ICSE CLASS 10 GEOGRAPHY CHAPTER: AGRICULTURE IMPORTANT QUESTION ANSWER PART 2

                            

    ICSE CLASS 10 GEOGRAPHY

CHAPTER: AGRICULTURE

IMPORTANT QUESTION ANSWER

21. Why is agriculture called the backbone of India’s economic system?

Answer: Agriculture can be called the backbone of India’s economic system because two-thirds of the Indian population is engaged in the cultivation of land. Agriculture not only helps to feed the large population, but it also supports the principal manufacturing industries with raw materials. It also provides as substantial portion of the country’s exports.

22. What are the main characteristics of Indian agriculture? Give any three.

Or

State two important characteristics of Indian agriculture.

Answer:

(i) On account of variety of soils and climatic variations wide variety of crops can be grown.

(ii) There are two important crop seasons in India: Kharif and Rabi.

(iii) Both the intensive and extensive types of farming are prevalent in India.

23. Mention some problems of Indian agriculture.

Or

Mention two problems associated with agriculture in India.

Answer: Some problems of Indian agriculture are:

(i) Uncertainty of rainfall,

(ii) uneconomic size of holdings,

(iii) illiteracy and ignorance,

(iv) outdated implements,

 (v) inadequate irrigation facilities,

(vi) soil erosion,

(vii) poor quality of seeds, and

(viii) lack of scientific approach.

24. How do the monsoon affect cultivation in India?

Answer: Agriculture in India depends on monsoon rains. It can sometime bring very heavy rain and cause flood and sometimes dry spells can lead to drought conditions.

25. Plantations are managed by large multinational companies.

Answer: Plantations are managed by large multinational companies because plantation crops are grown on large farms which are modern, scientific and self-contained units. Only one crop is grown on a large-scale. Enormous capital investment is required to set up a plantation and a large number of labourers are employed. Hence, only multinational companies can manage such large scale plantations.

26. Fields are rotated instead of crops in shifting cultivation.

Answer: Crops are not rotated in shifting agriculture because the people who practice shifting agriculture have become habitual of consuming specific crops. Hence, when the fertility of the current field is lost, they shift to another field instead of changing their crops

27.In extensive agriculture, yield per hectare is low but total yield is large.

Answer: In extensive agriculture, yield per hectare is low but total yield is large because it is practised in areas with large land holdings, using less labour and less chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

28. Give two points of difference between plantation and mixed farming.

The basic difference between mixed farming and plantation is that while in mixed farming, two or more crops are grown and livestock like cattle, sheep and poultry are raised simultaneousely; in plantation only a single crop is grown.

29. What is dry farming?

Answer: Dry farming is practiced in those areas where rainfall is scanty and irrigation facilities are not available. The farmers make special efforts to conserve soil moisture and to make the maximum use of limited rain water. Red soil is suited for dry farming as it does not require much moisture.

30. What is mixed farming?

Or

What is meant by mixed farming? State one advantage of this type of farming.

Answer: In mixed farming the farmer combines with farming some other subsidiary occupation such as cattle-rearing, fruit and vegetable growing or poultry-farming. In mixed farming there is a special scheme of crops. The farmer has additional source of income and earns more.

31. Agriculture in India is a gamble on the monsoon. Explain.

Answer: Indian agriculture is dependent to a large extent on the monsoons, which are uncertain, irregular and unequally distributed. Nearly 55% of the net sown area continues to depend on rainfall rather than irrigation. Hence, agriculture in India is a gamble on the monsoon.

32. What is subsistence farming? Mention two features of subsistence farming.

Answer: Subsistence farming is characterised by small and scattered land holdings and use of primitive tools, like hoe and digging sticks by family members. As the farmers are poor, they do not use fertilizers and high yielding variety of seeds in their fields.

Two features of subsistence farming are-

1.Land holdings are small and scattered.

2.The farmers use traditional methods of agriculture

33. What is meant by ‘Plantation crops’?

Answer: Plantation crops are grown on large farms which are modem, scientific and self-contained units. Only one crop is grown on a large-scale. Enormous capital investment is required to set up a plantation and a large number of labourers are employed. These farms provide factories for processing of crops. E.g., Tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane etc.

34. What is ‘crop rotation’?

Answer: Growing of different crops on the same field after the harvest of the previous crop is known as crop rotation. It is generally done to preserve minerals in the soil, e.g., leguminous plants like peas and beans are generally planted after a crop like wheat, to add nitrogen to the soil exhausted by wheat.

35. Which is the most important method of rice cultivation in India? Why?

Answer:Japanese method of rice cultivation is highly adapted in India because the method includes the use of high yielding varieties of seeds called Japonica. Initial raising of the seedling is done in the nursery and is protected from initial infections and then transferred to fields and planted in rows to make weeding easy.

36. Name the two states where rice is grown as a cash crop. Why?

Answer: In Punjab and West Bengal, the farmers cultivate rice as a cash or commercial crop. Rice is grown in almost all states of India except Gujarat and Rajasthan. Rice can feed more people compared to same amount of any other food grains.

37. State two geographical conditions suitable for the cultivation of rice?

 

Answer:Two geographical conditions suitable for the cultivation of rice are-

·         Rice grows best in warm and humid areas. The critical mean temperature for flowering and fertilisation ranges from 16°C to 20°C whereas during ripening, the range is from 18°C to 32°C.

·         Rice requires good rainfall in the range of 150 to 300 cm.

38. State two geographical conditions necessary for the growth of wheat in India.

 

Answer:Two geographical conditions necessary for the growth of wheat in India are-

·         For the cultivation of wheat, temperature in the range of 10-15°C is suitable for sowing and 20-25°C during harvest.

·         About 80 cm of annual rainfall is ideal for wheat cultivation.

39. Give a geographical reason for each of the following:

Wheat cultivation is confined to the northern parts of the country.

Answer: Wheat cultivation is confined to the northern parts of the country because it grows best in cool, moist climate and ripens in warm, dry climate. Also, the winter rain occurring in northern India is beneficial for the crop.

40. Punjab is the leading producer of wheat in India.

Answer: Punjab is the leading producer of wheat in India because the climate of Punjab is well suited for the cultivation of wheat. During winters, the temperature of the region remains between 10°C to 25°C. Punjab also receives light showers during the winter months from the western disturbances. Such a climate is suited for wheat cultivation.

41.Government of India is encouraging cultivation of pulses.

Answer: Government of India is encouraging cultivation of pulses because pulses being leguminous crops, fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil and increase the natural fertility of soil. Also, pulses form an important part of the Indian diet, especially for those who consume starchy vegetation.