AGRICULTURE QUESTION BANK
A. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Which type of farming is generally practised on small patches of land using simple tools and family labour?
a) Commercial farming
b) Primitive subsistence farming
c) Plantation farming
d) Intensive commercial farming
2. Which of the following is a characteristic of shifting cultivation?
a) Continuous cultivation of the same land
b) Cultivation of one crop on a large plantation
c) Moving to a fresh patch when soil fertility declines
d) Dependence entirely on chemical fertilisers
3. Intensive subsistence farming is mainly associated with:
a) Low population pressure
b) High population pressure on land
c) Large commercial estates
d) Desert regions only
4. Which one is an example of plantation agriculture?
a) Gram
b) Tea
c) Wheat
d) Bajra
5. Which cropping season occurs between the Rabi and Kharif seasons?
a) Zaid
b) Winter
c) Spring
d) Plantation
6. Which of the following is a Rabi crop?
a) Rice
b) Cotton
c) Gram
d) Jute
7. Which of the following is mainly a Kharif crop?
a) Mustard
b) Wheat
c) Rice
d) Gram
8. Which crop requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine during ripening?
a) Rice
b) Wheat
c) Rubber
d) Tea
9. Which crop requires high temperature, high humidity and rainfall above about 100 cm?
a) Wheat
b) Rice
c) Bajra
d) Gram
10. Which of the following is a millet?
a) Ragi
b) Gram
c) Mustard
d) Jute
11. Which crop is used both as food and fodder?
a) Maize
b) Tea
c) Jute
d) Rubber
12. Which group contains only pulses?
a) Tur, urad, moong
b) Wheat, gram, rice
c) Jowar, bajra, ragi
d) Cotton, jute, tea
13. Pulses are important for agriculture because many of them:
a) require very heavy rainfall
b) restore soil fertility through nitrogen fixation
c) require plantation farming
d) need extremely fertile floodplain soil
14. Which crop is known as the “golden fibre”?
a) Cotton
b) Jute
c) Rubber
d) Silk
15. Which crop grows particularly well in the black soil region of the Deccan Plateau?
a) Cotton
b) Jute
c) Tea
d) Rice
16. Which crop requires rainfall of more than 200 cm and temperatures above 25°C?
a) Rubber
b) Wheat
c) Gram
d) Bajra
17. Which of the following is an important beverage crop?
a) Tea
b) Jute
c) Cotton
d) Sugarcane
18. Which crop is described as a plantation crop and a beverage crop?
a) Tea
b) Wheat
c) Maize
d) Gram
19. Which of the following is a major coffee-producing region mentioned in the chapter?
a) Karnataka
b) Punjab
c) Bihar
d) Rajasthan
20. Which movement is associated with Vinoba Bhave?
a) Green Revolution
b) Bhoodan–Gramdan
c) White Revolution
d) Operation Flood
Answer Key
1-b, 2-c, 3-b, 4-b, 5-a, 6-c, 7-c, 8-b, 9-b, 10-a,
11-a, 12-a, 13-b, 14-b, 15-a, 16-a, 17-a, 18-a, 19-a, 20-b.
B. Fill in the Blanks
21. India has three major cropping seasons: ________, ________ and ________.
22. Wheat is mainly a ________ crop.
23. Rice is mainly a ________ crop.
24. The short summer cropping season is called the ________ season.
25. ________ is known as the golden fibre.
26. Jowar, bajra and ragi are important ________.
27. ________ is both a food and fodder crop.
28. Tea is an example of ________ agriculture.
29. Pulses are an important source of ________ in a vegetarian diet.
30. Cotton grows particularly well in the ________ soil region of the Deccan Plateau.
31. The Bhoodan movement was associated with ________ Bhave.
32. The ________ Revolution was associated with increased agricultural production through modern agricultural technology.
