Class – X

Agriculture
Q1. Justify the importance of agriculture in the Indian economy. (3)

Ans. India is an agriculturally important country.

 Two-thirds of its population is engaged in agricultural activities. Agriculture is a

primary activity, which produces most of the food that we consume.
 Besides food grains, it also produces raw materials for various industries.
 Moreover, some agricultural products like tea, coffee, spices, etc. are also exported
and earn foreign exchange.

Q2. Name some industries based on agricultural raw materials. (2)

Ans. Some industries based on agricultural raw materials are – sugar, cotton textile, jute,
food processing, tea, coffee and rubber.

Q3. What is ‘slash and burn’ agriculture? Do you think it is good for the environment?
List out the different names for this type of agriculture in different states of the
country. (2+2+1=5)

Ans. Slash and burn agriculture is also called shifting agriculture. Farmers clear a patch of
land in the forest and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their family.
When soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for
cultivation.

This type of agriculture is not good for the environment as it leads to deforestation
and degradation of the land.

Shifting agriculture is called jhumming in north-eastern states like Assam,

Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland; Pamlou in Manipur, Dipa in Bastar district of
Chhattishgarh, and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Q4. Explain the characteristics of primitive subsistence agriculture. (5)

Ans. Primitive subsistence agriculture is practised in few pockets of India.

 It is done on small patches of land with the help of primitive tools like hoe, dao and
digging sticks, and family/community labour.
 This type of farming depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and
suitability of other environmental conditions to the crops grown.
 It is a ‘slash and burn’ agriculture. Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals
and other food crops to sustain their family.
  When soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for
cultivation. Thus, it is also called shifting agriculture. This shifting allows nature to
replenish the fertility of the soil through natural processes.
 Land productivity in this type of agriculture is low as the farmer does not use
fertilizers or other modern inputs.

Q5. The areas of eastern UP and Bihar are dominated by intensive subsistence
agriculture. Give two reasons. (2)

Ans. The areas of eastern UP and Bihar are dominated by intensive subsistence
agriculture because these are areas of high population density and there is a lot of
pressure of population on land. Moreover, due to laws of inheritance, the land
holdings are very small and fragmented.

Q6. Explain the characteristics of plantation agriculture. / Why is plantation agriculture

said to be an interface of industry and agriculture? (5)

Ans. Plantation is a type of commercial farming.

 In this type of farming, a single crop is grown on a large area.

 The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry.
 Plantations cover large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of
migrant labourers.
 All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries. In India, tea, coffee,
rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc., are important plantation crops.
 Since production is mainly for market, a well-developed network of transport and
communication connecting the plantation areas, processing industries and markets
plays an important role in the development of plantations.

Q7. How is commercial farming different from subsistence farming? (5)

Ans.

Q8. How many cropping seasons are there in India? Give examples of two crops grown
in each. (3)

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

 Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December and harvested in summer
from April to June. Some of the important rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram
and mustard.
 Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the country
and these are harvested in September-October. Important crops grown during this
season are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute,
groundnut and soyabean.
 In between the rabi and the kharif seasons, there is a short season during the
summer months known as the Zaid season. Some of the crops produced during ‘zaid’
are water melon, muskmelon and cucumber.

Q9. Rabi crops are more concentrated in north-western India. Give reasons. (2)

Ans. States from the north and north-western parts such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are important for the
production of wheat and other rabi crops. Availability of precipitation during winter
months due to the western temperate cyclones helps in the success of these crops.
However, the success of the green revolution in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar
Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan has also been an important factor in the growth of
the above-mentioned rabi crops.
Q10. What has made it possible to grow rice in areas of less rain, like Punjab, Haryana
and Rajasthan? (1)

Ans. Development of dense network of canal irrigation and tubewells have made it
possible to grow rice in areas of less rainfall such as Punjab, Haryana and western
Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.

Q11. Compare and contrast wheat and rice based on cropping season and the
geographical conditions required. (5)

Ans. Rice is a kharif crop which requires high temperature, (above 25°C) and high
humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm. In the areas of less rainfall, it grows with
the help of irrigation.

Wheat is a rabi crop which requires a cool growing season and a bright sunshine at
the time of ripening. It requires 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall evenly-distributed over
the growing season.

Q12. Name the major rice growing states. In some states, three crops of paddy are
grown in a year. Name them. (2+1=3)

Ans. The most important rice-growing states are Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra,
particularly the (Konkan coast) along with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Recently, paddy
has also become an important crop of Punjab and Haryana. In states like Assam,
West Bengal and Odisha, three crops of paddy are grown in a year. These are Aus,
Aman and Boro.

Q13. Name the millet crops grown in India. What is the importance of millets? Which are
the main millet producing states? (1+1+2=3)

Ans. Jowar, bajra and ragi are the important millets grown in India. Though, these are
known as coarse grains, they have very high nutritional value. For example, ragi is
very rich in iron, calcium, other micronutrients and roughage. Major jowar producing
states are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Major
bajra producing states are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and
Haryana. Major ragi producing states are Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh.

