Answer: Karnataka.

Question 22. ______ is the largest producer of groundnut in India.
Answer: Gujarat.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Chapter 5 India – Agriculture Of IndiaVery Short Answer Type:

Question 1. Which State of India ranks first in sugarcane production?
Answer: Uttar Pradesh.

Question 2. Name one Zaid crop of India.
Answer: Watermelon.

Question 3. What do you understand by ‘Rabi’ crops?
Answer: The crops which grow in the ‘Rabi’ season are known as ‘Rabi’ crops, e.g. wheat grain.

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 4. What do you mean by ‘Kharif crop’?
Answer: The crop which is grown in the Kharif season (i.e., the onset of the monsoon) is known as the Kharif crop, e.g. Rice. ;

Question 5. Through which port of India, the largest amount of tea is exported?
Answer: Kolkata port.

Question 6. Which is the leading state in the production of wheat in India.
Answer: Uttar Pradesh.

Question 7. Which state gives the highest yield of rice per bigha?
Answer: Punjab.

Question 8. Which is the leading state in the production of cotton in India?
Answer: Gujarat.

Question 9. What is agriculture?
Answer: Agriculture is the cultivation of land for the production of crops.

Question 10. Name the main food crops of India.
Answer: Rice, wheat, jowar, ragi, bajra, pulses, etc.

Question 11. Name the fibre crops produced in India.
Answer: Jute, cotton, mesta, etc.

Question 12. Name the beverage crops produced in India.
Answer: Tea, coffee, cocoa.

Question 13. Name the HYV seeds of rice.
Answer: Ir-8, |r-16, Ratna, Jaya, Padma, Taichung, Tainan, Vijaya, IIT— 1991, Indica, Mahsuri, Sona, TN-I, Kavery, Pusa-33, Sabarmati, ADT-27. i

Question 14. Name the HYV seeds of wheat.
Answer: Larma Rajo, Sonera-63, Sonera-64, Sona-227, Kalyan Sona, Sonalika-308, RR-8, Culture-16, Culture-64, Sonalika, Safed Larma, HD-2329, HD-1982, NP-52.

Question 15. Name the HYV seeds of maize.
Answer: CSH-5, CSH-6.

Question 16. Name the HYV seeds of bajra.
Answer: Bj-109, BK-560.

Question 17. Name the HYV seeds of cotton.
Answer: Sujata, Varalaxmi, MCU-5, MCU-4, Hybrid-4, Bharati.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 18. Name the types of sugarcane mainly produced in India.
Answer: Saccharum Barberi, Saccharum Sinesis, Saccharum officinarum.

Question 19. Name the types of coffee mainly produced in India.
Answer: Roberta, Arabica.

Question 20. Which state is the largest producer of wheat and in which state per hectare production is maximum?
Answer: Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of wheat and per hectare, production is maximum in Punjab.

Question 21. Which states are the largest producers of maize and jowar?
Answer: Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of maize and Maharashtra is the largest producer of Jowar.

Question 22. Which states are the largest producers of bajra and ragi?
Answer: Rajasthan is the largest producer of bajra and Karnataka is the largest producer of ragi.

Question 23. Which state is the largest producer of tea?
Answer: Assam is the largest producer of tea.

Question 24. Which state is the largest producer of quality tea?
Answer: West Bengal.

Question 25. Which state is the largest producer of coffee?
Answer: Karnataka.

Question 26. Where is the headquarters of ICAR situated?
Answer: New Delhi.

Question 27. Where is Wheat Research Institute in India located?
Answer: Pusha (Near New Delhi).

Question 28. Where is Rice Research Institute in India located?
Answer: Cuttack.

Question 29. Where is Sugarcane Research Institute in India located?
Answer: Lucknow.

Question 30. Where is Cotton Research Institute in India located?
Answer: Coimbatore.

Question 31. What’s the position of India in sugarcane production in the world?
Answer: Second.

Question 32. What is the position of India among the major sugarcane-exporting countries in the world?
Answer: Fourth.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 33. What was the quantum of production of sugarcane in India in the year 2013-14?
Answer: 349.38 million tonnes.

Question 34. What’s the position of India in tea production in the world?
Answer: First.

Question 35. Where is Coffee Research Institute in India located?
Answer: Chikmagalure at Karnataka.

Question 36. Who is known as the ‘India Father of Green Revolution’?
Answer: M.S. Swaminathan.

Question 37. Who is known as the ‘Father of Green Revolution’?
Answer: Norman Borlaug.

Question 38. What is meant by cash crop?
Answer: Cash crops are those which earn money, particularly foreign exchange, e.g. tea, and jute.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Chapter 5 India – Agriculture Of India 2 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. Define “Terrace Cultivation”.
Answer:

“Terrace Cultivation”

Terrace cultivation is a method of growing crops on the sides of hills or mountains by planting on graduated terraces built into the slope.

Question 2. What are Commercial crops?
Answer:

Commercial crops:

In Commercial agriculture, crops that are in high demand, i.e. crops that need to be exported to other countries or are used as raw materials in industries are produced mainly.

Question 3. What do you mean by millet crops?
Answer:

Millet Crops: The term ‘millets’ refers to a number of inferior gains which serve as foodgrains for the poorer sections of society and whose straw makes valuable cattle fodder. The most important millets cultivated in India include jowar (or kolam), bajra (or cumbu) and ragi.

Question 4. What do you mean by subsistence agriculture?
Answer:

Subsistence Agriculture: The practice of agriculture in which small landholdings are cultivated with primitive methods and tools, and the product is almost entirely consumed by the family members of the farmers, with a little surplus for sale, is called subsistence farming. This type of agriculture is mainly practised for survival.

Question 5. What are the two types of wheat cultivated in India?
Answer:

The two types of wheat cultivation are

1. Spring wheat and 2. Winter wheat.

Question 6. Mention the names of two leading wheat-producing states of India.
Answer: U.P. and Punjab.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 7. Which state is the leading producer of cotton?
Answer: Maharashtra.

Question 8. Name any two high-yielding seeds of rice.
Answer: IR—20 and Taichung IR—8.

Question 9. Name the two major coffee-producing states of India.
Answer: Karnataka and Kerala are the major coffee-producing states of India.

Question 10. Name two fibre crops.
Answer: Jute and Cotton.

Question 11. What is the Kharif crop?
Answer:

Kharif crops: The crops which grow during the rainy season are known as Kharif crops.

Question 12. What is the difference between Rabi and Kharif crops?
Answer:

The difference between Rabi and Kharif crops

Kharif Crops	Rabi Crops
(1)  Kharif season begins with the onset of monsoon.	(1) Rabi season begins in autumn.
(2) The crops are harvested in October and November	(2) The crops are harvested in spring (April, May)

Question 13. What is meant by cash crop?
Answer:

Cash crop:

Cash or commercial crops are grown for cash and mainly to serve industrial uses. They are bought and sold as raw materials, e.g. jute, tea, cotton, coffee, etc.

Question 14. What are plantation crops?
Answer:

Plantation crops

Plantation crops are commercial, perennial crops grown on large farms which are modern, scientific and self-contained units. Only one crop is grown on a large scale, e.g. tea, coffee, rubber, cocoa, sugarcane, banana, spices, coconut, etc.

Question 15. Name the major cash crops of India.
Answer:

Tea, coffee, jute, cotton, oilseeds, etc.

Question 16. What do you understand by ‘Rabi crops’?
Answer:

Understand by ‘Rabi crops’

Rabi crops are sown at the beginning of the cool season (October – November) and harvested between February and May, e.g. wheat, barley, jowar, gram, mustard seed, linseed, etc.

Question 17. Name two major food crops of India.
Answer:

Wheat and Rice are the two major food crops of India.

Question 18. Name two popular hot drinks of India.
Answer:

Tea and Coffee.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 19. Name two major food crops of the Deccan Plateau.
Answer: Jowar and Ragi.

Question 20. Name two major fruits of the N.E. region.
Answer:

Orange and Pineapple.

Question 21. Which two institutions has been established to solve the problem of marketing cotton?
Answer:

The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and Maharashtra State Co-operative Cotton Growers Marketing Federation have been formed to solve the problems of marketing cotton by cotton growers.