Answers
- Rabi, Kharif, Zaid
- Rabi
- Kharif
- Zaid
- Jute
- millets
- Maize
- plantation
- protein
- black
- Vinoba
- Green
C. True or False
33. Primitive subsistence farming generally uses simple tools and family labour.
34. Plantation agriculture is based on growing many different crops on tiny plots.
35. Rabi crops are generally sown during winter.
36. Zaid is the main winter cropping season.
37. Rice requires high temperature and high humidity.
38. Wheat requires a cool growing season.
39. Pulses generally require very high moisture conditions.
40. Cotton is a Kharif crop.
41. Jute is known as the golden fibre.
42. Rubber requires a moist and humid climate.
43. Kisan Credit Card was introduced as one of the measures benefiting farmers.
44. Gramdan refers to the voluntary donation of land by individual landowners only.
Answers
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
- True
- False
D. Match the Following
45. Match Column A with Column B
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| 1. Rice | a. Golden fibre |
| 2. Jute | b. Black soil |
| 3. Cotton | c. Kharif crop requiring high temperature and humidity |
| 4. Wheat | d. Cool growing season |
| 5. Tea | e. Plantation crop |
Answer: 1-c, 2-a, 3-b, 4-d, 5-e
46. Match the crop with the appropriate condition/use
| Crop | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Rubber | a. Protein-rich leguminous crop group |
| 2. Pulses | b. Used as food and fodder |
| 3. Maize | c. Industrial raw material |
| 4. Jute | d. Requires moist and humid conditions |
| 5. Tea | e. Beverage and plantation crop |
Answer: 1-d, 2-a, 3-b, 4-c, 5-e
E. Assertion–Reason Questions
Choose:
A. Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason correctly explains Assertion.
B. Both are true, but Reason does not correctly explain Assertion.
C. Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
D. Assertion is false, but Reason is true.
47. Assertion: Rice is mainly a Kharif crop.
Reason: Rice cultivation is closely associated with the onset of the monsoon.
48. Assertion: Pulses are often included in crop rotation.
Reason: Many pulses help restore soil fertility by fixing nitrogen.
49. Assertion: Plantation agriculture requires good transport facilities.
Reason: Plantation produce is generally connected with processing industries and markets.
50. Assertion: Wheat requires a cool growing season.
Reason: Wheat needs high temperature and heavy humidity throughout its growth.
51. Assertion: Commercial farming uses modern agricultural inputs.
Reason: Commercial farmers generally aim for higher productivity and market-oriented production.
Answers
47-A
48-A
49-A
50-C
51-A
F. Very Short Answer Questions
52. Name the three cropping seasons of India.
53. Give two examples of Rabi crops.
54. Give four examples of Kharif crops.
55. What is Zaid?
56. What is plantation agriculture?
57. Name three important millets.
58. Name any three pulses grown in India.
59. Why are pulses important in agriculture?
60. Why is jute called the golden fibre?
61. Name two important beverage crops.
62. Name two major fibre crops.
63. What is sericulture?
64. Name two major rubber-producing states.
65. What is the main agricultural significance of cotton?
66. Who initiated the Bhoodan movement?
G. Short Answer Questions
67. Distinguish between primitive subsistence farming and intensive subsistence farming.
68. What are the main characteristics of commercial farming?
69. Why is plantation agriculture considered an interface between agriculture and industry?
70. Differentiate between Rabi and Kharif crops with examples.
71. Explain the importance of the Zaid season.
72. Describe the geographical conditions required for rice cultivation.
73. Describe the conditions required for wheat cultivation.
74. Why are millets considered nutritionally valuable?
75. Explain the importance of pulses in Indian agriculture.
76. Describe the climatic conditions required for rubber cultivation.
77. Explain why tea cultivation is labour-intensive.
78. Describe the importance and major producing regions of jute.
79. Explain why irrigation has allowed rice cultivation in regions receiving comparatively less rainfall.
80. Mention the major technological and institutional reforms introduced to improve Indian agriculture.
H. Distinguish Between
81. Primitive Subsistence Farming and Commercial Farming
82. Rabi Crops and Kharif Crops
83. Rice and Wheat
84. Food Crops and Non-Food Crops
85. Bhoodan and Gramdan
86. Intensive Subsistence Farming and Plantation Agriculture
I. Competency / Application-Based Questions
87. A farmer cultivates a small plot using family labour. After soil fertility declines, the family moves to another patch and clears it for cultivation.
Identify the type of farming and give two reasons for your answer.
88. A farmer in Punjab grows rice using extensive irrigation even though the natural rainfall is not sufficient for the crop.
What explains the possibility of rice cultivation in this region?
89. A farmer wants to grow a crop in a region with black soil, high temperature, bright sunshine and a long frost-free period.
Which major crop would be suitable? Give two reasons.
90. A farmer wants to cultivate a crop that can survive relatively dry conditions and also help improve soil fertility.
Which crop group would you suggest and why?
91. A company establishes a large estate where one crop is cultivated over a wide area and the produce is sent to a processing industry.