Q14. Which crop is grown both as food and fodder? Mention its geographical
requirements and the major producing states. (1+2=3)

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

Q15. Why are pulses mostly grown in rotation with other crops? Name the major

growing states. (3)

Ans. Being leguminous crops, all the pulses except arhar help in restoring soil fertility by

fixing nitrogen from the air. Therefore, these are mostly grown in rotation with other

crops. Major pulse producing states in India are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,

Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

Q16. Give three characteristics of sugarcane cultivation. / What are the geographical
conditions required for growing sugarcane? (3)

Ans. Sugarcane is a tropical as well as sub-tropical crop.

 It grows well in hot and humid climate with a temperature of 21°C to 27°C and an
annual rainfall between 75cm. and 100cm.
 Irrigation is required in the regions of low rainfall.
 It can be grown on a variety of soils and needs manual labour from sowing to
harvesting.

Q17. List the major oilseeds and their producing states. (3)

Ans. Main oilseeds produced in India are groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum (til),
soyabean, castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower.

Groundnut is a kharif crop and accounts for about half of the major oilseeds
produced in the country. Gujarat is the largest producer of groundnut followed by
Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Mustard is a rabi crop, grown mostly in Punjab and
Haryana.

Q18. Which beverage crop was introduced by the British in India? Give the geographical
conditions required for the crop and name the major producing states. (5)

Ans. Tea is an important beverage crop introduced in India initially by the British. Today,
most of the tea plantations are owned by Indians.

The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates endowed with deep
and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter. Tea bushes require a
warm and moist frost-free climate all through the year. Frequent showers evenly
distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tender leaves. Tea is a labour-
intensive industry. It requires abundant, cheap and skilled labour. Major tea-
 producing states are Assam, hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, West Bengal,
Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Q19. Why are tea and coffee grown mostly in hilly regions? (2)

Ans. Tea and coffee are grown mostly in hilly regions because both the tea and coffee
plants cannot withstand stagnant water. However, both crops require heavy rainfall
for their growth. Thus, gentle hill slopes are ideal for them, as the excess water
drains out.

Q20. Which beverage crop is commonly grown in the southern part of India? Specify the
geographical conditions required for it. (5)

Ans. Coffee is the beverage crop that is commonly grown in the southern part of India.

It requires high temperature and rainfall and grows well in red soil. Gently sloping
ground is preferred. Coffee cultivation requires a lot of manual labour. Its cultivation
is confined to the Nilgiri Hills in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Q21. Write a note on horticulture crops grown in India. (5)

Ans. India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits.

 Mangoes of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West

Bengal are famous.
 Oranges of Nagpur and Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya), bananas of Kerala, Mizoram,
Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are well known.
 Lichi and guava of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, pineapples of Meghalaya are famous.
 Grapes of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra are renowned.
 Apples, pears, apricots and walnuts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh
are in great demand the world over.

Q22. Mention the characteristics of rubber cultivation. Name the main rubber growing
areas. (3)

Ans. Rubber is an equatorial crop, but it is also grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas. It
requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of more than 200 cm. and
temperature above 25°C. Rubber is an important industrial raw material. It is mainly
grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Garo
hills of Meghalaya.

Q23. What is sericulture? (1)

Ans. Rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fibre is known as sericulture.

Q24. Give a description of the geographical conditions needed for cotton cultivation. (3)
Ans. Cotton grows well in drier parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau. It
requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost-free days and bright
sunshine for its growth. It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.

Q25. Name the major jute producing states. Make a list of the things made by jute. (3)

Ans. West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Meghalaya are the major jute producing
states. It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other
artefacts.

Q26. Describe the institutional and technological reforms brought about in Indian
agriculture. (5)

Ans. Land reform was the main focus of our First Five Year Plan.

 Collectivisation, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari,

etc. were given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the country after
Independence.
 The Green Revolution based on the use of package technology and the White
Revolution (Operation Flood) were some of the strategies initiated to improve the lot
of Indian agriculture.
 Provision for crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease,
establishment of Grameen banks, cooperative societies and banks for providing loan
facilities to the farmers at lower rates of interest were some important steps.
 Kisan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some other
schemes introduced by the Government of India for the benefit of the farmers.
 Moreover, special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers were
introduced on the radio and television.
 The government also announces minimum support price, remunerative and
procurement prices for important crops to check the exploitation of farmers by
speculators and middlemen.

Q27. What type of reforms were brought about by comprehensive land development
programme introduced by Indian government in 1980’s and 1990’s? (5) z

Ans. In the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development programme was
initiated, which included both institutional and technical reforms.

 Provision for crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease,
establishment of Grameen banks, cooperative societies and banks for providing loan
facilities to the farmers at lower rates of interest were some important steps in this
direction.
 Kisan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some other
schemes introduced by the Government of India for the benefit of the farmers.
  Moreover, special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers were
introduced on the radio and television.
 The government also announces minimum support price, remunerative and
procurement prices for important crops to check the exploitation of farmers by
speculators and middlemen.

Q28. Which movement initiated by Vinoba Bhave is known as Bloodless Revolution? (1)

Ans. The Bhoodan- Gramdan movement initiated by Vinoba Bhave is also known as the
Bloodless Revolution.