Question 22. Name two plantation crops.
Answer:

Coffee & Tea.

Question 23. Name the two tea research centres present in India
Answer:

Two organisations engaged in tea research in India are the Tocklai Experimental Station of the TRA [Tea Research Association, Jorhat (Assam)] and Tea Research Station of the UPASI (United Planters’ Association of Southern India, Cinchona, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu).

Question 24. What are the different uses of wheat?
Answer:

The different uses of wheat

Wheat produces many types of flour, ata, and semolina. From these, varieties of cakes and biscuits are baked. The straw and husk of wheat are used as raw materials in making paper, board, etc.

Question 25. Explain the production pattern of cotton in India.
Answer:

The production pattern of cotton in Indi

In the year 2001 India produces about 27 lacks 10 thousand metric tonnes of cotton. The following table shows cotton production in India:

Year:	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12
Production (million tonne)	22.63	25.88	25.88	24.02	33.43	36.1

Question 26. Comment on the import and export of cotton in/from India.
Answer:
Import: India imports long-staple cotton from the U.S.A, Kenya, Egypt and Sudan.
Export: Short staple cotton is exported to Britain, Japan, Malaysia and other countries.

Question 27. Explain the production pattern of rice in India.
Answer:
Production: In rice production in the world, India occupies the second position after China. In 2013-14 India’s total rice production was about 106.29 million tonnes.

Year	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
Production (million tonne)	99.18	89.09	95.98	105.31	105.31	106.29

Question 28. To which countries rice is exported by India?
Answer:

At present India is self-sufficient in rice production. Every year she has to import some rice from Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand. India also exports some rice to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, the UK, and the USA.

Question 29. What do you mean by agriculture?
Answer:

Agriculture

The word ‘agriculture’ has been derived from two Latin words, ‘ager’ meaning ‘land’ and ‘culture’ meaning ‘cultivation’. Agriculture is thus, defined as the cultivation of soil in order to grow crops and rear livestock. The essential purpose of agriculture is the production of food from the land for human or animal consumption.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 30. Give an account of the production quantum of wheat of the last six years in India.
Answer:

The production of wheat in India in 2013-14 was about 95 million tonnes.

Year	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
Production (million tonnes)	80.68	80.8	86.87	94.88	93.51	95.85

Question 31. From which countries wheat is imported in case of need?
Answer: India is almost self-sufficient in wheat production. However, when she needs, she imports wheat from Australia, Canada and the U.S.A.

Question 32. What do you mean by millets?
Answer:

Millets:

The term ‘millets’ refers to a number of inferior gains which serve as foodgrains for the poorer sections of society and whose straw makes valuable cattle fodder. The most important millets cultivated in India include jowar (or kolam), bajra (or cumbu) and ragi.

Question 33. What do you mean by bagasse? What is its use?
Answer:

Bagasse:

The fibrous part of sugarcane called bagasse is used for making paper and sound-insulating boards.

Question 34. What are the uses of sugarcane?
Answer:

Uses of sugarcane

Sugarcane juice is used to make sugar, alcohol, molasses, etc.

Question 35. What was the production quantum of jowar & bajra in 2013-14 in India?
Answer:

The production of jawar and bajra in 2013-14 was 5.25 million tonnes and 9.19 million tonnes respectively.

Question 36. Why are millets known as ‘dry crops’?
Answer:

Millets are called ‘dry crops’ as they are hardy, drought and heat-resistant and, therefore, cultivated in the drier parts of the monsoon lands, particularly the Deccan Plateau, mainly for local consumption.

Question 37. What are Catch crops?
Answer:

Catch crops: Crops are grown in between rubber trees such as pineapples, bananas, sweet potatoes, and manioc, to supplement the farmer’s income during the ‘waiting period’.

Question 38. What are food crops?
Answer:

Food crops: Crops grown to supply the staple diet of the population, e.g. wheat, rice, maize, millet.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 39. What are non-food crops?
Answer:

Non-food crops: Crops grown with a view to earning revenue or income, either by exporting or sale within the country itself, e.g. sugarcane, cotton, oilseeds, tea, course) spices. Food crops such as rice and wheat are also sold for cash and are part of commercial agriculture.

Question 40. What are fibre crops?
Answer:

Fibre crops: Any crop yielding a fibre which is used for textiles, e.g. jute, cotton, sisal.

Question 41. Name the countries to which tea is exported.
Answer:

India is the leading tea exporter in the world. India’s tea is exported to many countries, such as U.K., Russia, USA, European countries, Arabian countries and others. Maximum tea is exported through the port of Kolkata.

Question 42. State some problems of coffee cultivation.
Answer:

Problems of Coffee Cultivation:
1. Low production,
2. Production fluctuates according to climatic conditions,
3. Problem of competition from Kenya, Columbia and Brazil,
4. Shortage of quality coffee.

Question 43. Explain the export of coffee in India.
Answer:

Export of coffee in India

In the year 2001 India produced about 27 lacks 10 thousand metric tonnes of cotton. The following table shows cotton production in India:

Year	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12
Production (Million tons)	22.63	25.88	22.28	24.02	33.43	36.1

Question 44. What are the two methods of rice cultivation?
Answer:

The two methods of rice cultivation are:

1. Plantation and
2. Broadcast method.

Question 45. What are the three main types of rice cultivated in India?
Answer:

Aman, Aush and Boro.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Chapter 5 India – Agriculture Of India Short Notes:

Question 1. Green Revolution.
Answer:

Green Revolution:

Since 1967-68, through Government economic plans and programmes general modernisation and revolutionary change were introduced in India. Agriculture as revealed by a steady, continuous and regular quantitative and qualitative increase and improvement in the production of agricultural crops in India year after year is termed as Green Revolution. In order to modernise agriculture in India, measures like a supply of irrigation water, use of high-yielding varieties of seeds, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, employment of modern scientific agricultural implements, consolidation of holdings, the spread of agricultural education and training under the auspices of the ICAR have been introduced.

Question 2. Why is wheat cultivated during winter in India?
Answer: Wheat is a crop in the temperate zone. Wheat requires a moderately cool climate with moderate rain. The optimum temperature of 15°C is suitable for wheat cultivation. Hence, it is produced in the winter season in India.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Chapter 5 India – Agriculture Of India 3 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. What are Rabi and Kharif crops?
Answer:

Rabi and Kharif crops

There are two distinct crop seasons namely Kharif (July to October) and Rabi (October to March). Crops grown between March and June are known as Zaid crops. Kharif Crops are rice, jawar, bajra, maize, cotton, sugarcane, sesamum, soybean and groundnut. Abundant rain and moderate temperatures are needed. Rabi Crops are wheat, jowar, barley, gram, linseed, rapeseed and mustard. Midday time temperature, night dews and irrigation help in the production of these crops during the winter season.

Question 2. What difference will you find in the cultivation of wheat and rice?
Answer:

Wheat	Rice
1. It is produced by Extensive Farming.	1. It is produced by Intensive farming.
2. 10°C to 21CC temperature is necessary for wheat cultivation.	2.  21°C to 27°C temperature is necessary for rice cultivation.
3. It needs less rainfall.	3. It needs more rainfall.
4. Land must be plain but have a slope.	4. Land must be levelled or plain.
5. Agriculture of wheat includes machines.	5. Agriculture of rice is mainly done by hand.

Question 3. What are the problems of the tea industry?
Answer:

Problems of the Tea Industry:

At present, the tea industry of India is facing the following problems:

1. There is an enormous increase in the cost of production because of high wages and expenditure on other items of processing.
2. Several countries like Kenya, Sri Lanka, Japan, etc. have emerged as our great competitors in tea exports. The production and export of Sri Lanka have been rising day by day.
3. Often drought conditions occur, which cause a great setback in tea production. In this connection, it has been proposed to install deep tube wells to supply water to tea plantations during the dry periods.