Identify the farming system and explain two of its characteristics.
92. A farmer wants to grow wheat. The region has a cool growing season and around 50–75 cm of well-distributed rainfall.
Why are these conditions suitable?
93. A region has a hot, humid climate with rainfall above 200 cm and temperatures above 25°C.
Which non-food crop could be cultivated successfully? Explain.
94. A government wants to protect farmers from crop failure caused by drought, floods and disease.
Which type of agricultural reform would be relevant?
95. A landless farmer receives land donated voluntarily by a landowner as part of a social movement.
Identify the movement and its leader.
J. Case-Based Questions
Case Study 1
A region has a large population dependent on agriculture. Landholdings are becoming smaller because of inheritance, but farmers continue to obtain maximum production from the available land. Labour, irrigation and modern inputs are heavily used.
96. Identify the type of farming described.
97. Why is there pressure on agricultural land?
98. Mention one major feature of this type of farming.
Case Study 2
A farmer grows a crop during the monsoon and harvests it around September–October. The crop requires high temperature, humidity and substantial rainfall.
99. Which cropping season is being described?
100. Which major crop could fit these conditions?
101. State two climatic requirements of this crop.
Case Study 3
A plantation grows a single crop over a large area. Considerable capital is invested, labourers are employed, and the produce is sent for processing before reaching markets.
102. What type of agriculture is described?
103. Why are transport and communication important in this system?
104. Give two examples of crops that can be cultivated under this system.
K. Source-Based / Conceptual Questions
105. Why does the degree of commercialisation of a crop differ from one region to another? Explain with an example from the chapter.
106. How does inheritance contribute to pressure on agricultural land?
107. Why does shifting cultivation generally have low productivity?
108. Why is natural soil fertility important in primitive subsistence farming?
109. Why do pulses fit well into crop rotation?
110. How do transport and communication support plantation agriculture?
111. Why are modern inputs important in commercial farming?
112. Why did agricultural reforms become necessary in India?
L. Long Answer / Exam-Style Questions
113. Explain the major types of farming practised in India and their important characteristics.
114. Explain the three cropping seasons of India with their sowing/harvesting periods and major crops.
115. Describe the geographical conditions necessary for rice cultivation and explain its major producing regions.
116. Explain the major technological and institutional reforms introduced to improve Indian agriculture.
117. Describe the importance, climatic requirements and major producing regions of any three major crops studied in the chapter.
118. Explain the role of agriculture in the Indian economy and discuss why improvements in agriculture are important.
M. HOTS Questions
119. Why might the same crop be considered commercial in one state but mainly a subsistence crop in another?
120. “Agricultural practices are closely related to physical and human factors.” Explain using suitable examples from the chapter.
121. Why can a region with limited natural rainfall still become an important rice-growing area?
122. How can crop rotation involving pulses contribute to sustainable farming?
123. Why does plantation agriculture require both agricultural and industrial infrastructure?
124. Why can fragmentation of land holdings create difficulties for farmers?
N. One-Word / One-Term Revision
125. Summer cropping season — ________
126. Golden fibre — ________
127. A major Rabi cereal — ________
128. A major Kharif staple food crop — ________
129. A group of protein-rich crops — ________
130. A crop grown on large plantations and used as a beverage — ________
131. The process of rearing silkworms for silk — ________
132. Voluntary donation of land in the movement associated with Vinoba Bhave — ________
Answers
- Zaid
- Jute
- Wheat
- Rice
- Pulses
- Tea
- Sericulture
- Bhoodan
FINAL RAPID-REVISION TEST
Try answering these without looking at the chapter:
- What are the three cropping seasons?
- Which season does wheat belong to?
- Which season does rice belong to?
- What is shifting cultivation?
- What is plantation agriculture?
- Why are pulses agriculturally important?
- What conditions does rice require?
- What conditions does wheat require?
- Why is jute called the golden fibre?
- Which crop is associated with black soil?
- Which crop needs more than 200 cm rainfall?
- What is sericulture?
- What was the Green Revolution intended to achieve?
- What was Bhoodan?
- Who was associated with Bhoodan–Gramdan?
Priority Exam Areas
If time is limited, revise these first:
1. Types of farming
2. Rabi, Kharif and Zaid seasons
3. Rice and wheat conditions
4. Millets and pulses
5. Tea, coffee and plantation agriculture
6. Cotton, jute and rubber
7. Technological and institutional reforms
8. Bhoodan–Gramdan movement