Question 4. Production of coffee is highest in South India. Why?
Answer:

In South India, the hilly areas of Karnataka, Kerela and Tamil Nadu produce huge amounts of coffee. The causes for this are as follows:

(1) High temperature: This region is near the equator. Hence, it has a temperature annually.
(2) High rainfall: The monsoon winds coming through the Arabian sea pick up lots of moisture. They strike Nilgiri hills and are given high rainfall which is suitable for coffee cultivation.
(3) Sloping land: Hilly regions have gentle slopes. Hence, there is no water-logging.
(4) Shade: Here coffee plants are planted under the shade of Banana and Orange trees to protect them from sunlight.

Question 5. Assam and Darjeeling are famous for tea industry – Why? Or, Darjeeling produces quality tea – Why?
Answer:

Assam and Darjeeling are famous for the tea industry because:

(1) High Rainfall: Tea is a water-loving plant. The wind coming from the Bay of Bengal strikes the Himalayas and gives abundant rainfall in Darjeeling and Assam areas.
(2) Slope: The land is sloping at Darjeeling. So, there is no water logging. Hence it favours tea cultivation.
(3) Appropriate Soil: The soil is rich in humus, potash and phosphorus which is best for tea plantations.
(4) Cheap labour: The people from West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are easily available for picking tea leaves at cheap costs.

Question 6. What are the problems of cotton cultivation?
Answer:

The major problems of cotton cultivation are:

1. The yield per hectare is low compared to other countries.
2. Only medium staple and short staple varieties of cotton are produced in India. So long-staple cotton has to be imported.
3. Insécts, pests are very common which hamper the production.

Question 7. What is meant by monoculture? Give a common example and account for it.
Answer:

Monoculture

Under monoculture, the same crop is cultivated on the same land year after year. Paddy is widely cultivated under a monoculture system. It is common throughout India primarily because of the small size of farms. The farm is so small that the farmer has no choice to cultivate any crop other than his main food crop. Most of the area under rice is low-lying with some amount of water logging, which makes the land unfit for other crops.

Question 8. U.P. is the largest producer of sugarcane — Why?
Answer:

U.P. is the largest producer of sugarcane

For the production of sugarcane, favourable climatic conditions, soil, land, etc. are needed. U.P. meets all these requirements.
Temperature: 26°-30°C, rainfall is 70 cm, irrigation facilities, fertile alluvial soil, plain land, cheap labour rapid transport so Sugarcane is produced here in large quantity. :

Question 9. What are the principal agricultural commodities exported and imported by India?
Answer:

The principal agricultural commodities exported are: tea, jute goods, coffee, tobacco, sugar, spices, oil cakes, cashew kernels, and lac. The principal agricultural commodities imported by India are cereals and cereal preparation, raw wool, raw jute, raw cotton, animal and vegetable oil & fats.

Question 10. What are the cropping seasons of rice in India?
Answer:

In Kerela rice can be grown throughout the year, elsewhere the cropping seasons are as follows:

Crop	Sowing	Harvesting
1. Early locally called aus, belly or kar or Vaisakha.	May-June	Sept. – Oct.
2. Rainy season, called aman, hain or Karthika.	June – July	Nov. – Dec.
3. Spring or summer is called daluaorboro.	Nov. – Dec.	March-April

Question 11. What is the impact of the Green Revolution on Indian agriculture?
Answer:

The Green Revolution had the following impact on Indian agriculture:

1. It enabled Indian agriculture to change from subsistent to commercial and market-oriented.
2. It led to the development of an intensive agricultural production system that increased production and paved the way for self-sufficiency in respect of food grains.
3. The adoption of new technology under the Green Revolution created more employment opportunities in agriculture.
4. It enabled the farmers to obtain increasing returns from agriculture by greater utilisation of agricultural inputs.
5. It increased rural prosperity.

Question 12. State the importance of agriculture in India.
Answer:

Agriculture plays a significant role in the Indian economy in the following ways:

1. It provides food for our expanding population and fodder for our livestock.
2. It generates working capital for non-agricultural development, and supplies raw materials for agro-based industries like textile, sugar, food processing, vanaspati, etc.
3. It provides a large part of the market for industrial goods, especially the farm inputs like fertilisers, pesticides, implements, machinery, inputs, etc.
4. It accounts for a substantial portion of India’s exports.

Question 13. Explain the distribution of millet production in India.
Answer:

Distribution of Millet Production on India: Jowar is produced in the Deccan plateau in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Bajra or pearl millet is the staple food grain in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Bajra grows well in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Ragi also called finger millet, is produced in Karnataka (plateau region), Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in large amounts. Some ragi is also produced in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Jharkhand.

Question 14. Describe the types of cotton found in India.
Answer:

Varieties of Cotton: In India, five main varieties of cotton are grown

1. Superior long staple: Its staple is longer than 27 mm. 33% of the total production in India comes from this variety.
2. Long staple: The length of the staple is between 24.5 and 26 mm. It contributes 16% of the country’s cotton output.
3. Superior medium staple: The cotton staple in this variety is about 24 mm. It contributes 37% of India’s output.
4. Medium staple: Its staple is 22 to 21.5 mm long. About 9 per cent of the total production comes from this group.
5. Short’staple: Its staple is smaller than 19 mm. This variety constitutes 6 per cent of the total production.

Question 15. Give an account of the distribution pattern of sugarcane in India.
Answer:

The chief sugarcane-producing states are :

1. Uttar Pradesh: It is the leading state. It produces sugarcane in Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahar, Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur, Pillibhit, Kheri, etc.
2. Maharashtra: This state holds the second position. Sugarcane is mainly produced in the black soil region of Khandesh; Kolhapur, Nasik, Pune, Ahmednagar, and Sholapur are also important producing regions.
3. Karnataka: Shimoga and Belgaum districts are important producers.
4. Tamil Nadu: Kaveri, Vaigai river valleys, North and South Arcot districts, Ramanathapuram, Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchirapalli are important producers of sugarcane.
5. Andhra Pradesh: deltas of Krishna and Godavari.
6. Bihar: Champaran, Saran, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur.
7. Gujarat,
8. Haryana,
9. Uttarakhand and
10. Punjab also produce sugarcane.

Question 16. State the major types of tea.
Answer:

Major types of tea

1. Black Tea: It is processed by drying the leaves, crushing them in a machine and fermenting them. This tea is taken with milk. and sugar in India.
2. Green Tea: Green tea is not dried in the sun but in ovens after the leaves are steamed in large vats and crushed in machines. It is not fermented. This variety of tea is consumed in China and the Far East.
3. Oolong Tea: This variety of tea is greenish-brown and is prepared by partially drying and fermenting the leaves. From the tea gardens, a high-grade semi-fermented Oolong Tea is produced. Much of it is shipped to the United States.
4. Brick Tea: In this variety, the inferior and coarser leaves, stems and tea dust are compressed into rectangular blocks of brick tea. Such tea is normally consumed in Russia and Tibet.

Question 17. State the merits of the agricultural revolution as experienced in the States of Punjab and Haryana.
Answer:

Causes of agricultural development in the states of Punjab and Haryana:

1. Miraculous effects of the Green Revolution due to the introduction of chemical fertilisers, high-yielding varieties of seeds, improvement in irrigation, agricultural extension programmes, etc.
2. Establishment of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana as a centre of excellence in agricultural research and application.
3. Introduction of mechanization, government initiatives, etc.

Question 18. State the varieties of coffee grown in India.
Answer:

The varieties of coffee grown in India are the following:

1. Coffee Robusta: It is grown in the lower elevation (between 300 to 610 metres) districts of South India where Coffee Arabica does not thrive well. It is also hardier but yields poorer quality coffee. It can survive even in arid conditions and is disease-resistant.

2. Coffee Liberica: This is a hardy and disease-resistant species, suited to lowland rather than upland conditions. It gives heavy yields of moderate-quality coffee. Both robusta and liberica are particularly suitable for making ‘instant’ coffee and are thus gaining greater importance.

3. Coffee Arabica: It is the finest coffee but is very delicate and susceptible of several diseases. It is grown in over 60 per cent of the area under coffee on slopes ranging from 750 to 1,500 metres high. Its main varieties are Chicks, Coorgs, Kents, Margogipe, Bourbon Amarillo, Blue Mountain, etc. It produces superior quality beans, the hectare yield ranging from 500 to 600 kg.

Question 19. Mention the areas of coffee production in India.
Answer:

Areas of coffee production in India

The production of coffee in India is shared among only three states namely, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

1. Karnataka: Karnataka alone accounts for about half of the area and over three-fourths of the production. Coorg and Chikmagalur account for over 86 per cent of the total output in Karnataka. Other producers are Hassan, Mysore and Shimoga.
2. Kerala: It is the second largest producer of coffee. Most of the production comes from Kozhikode, Palakkad, Waynad, Idukki, etc.

3. Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu provides 6 per cent of the total production of coffee in the country. Nilgiri district alone accounts for half of the production of the state. Other producers include Madurai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, and Salem districts.
4. Others: Some coffee is also grown in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

Question 20. Why is Indian Agriculture used to be called the gamble of the S.W. Monsoon?
Answer:

Indian agriculture used to be called the gamble of the South-West Monsoon because of the following reasons:

1. Indian agriculture depends on the mercy of the South-West Monsoon.
2. Sometimes it comes early, sometimes it comes late.
3. Sometimes it brings heavy rainfall, and sometimes it brings less rainfall.
4. Heavy rainfall causes floods and less rainfall causes drought, bringing calamities and suffering to the farmers.
5. Some areas receive more rainfall and some areas receive less rainfall.
6. Each and every part of India does not receive the same amount of rainfall. So because of its irregular and erratic nature, Indian agriculture used to be called the gamble of the South-West Monsoon.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions India – Agriculture Of India 5 Marks Questions Ans Answers:

Question 1. State the favourable physical conditions required for the cultivation of wheat.
Answer:

Favourable Physical Conditions:

1. Climate: Wheat is a crop in a temperate zone. Wheat requires a moderately cool climate with moderate rain. It is a Rabi crop and can be successfully cultivated in temperate climatic conditions of India.
Temperature: The optimum temperature for wheat during its growing period is around 15.5°C. The weather should be warm and moist during the early stages of growth and sunny and dry in the later stages and during the harvest.
Frost-free period: A frost-free period of 100 days is usually required.
Foggy weather: Long gloomy or foggy weather is harmful to plant growth.

2. Soils: The best soil for wheat is either light clayey or heavy loam. Actually, the world’s best wheat comes from the Chernozem soils in the ‘Black Earth’ region of Ukraine.
3. Land: Slightly rolling plains are suitable for wheat cultivation. Plains should be well-drained so that water cannot stand there.

Question 2. Describe the favourable physical conditions required for the cultivation of cotton in India.
Answer:

The favourable conditions for growing cotton are:

Geographical:
1. Temperature: 23° – 32°C with an average around 27°C.
2. Sunshine: Plenty of sunshine during the growing period and cooler conditions during harvest.
3. Rainfall: 50-80 cm of rainfall well-distributed during the growing period. But rainfall is injurious after the budding period.
4. Frost: At least 200 frost-free days are required.
5. Soil: Black cotton soil or regular soil is the best for cotton.
6. Land: Flat or undulating land with good drainage and no water logging is good for cotton.

Economic:
1. Labour: Much labour is required for planting, thinning of seedlings, hoeing, inspection of pests, picking of balls, etc.
2. Transport: Good transport system helps in carrying raw cotton to factories and finished products to markets.
3. Fertilisers and pesticides: Cotton is highly soil-exhaustive. Hence fertilisers are necessary to maintain soil fertility. Pesticides are used to control pest attacks.
4. HYV: High yielding variety of seeds like MCU-4, MCU-5, Hybrid-4, Sujata, Varalaxmi, etc. help to raise the yield of cotton per hectare.

Question 3. Describe the favourable physical conditions required for the cultivation of sugarcane.
Answer:

Favourable physical conditions required for the cultivation of sugarcane are as follows:

1. Temperature: Average annual temperature of 21°-27°C is favourable for the growth of sugarcane.
2. Rainfall: Average annual rainfall of 75-100 cm is necessary. If rainfall is lesser, irrigation is required.
3. Soil: Sugarcane grows best in loamy soil, black soil, alluvial soil, etc. It does not grow in alkaline salts.
4. Relief: Flat or gently rolling plains are suitable for the cultivation of sugarcane.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

Question 4. What are the problems of Indian agriculture?
Answer:

Problems of Indian Agriculture: India is primarily an agricultural country. But the processes applied in agriculture are even today of the very old type. As a result, India cannot be self-sufficient in the food front. India has a number of problems in agriculture.

1. Low oFER per hectare: Per hectare production is low because of lack of water, paucity of fertilizer and low fertility of soils and use of old machinery and methods of ploughing.
2. Per capita holding of land: In India per capita holding of land is very low, only 3 hectares. But in other countries, this quantity is much higher.
3. Soil erosion: Soil erosion is one of the main reasons for low production in Indian agriculture. Rainfall, wind, and currents remove the top layer of soil, and thereby, the land becomes infertile.

4. Natural factors: Floods, heavy rainfall or sometimes drought often cause serious damage to Indian agriculture.
5. Lack of proper agricultural knowledge: Most of the cultivators in India are illiterate. They are not well aware of the agricultural development of other countries. They do not have any clear idea of the scientific way of cultivation.

6. Lack of proper irrigation: The Indian farmers are dependent on the mercy of the South-West Monsoon. If Monsoon smiles, agriculture flourishes. If not, agriculture suffers. Irrigation is not well-developed here.
7. Low use of fertilizer: Use of fertilizer in India is very low than that in other countries. In European countries, the use of fertilizer is maximum, of 63 kg per hectare. But in India, it is only 3 kg per hectare.

8. Low use of HYV seeds: Indian farmers are not well aware of the fact of superior seeds like
Rice: IR-8, IR-16, Ratna, Jaya, Padma, Taichung, Tainan, etc.
Wheat: Kalyan, Kalyan Sona, Culture-16, Culture-64, Heera, Moti, etc.
Jute : Basudeva, Baishaki, Toshi, Sobuj Sona, Shyamoli.
Cotton: Sujata, Bharati, MCV-5, MCU-4, etc.

9. Small size of the farm is another drawback. Because of its small size, mechanized farming is not possible.
10. Old type implementation: Indian farmers are using old ploughs in cultivating their land. The use of tractors, harvesters, etc. is absent.
11. Defective system of land tenure is another problem of Indian agriculture.

12. Lack of Co-operative farming: Co-operative farming is more or less absent in Indian agriculture.
13. Others: Lack of insecticides, lack of crop rotation, lack of proper education of Indian farmers, etc. are the other problems.

Question 5. What are the favourable conditions necessary for coffee cultivation?
Answer:

Fvourable conditions necessary for coffee cultivation

Coffee, like tea, is also a favourite drink all over the world. Necessary conditions that favour coffee cultivation is as follows:

Geographical Factors:
1. Temperature: 15°C to 30°C is good for coffee cultivation. Growth is most rapid in the hot rain season and during the cool, dry season the berries ripen and are ready for picking.
2. Rainfall: Moderate supply of rainfall between 150 cm to 250 cm is necessary for a coffee plantation.
3. Shade: Coffee is a shade-loving plant so it is mainly grown under the shade of big trees like Oranges and Bananas.
4. Land: Well-drained water-discharging land is ideal for coffee cultivation. So it is mainly cultivated in hilly areas.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

5. Soil: Coffee needs red or laterite soil free from water-logging and it is to be very fertile.

Economic Factors:
1. Labour: The coffee cultivation needs plenty of labour for planting, seeding, transplanting, looking after the growth, plucking the coffee cherries, loading and unloading, and processing of coffee in the factory.
2. Fertilizers: Coffee is a perennial crop and exhausts the fertility of the soil too much. So it is necessary to replace the lost nutrients by applying chemical fertilizers.
3. Transport: The plantation areas are connected by roads and railways so as to offer quick and smooth transport facilities.
4. Capital: Plantation of coffee requires.a lot of funds.

Question 6. What are the favourable conditions for cotton cultivation?
Answer:

Cotton is an important fibre crop and is the most important commercial crop of India. Necessary conditions that favour cotton cultivation are as follows:

Geographical Factors:

1. Temperature: Cotton grows at a place where there is no frost. The crop thrives best in areas where the temperature ranges between 20°C to 35°C.
2. Rainfall: Moderate rainfall ranging between 50 cm to 85 cm is ideal for it. But at the time of cotton picking, there must be no rain. Rainfall must be well-distributed throughout the year for its better growth. ;
3. Sunshine: During the period of growth it needs abundant sunshine but a cool temperature is favoured at the time of harvest.
4. Land: Cotton is best grown on plain or levelled land free from water-logging.
5. Soil: Cotton thrives in light, well-drained alluvial soil, rich in lime or black lava soil. The sticky alluvial soil of Peninsular India is ideal for its cultivation.

Economic Factors:
1. Labour: Cotton growing is an activity which requires large supplies of labour. Planting, thinning of seedlings, hoeing, inspection for pests, and more than all these pickings, require large reserves of manpower.
2. Transport: Cotton is essentially a commercial crop. So its cultivation needs good transportation facilities for carrying the cotton to the factory.

3. Fertilizers and pesticides: Cotton plants are soil’s robbers. So repeated application of chemical fertilizer to maintain nutrients is essential. Cotton balls, if often attacked by various pests, can suffer from diseases such as boll-weevil, boll-worms and will. So in order to control their insecticides and fungicides are to be used.
4. HYV: Among the high-yielding varieties Hybrid-4, MCU-4, MCU-S, Sujata, and Varalaxmi are of great use for raising the yield per hectare.

Question 7. What are the areas of production of tea in India?
Answer:

Areas of production of tea in India

India has the world’s largest area under tea cultivation and it produces 28.3 per cent of the total world production. At present, India ranks third among tea-exporting countries in the world after Sri Lanka and China.

1. Assam: Assam is the largest producer of tea contributing 53.2 per cent of the total area. In Assam, there are two main areas of tea production:
(1)The Brahmaputra valley and
(2)The Surna valley.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

2. West Bengal: West Bengal is the second largest producer of tea in the country. Here tea is grown in
(1)The Duars, and
(2)The Darjeeling Hills.

3. Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu accounts for 19.90 per cent of the total production of tea in the country. Nilgiris district is the foremost producer. Other producers include Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Madurai, etc.

4. Kerala: Kerala is the fourth largest producer of tea in India. The important producers include Kottayam, Kollam, Thiruvanthapuram, Trissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode and Kannur districts.

5. Others: Other minor producers of tea include Ratnagiri, Satara (Maharashtra); Purnea (Bihar); Hazaribagh and Ranchi Jharkhand); Almora and Garhwal districts (Uttarakhand); Kangra Valley (Himachal Pradesh); Mysore, Coorg, Shimoga (Karnataka); Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.

Question 8. What are the areas of production of rice in India?
Answer:

Areas of production:
India is the second largest producer of rice in the world (after China) and its annual production amounted to over 13 crore tons. The country occupies about 28% of the world’s cultivation area under rice. Rice is cultivated in India where facilities of water are available. Rainfall of over 100 cm marks the boundary of rice-producing areas. The most important rice-producing areas of India are the Eastern Ganga Plains, the Brahmaputra valley and the narrow coastal strips forming major parts of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri deltas.

The main rice-producing states are
1. West Bengal,
2. Andhra Pradesh,
3. Uttar Pradesh including Uttaranchal,
4. Orissa,
5. Tamil Nadu and
6. Punjab.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

1. West Bengal: West Bengal ranks leading position accounting for about 15% of the country’s total production. The major rice-producing districts are Vardhman, Medinipur, N & S 24-Parganas.
2. Andhra Pradesh: It ranks second in the production of rice in India. The Guntur, Kurnool and Nellore districts are leading producers.
3. Uttar Pradesh: It occupies the third position in rice production. The important rice-producing districts of the U.P. are Bahraich, Pilibhit and Kheri. Rice is also grown well in the Doon Valley of U.P.

4. Tamil Nadu: It ranks fourth position in rice production in India. The Kaveri delta produces plenty of rice. The important rice-producing districts are Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Thiruchirapalli.
5. Bihar: It occupies the fifth position in rice production. Darbhanga and Purnea are the important rice-producing districts of Bihar.
6. Others: Other rice-producing states are — Orissa, Punjab, Haryana, Assam, M.P., Kerala and Gujarat.

Question 9. Describe the wheat-producing regions of India.
Answer:

The main areas of wheat production in India are

(1)Uttar Pradesh,
(2)Punjab,
(3)Haryana and
(4)Madhya Pradesh.

(1)Uttar Pradesh: It is the largest producer of wheat, accounting for over 34 per cent of the country’s production. It has the largest area under wheat cultivation. It is grown in almost every part of the state, but the greatest concentration is in the western part. The important districts are Meerut, Saharanpur, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Agra, Muzzaffarnagar, Kanpur and Mathura.

(2)Punjab ranks second (accounting for about 20 per cent of the total) in wheat production in India. The important wheat-producing districts are Ferozpur, Ludhiana, Patiala and Amritsar.
(3)Haryana occupies third place in wheat production among the states of India. The important districts of this state are Hissar, Ambala, Jind, Rohtak and Faridabad.
(4)Madhya Pradesh ranks fourth position in wheat production. The main wheat-producing districts of M.P. are Sagar, Jabalpur, Share, Gwalior, Indore and Ujjain.

The other wheat-producing states of India are
(5)Rajasthan (Ganganagar, Kota, etc.),
(6)Bihar (Saran, Champaran, Gaya, Patna),
(7)Maharashtra,
(8)Gujarat,
(9)West Bengal,
(10)Karnataka,
(11)Jammu and Kashmir,
(12)Himachal Pradesh and
(13)Jharkhand.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

Question 10. Discuss the major coffee-producing regions of India.
Answer:

Areas of Production: Coffee is produced entirely in South India. Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the chief coffee-producing states. Nilgiri area is the most popular coffee-producing region.

1. Karnataka: About 60% of the total area under coffee crops in India is in Karnataka state. It produces about 65% of the total coffee output in India. Most of the coffee produced here is of Robusta variety. Here the plantations are mostly confined to the South and West, particularly in the districts of Kadur, Shimoga, Hasan and Mysore. Chikmagalur district has the largest concentration of coffee area, about 35% of the country’s total coffee land. It produces about 34% of the total production.

2. Kerala: Kerala is the second coffee-producing state of India. It produces about 22% of the total coffee output. In Kerala coffee is grown at an altitude of 1200 ft. It is mostly produced in the north Coorg district. Travancore, Cochin and Malabar districts are other producers.

3. Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu is the third largest coffee-producing state of India. It produces about 16% of the total output. In Tamil Nadu plantations are found mostly in the southwest from North Arcot to Tirunelvelli including the western areas. The Nilgiri is the most productive area, followed by the Madurai and Salem districts of Tamil Nadu.

4. Others: Some coffee is also. grown in Belgaum, Satara and Ratnagiri districts of Maharashtra. Attempts are also being made to grow coffee in areas like Araku valley of Andhra pradesh, in some parts of W.B. and Andaman Islands.

Question 11. Name the major cotton-producing areas of India.
Answer:

Areas of production: India stands in second position in the world in cotton production and ranks first in the world under cotton cultivation. About 70% of the total cotton-producing area comprises the black cotton soil area of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

(1)Gujarat: It produces about 28% of the total with 25% of the total area under cotton. Ahmedabad, Mahesana, Bharuch, Kaira, Vadodra, Sabarkanta, Surat, Panchmahals, Gohilwad, and Amreli are the main producing regions.
(2)Maharashtra: It raises 18% of the crop with 30% of the total area. Important cotton-producing districts are West Khandesh, Buldhana, Akola, Yeotmal, Amravati, Wardha, Aurangabad, Adilabad, Dhulia, Jalgaon, Nagpur, Prahatni and Bhir.

(3)Madhya Pradesh: It contains 9% of the area and provides about 3% of the production. The principal cotton-producing districts are Indore, Ujjain, Ratlam, Bhopal, Raipur, etc.
(4)Tamil Nadu: It raises 7% of the crop with 4% of the total area. Principal cotton-producing districts are Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelvelli, etc.

(5)Karnataka: It has 13% of the area and provides about 11% of the production. Bellary, Hasan, Bijapur, Mysore, Raichur, etc. are the main cotton-producing districts.
(6)Andhra Pradesh: It produces about 6% of the total with about 5% of the area.
(7)Punjab: It contributes about 16% of the total, with about 6% of the total area. Patiala, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Sangrur, Ferozpur, Ambala, Hoshiarpur and Bhatinda are the principal cotton-producing districts.

Question 12. Suggest how agriculture can be improved in India.
Answer:

Agriculture can be improved in the following ways :

(1)Scientific soil improvement: Scientific soil Management can increase agricultural production.
(2)Use of machines, especially tractor, etc. wherever necessary: Use of machinery, “especially tractors,” harvest threshers, etc. can increase the amount of production.

(3)Supply of good seeds: Ordinary seeds can not yield huge production. But HYV seeds like Hira, Moti, Culture-16, Culture-64, Jaya, Padma, IR-8, IR-16, MCU-5, MCH-6,etc. can produce more crops per hectares.
(4)Scientific water management: Irrigation and drainage system should be managed scientifically where rainfall is not sufficient or is in excess.

(5)Supply of fertilizer and pesticides: These can increase the production per hectare. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides can increase agricultural production.
(6)Agricultural knowledge: Cultivators should be given proper training in this connection. Arrangements should be made for the supply of educated labour, means of transport, marketing and selling of the crops at good rates.

Question 13. What are the physical conditions required for the production of rice?
Answer:

Rice is primarily a crop in the Tropics and Subtropics. It requires the following physical conditions for its growth:

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

1. Climatic conditions: Rice is a crop of the Tropical Monsoon land. It requires a hot and humid climate.

(1)Temperature: It needs a temperature of over 16°C to 20°C for its cultivation. The temperature must be higher during the growing season. It thrives well in plenty of bright sunshine with an average temperature of 27°C and water.
(2)Rainfall: Rice requires abundant rainfall, ranging from 150 cm to 200. cm. Plant of water is necessary at the time of early growth and transplantation. Water should remain standing on the ground up to 5 cm to 10 cm in the rice field in the earlier part of its growing season.

2. Land: Rice requires flooded fields. Extensive plains and lowlands provide excellent conditions for paddy cultivation. On hills and mountains, rice is grown on terraces.
3. Soil: Rice grows on a wide variety of soils, but alluvial loam with subsoils of clay is ideal. Level lands with alluvial soils of the river valleys and deltas are ideal for rice cultivation.
4. Agricultural labour: Rice cultivation requires cheap and abundant labour, as most of the work in rice fields, such as sowing, transplanting and harvesting are done by hand.

5. Other requirements: The other requirements of rice cultivation include
(1)Chemical fertilizer,
(2)Irrigation,
(3)Seeds,
(4)H.Y.V. seeds and
(5)capital.

Question 14. What are the favourable factors for the cultivation of Wheat in India?
Answer:

Wheat requires the following geographical and economic conditions for its growth:

Favourable Geographical Conditions:
1. Climate: Wheat is a crop in a temperate zone. Wheat requires a moderately cool climate with moderate rain. It is a Rabi crop and can be successfully cultivated in temperate climatic conditions of India.

(1)Temperature: The optimum temperature for wheat during its growing period is around 15.5°C. The weather should be warm and moist during the early stages of growth and sunny and dry in the later stages and during the harvest.
(2)Frost-free period: A frost-free period of 100 days is usually required.
(3)Foggy weather: Long gloomy or foggy weather is harmful to plant growth.

2. Soils: The best soil for wheat is either light clayey or heavy loam. Actually, the world’s best wheat comes from the Chernozem soils in the ‘Black Earth’ region of Ukraine.
3. Land: Slightly rolling plains are suitable for wheat cultivation. Plains should be well-drained so that water cannot stand there.

Favourable Economic Conditions:
1. Irrigation: Wheat can also be cultivated in areas of less than 50 cm of rainfall by practising irrigation or dry farming methods.
2. High Yielding Variety: The uses of HYV of seeds like Larma-Rajo, Sonera-63, Sonera-64, Sona-227, and Sonalika-308 have promoted the average yield per hectare.
3. Labour: Labour factor is not as important in wheat cultivation as in the case of rice.

4. Other requirements:
(1)Adaptation of scientific methods,
(2)Introduction of farm machinery like tractors, harvesters, winnowers, threshers, elevators, etc.
(3)Improvement in transport,
(4)Financial capital, etc. are the other requirements of wheat cultivation.

Question 15. Explain the major characteristics of Indian agriculture.
Answer:

The major characteristics of Indian agriculture

1. Subsistence agriculture: Most parts of India have subsistence agriculture. The farmer owns a small piece of land, grows crops with the help of his family members and consumes almost the entire production with little surplus to sell in the market.
2. Pressure on population: The population in India is increasing at a rapid pace and exerts heavy pressure on agriculture. Agriculture has to provide employment to a large workforce and also feed the teeming millions.

3. Pre-dominance of animal force: Animal force plays an important role in ploughing irrigation, threshing and transporting agricultural products. Complete mechanisation of Indian agriculture is still a distant goal.
4. Uses of irrigation: Indian agriculture is mainly dependent upon monsoon, which is uncertain, unreliable and irregular. In spite of the large-scale expansion of irrigation facilities since independence, only 1/3 of the cropped area is provided by perennial irrigation.

5. Small size of land holdings: Laws of inheritance of property have caused fragmentation of large land holdings. This causes a loss of cultivable land and reduces production significantly.
6. Uncontrolled use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers: The use of chemical fertilisers initially boosts agricultural produce, but damages the soil in the long run. Uncontrolled use of pesticides also affects fertility and reduces production.

7. Predominance of food crops: Since Indian agriculture has to feed a large population, the production of food crops is the first priority. More than 2/3 of the total cropped area is devoted to the cultivation of food crops.
8. Insignificant place given to fodder crops: Although India has the largest population of livestock in the world, fodder crops are given a very insignificant place in the crop calendar. Only 4% of the land is under permanent pastures. This is due to the tremendous need for food grains. The result is that domestic animals are not properly fed and their productivity is low.

9. Variety of food crops: India is a vast country with a variety of relief, climate and soil conditions. Therefore, a large variety of crops are grown all over the country depending upon suitable conditions.
10. Dependence on monsoon: Indian agriculture is highly dependent on monsoon rains. The choice of crops in areas is directed by the availability of rainfall in those regions, e.g. water-loving crops like rice, jute, etc. are cultivated in eastern India, while millets are cultivated in the dry western regions. But irregular and uncertain nature of the monsoon rains often results in crop failure.

Question 16. Divide and explain crops on the basis of season.
Answer: In India, different crops are sown in different seasons. There are two major crop seasons in India:

1. Kharif: The Kharif crops are associated with the South-west Monsoon. They are sown in the months of June and July and harvested in the autumn months, ie., in September and October. Important Kharif crops are rice, jawar, bajra, ragi, maize, sugarcane, cotton and jute.

2. Rabi: The rabi season begins with the onset of winter in October-November and ends in March-April. The low temperature conditions during this season help the cultivation of temperate and subtropical crops like wheat, barley, peas, linseed, rapeseed, gram and mustard. Besides the Kharif and Rabi crops, there are certain crops which are raised throughout the year. They are known as ‘Zaid’.

They include:
1. Zaid Kharif Crops: These are sown in August and September and harvested in December and January. Most oilseeds like mustard are grown in this season.
2. Zaid Rabi Crops: These crops are sown at the beginning of the hot season in February and March and are harvested in the month of April and Mey. Summer vegetables, jowar, maize, watermelons, cucumbers, etc. are important among these crops.

Question 17. Classify and explain crops on the basis of nature.
Answer:

Crops can be classified on the basis of their nature as:

1. Food crops: The plants that are grown with the primary purpose of being consumed or éaten by humans and animals, e.g. rice, wheat, millets, pulses, oilseeds, etc.
2. Fibre crops: These crops are grown for their fibres which are used to make paper, cloth or rope, e.g. cotton, jute, mesta, etc.

3. Plantation crops: A plantation crop is one crop which is specifically planted in a large piece of land (a plantation) in tropical or semi-tropical areas and grown on a commercial basis. E.g. tea, coffee, rubber etc.
4. Cash crops: A crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower, E.g tea, coffee, etc.

5. Others: Among other crops, there are forage crops (food for animals) like sorghum, elephant grass, etc.; root crops like sweet potato, sugarcane, sugarbeet, turnip, etc.; tuber crops like potato, yam, etc.; sugar crops like sugarcane, sugarbeet; drug crops like tobacco, mint, etc.; spices like ginger, garlic, chili, cumin, onion, coriander, turmeric, etc.; vegetable crops like brinjal, tomato, etc.; aromatic crops like lemongrass, palmarosa, rose, jasmine, henna, etc.

Question 18. What are the problems of wheat production in India?
Answer:

Problems of wheat production in India

It is practically true that the hectarage of wheat production in India has much improved today but in the world, there are countries enjoying much greater hectarage. Besides, in India rice is more popular than wheat firstly as a food crop and secondly as a commercial crop.

The constant problems are as follows:
1. Comparatively Low YPH: Wheat production in India per hectare is 2510 kg, whereas, in Germany, it is 7,283 kg, in France, 6,632 kg, in China, 4,087 kg, and in Ukraine the hectarage is 3,137 kg.

2. Lack of Desired Popularity: Wheat production in India suffers from limitations because as a foodgrain it is less popular than Rice (a staple food in India). India is self-sufficient in wheat production today, nevertheless, statistically rice occupies the crown, forin 1996-97 India produced 813.14 lakh tonnes of rice (from 432.83 lakh hectares of and-area) whereas (from 259.34 lakh hectares of land-area) the result of wheat-culture was 692.75 lakh tonnes.

3. Limited Area of Production: As a whole, most of the fertile agricultural land in India is climatologically ready for the culture of Kharif crops, so rice enjoys a comparatively larger area. But, wheat is a Rabi crop and holds much less portion of cultivated area in the country. In 1996-97 total land area devoted to wheat cultivation was 259.34 lakh hectares, whereas rice cultivation it was 432.83 lakh hectares.

4. Concentration of Culture in North-West India: The largest wheat area is found in and around the Ganga-Sutlej Plains in India. The key states are U.P., Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and the north-western parts of M.P. This is because of the favourable geographical conditions of the growth of wheat prevailing in the above area. On the contrary, peninsular India does not offer all such favours for wheat cultivation. Barring Andhra Pradesh, south India is not important for wheat culture. The production over here is meagre.

5. Decreasing Productivity of Soil: Wheat is predominantly a crop grown over the arid or semi-arid zones in India. Though it is a Rabi crop, irrigation is a must for its cultivation especially when there are
1. Use of HYV seed,
2. Double cropping,
3. Useof chemical fertilizers. Much use of irrigation results in an increase in the amount of salt in the soil and a decrease in productivity. Wheat fields of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are thoroughly irrigated and so excess salt is retained in the soils.

6. Increase in the Price of Fertilizers and Insecticides: At the present time, the price of chemical fertilizers and insecticides has risen too high to remain within the purchasing capacity of the farmers. This leads to the farmers’ discouragement that is hampering wheat production to a large extent. Agricultural loans through the Credit Cell of the Government are assisting the farmers remarkably but this does not reach the satisfactory goal.

7. Backwardness of the Farmers in India: In spite of the implementation of modernity and various facilities towards wheat cultivation and cultivators, the improvement of the hectarage and the impetus behind it proved fruitless. Otherwise, Indian hectarage of wheat could compete with that of China or France.

The main reason behind this is the backwardness of the farmers in India, which can be parted out into two socio-economic menaces eroding rural India:
1. Poverty and
2. ignorance HYV seeds of wheat have been introduced. The success of HYV depends upon the input of recommended dosages. But due to poverty and ignorance, cultivators became unable to use the dosage properly.

Question 19. Suggest some measures to fight the problems of wheat cultivation in India.
Answer:

Measures to Fight the problems of Wheat Cultivation: In order to fight the problems of wheat cultivation in India, some steps have already been taken and some have been recommended. They are pointed out as follows :

1. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is working in full cry to work out the correct measures for solving the problems of wheat cultivation in India.
2. HYV seeds of wheat have been introduced.
3. Lands utilized for inferior-quality food crops are being used as wheat-producing areas. Thus wheat is gradually becoming as popular as rice.
4. Irrigation network is becoming more extensive and for this new canals are built and new dams and barrages are constructed under new river-based projects.
5. More land area is being utilized for double cropping of wheat.
6. Special importance is being given to more utilization of chemical fertilizers.
7. Wheatlands of eastern India and the Indian Peninsular region are now under special consideration. Besides, in North-West India, the Government is now serious to enhance the hectarage of wheat as also in other once neglected wheatlands of India.
8. Frequent light irrigations, correctly timed irrigations, and the use of gypsum on sodic soils for conversion are some of the methods being applied in order to eradicate the salinity of wheat soil.

Question 20. Mention the favourable factors for the cultivation of millets.
Answer:

Favourable factors for the cultivation of millets:

Areas not suitable for the cultivation of rice or wheat are devoted to millet.

1. Climatic conditions: |t is widely grown in tropical countries like India.

Temperature:It needs a temperature between 25°-32°C for its growth.

Rainfall: It is a hardy crop. So, rainfall between 40 cm—75 cm is good for its growth.

2. Land: Flat or undulating land is suitable for its cultivation.
3. Soil: It can grow on less fertile. soil ranging from-dry alluvium to infertile red soil.
4. Agricultural labour: Cheap labour is required during sowing and harvesting periods.

5. Other requirements:
1. Irrigation: It grows in large amounts in well-irrigated lands.
2. High yielding variety of seeds like CSH 5 and 6 for jowar and BJ104, and BK560 are required for growing them well.
3. Fertiliser,
4. Capital,
5. Port and
6. Market are also another requirement of the crop.

Question 21. What are the favourable factors for sugarcane cultivation?
Answer:

The favourable factors for the cultivation of sugarcane are:

1. Physical conditions:
Temperature: Sugarcane matures in 10 to 18 months depending on the climate. Sugarcane grows best in areas with 20°C to 26°C temperatures. Its growth starts at a mean temperature of about 20°C and the growth accelerates with an increase in temperature up to 24°C and finally stops at 26°C. Frost is fatal for sugarcane crops. A short cool dry winter season during ripening and harvesting is ideal.

Rainfall: Sugarcane grows well in tropical regions with 100-150 cm of rainfall well-distributed throughout the year. However, irrigation is necessary in areas of lower rainfall or even in areas of higher rainfall during long dry spells. The sucrose content decreases if heavy rains continue for a long and a rainfall deficiency produces a fibrous crop. A slightly dry sunny weather is necessary during the ripening stage of the cane.

Soil: Sugarcane and clayey loams of the Great Plains and on black soils, brown or reddish loams and laterites in Peninsular India. Sugarcane exhausts the fertility of the soil. Hence, the soil is supplemented with manures and nitrogenous fertilizers.

Favourable economic conditions:
Labour: It is a labour-intensive method of cultivation. Weeding, manuring, field preparation, planting and harvesting have to be done by hand.

Capital: A large capital is needed invariably to grow this plantation crop.
Fertilisers: It is a soil-exhausting crop. Hence good fertilisers are required.

Other requirements:
1. Well developed transport network is necessary for its quick transport from fields to the factory (refinery). The juice extracted from the plant dries up easily and its sugar content decreases if it is not extracted within a day (24 hours).
2. Fertiliser,
3. Port and
4. Market are another important factor.

Question 22. State the favourable factors for the growth of tea in India.
Answer:

Tea requires the following favourable geographical and economic conditions for growth:

Favourable Geographical Conditions:
1. Climate: Tea is a sub-tropical plant and needs a hot and wet climate.
Temperature: Tea requires temperatures between 10°C and 35°C. The growth is retarded if it falls below 18°C. The most suitable temperature for tea growth 25°C.
Rainfall: The tea plant needs rainfall varying between 150 cm and 200 cm. The rainfall should be well-distributed throughout the year. It cannot withstand long spells .of dry weather at any season of the year.
Humidity: High humidity, heavy dews and morning fog favour the rapid development of young leaves.
Winter frost: Widespread winter frost is harmful to the crop.
Shade: Tea is a shade-loving plant and develops more vigorously under light shade. Shade plants are generally grown in tea gardens to avoid direct sunshine on tea.

2. Relief: Almost all the commercially-managed tea plantations are located in highlands and on hill slopes where the natural. drainage is good. Tea cannot tolerate stagnant water and thus waterlogged lowland areas are least suited to tea cultivation.

3. Soils: Tea requires well-drained sandy loam with porous subsoil. The sandy loam is considered the best soil for tea cultivation. The soil must be deep and have a moderately open texture. Virgin forest soils, containing a good deal of iron and humus, are ideal for tea cultivation.

Favourable Economic Conditions:
1. Labour: Tea cultivation and processing are labour-intensive. The work of field preparation, weeding, manuring, pruning and picking goes on all year round on the tea estates. Tea plucking requires an abundant supply of cheap labour. Female labour is preferred for tea picking because it is a tedious job, requiring both skill and patience. Plucking demands a skilled manipulation of fingers, as with care, two leaves and bud are to be plucked out at a time.

2. Capital: Tea is very capital-intensive cultivation. Tea estate requires a heavy amount of capital.
3. Fertilizer: Tea is an exhausting crop, and as such, requires manuring of the soil.

Question 23. Account for the agricultural prosperity of Punjab & Haryana.
Answer:

Punjab and Haryana are two of the 29 states of India located in the North-Western part of India, roughly between 27°N-32°N and 73°E-77°E. The states are situated on the fertile alluvial plain which is arable and is irrigated by submersible pumps and an extensive canal system. Punjab and Haryana contributed heavily to the green revolution that made India self-sufficient in food production in the 1960s. In 1961 India was on the verge of mass famine.

Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution in the world, was invited to India to tackle the situation and take initiative to increase agricultural crop production. Punjab and later Haryana were selected as the sites to try new crops because of their reliable water supply. India thus began the Green Revolution which led to the agricultural prosperity of Punjab and Haryana.

The measures adopted in Green Revolution were:
1. Use of High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds,
2. Irrigation,
3. Use of insecticides and pesticides,
4. Consolidation of holdings,
5. Land reforms,
6. Transforming single cropping land to multiple cropping land,
7. Introduction of modern agricultural implements and machinery,
8. Use of sprinklers or drop irrigation technique,
9. Use of quality manure and chemical fertilisers,
10. Supply of agricultural credit, and
11. Educational programmes for agriculture under ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), etc. The spectacular rise in the production of cereals, particularly wheat, ushered in a new era of agricultural prosperity in these states. Due to this our country also became self-sufficient in foodgrain production.

Import of food grains. has been reduced and through the export of grains India is earning foreign production. With the development of agriculture, many agro-based industries have been set up in these states which provide employment to a large number of people, leading to the prosperity of the farmers.

Question 24. State the problems of rice cultivation with their solutions.
Answer:

Rice production in India has many problems:

1. Rice yield per hectare is low. So high-yielding varieties of seed, fertilizers, insecticides, etc. should be introduced to increase rice yields per hectare.
2. Farmers do not get a suitable price for their rice production as middlemen buy it cheaply from them at harvest time and sell it at a higher price making profits themselves. Thus, cooperatives should be set up, procurement prices should be prefixed by the Govt.’s Food Corporation. They should come forward to sell the rice in the market so that the profits are enjoyed by the farmers.
3. Proper storage facility of rice is not available. Unless more storage facilities are created, high production would be pointless as they would be damaged while being improperly stored.
4. Proper distribution of land needs to be undertaken as rice cultivation is mainly done by landless labourers and not by the land owners. So proper attention to cultivation is not given.

Question 25. State some problems of the Green Revolution.
Answer:

Problems of Green Revolution: The Green Revolution has been a unique event in the agricultural history of independent India, as it has saved the country from the disasters of hunger, and starvation and also made Indian peasants more confident than ever before. But it has its own inherent deficiency segments.

Ever since its inception, the income gap between large, marginal and small farmers has increased; the gap between irrigated and rain-fed areas has widened and some crops have benefited more than others, even at the cost of other crops. This has also given birth to a plethora of socioeconomic problems.

The spiralling prices of fertilizers, the tendency to use them frequently and the stagnant wheat and rice yields in Punjab and Haryana have combined to confirm that Green Revolution has reached an old age. The fatigue of the Green Revolution is also.

visible: Some of the problems of the Green Revolution are:
1. Inter-Crop Imbalances: The effect of the Green Revolution primarily has been felt on foodgrains including wheat, rice, jawar, bajra, and maize and the production of these crops has gone high. But it has wrested areas from coarse cereals, pulses and oilseeds.

2. Regional Disparities: The Green Revolution technology has given birth to growing disparities in economic development at inter-regional and intra-regional levels. It has so far affected only 40% of the total cropped area and 60% is still untouched by it. The most affected areas are Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, A.P., and Tamil Nadu in the south but it has hardly touched the eastern region including Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and arid and semi-arid regions. The green revolution also affected to only areas which were already better from an agricultural point of view.

3. Unemployment: Except in Punjab and Haryana farm mechanization under Green Revolution has created widespread unemployment among agricultural labourers in the rural areas and the worst hit are the poor and landless people.

4. Other Related Problems: Agriculture under Green Revolution has not grown at the rate which was expected in the beginning. The high-yielding variety seeds are also responsive to certain key inputs such as fertilizers, and irrigation; as a result, there is also an increase in the cost of production. Some experts have also commented that the indigenous varieties could also be high yielding under required doses of inputs.

Some experts have also blamed the green revolution for destroying natural mechanisms for controlling pests though due to the loss of diversity the miracle seeds of the green revolution have become a mechanism for breeding new pests and creating new diseases.

The excessive use of groundwater for proceeding irrigation to high-yielding variety seeds has also led to large-scale depletion of groundwater and the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has severely affected the health of the soil.

Though the green revolution did increase food grain production in the country it has been achieved at the cost of intensive use of irrigation water, fertilizers and other inputs. This has resulted in problems of soil salinization, groundwater pollution, nutrient imbalances, the emergence of new pests, diseases and environmental degradation.

This has also given the problem of regional inequality to the matter of income and production and only the western and some southern part of the country have got the maximum benefit of the green revolution. The green revolution has only benefited some big enterprising farmers whereas the majority of the marginal and small farmers are deprived of benefits. Thus, the overall. impacts of green revolution have failed to influence the agricultural sector.

Considering all these facts the pioneer of the Indian Green Revolution, Mr M. S. Swaminathan, presently chairman of the National Commission on Farmers, also gave a new call for another green revolution for doubling the present production level of food grains. For making it a success, he stressed on adopting the best scientific techniques and promoting organic farming.

The government has also given urgent attention to initiating another green revolution. The approach paper to Eleventh Plan has aptly highlighted such a holistic framework and suggested the following strategy to raise agricultural output. Such as-

1. Doubling the rate of growth of irrigated areas.
2. Improving water management, rainwater harvesting, and watershed development.
3. Reclaiming degraded land and focusing on soil quality.
4. Diversifying agricultural productivity into high-value outputs such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs, spices, medicinal plants, and biodiesel but with adequate measures of food security.
5. Promoting animal husbandry and fishery.
6. Providing easy access to credit at affordable rates.
7. Improving the incentive structure and functioning of markets and refocusing on land reform issues.

Thus, the approach to the second green revolution seems to aim at the efficient use of resources and conservation of soil, water and ecology on a sustainable basis and in a holistic framework.