Agriculture Class 10 Questions & Answers: Prepare for Your Exams Like a Pro

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This blog post provides you with a comprehensive collection of questions and answers on Agriculture Class 10, covering all of the important concepts from the CBSE Geography Chapter 4. These questions have been compiled by experts, and they are designed to help you understand the concepts thoroughly and prepare for your exams effectively.

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Subject	Social Science (Geography)
Class	10
Board	CBSE and State Boards
Chapter No.	4
Chapter Name	Agriculture
Type	Important Questions & Answers
Session	2023-24
Weightage	05 marks

"Focus on being productive instead of busy."

Agriculture Class 10 Important Questions & Answers

Q. No. 1) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

i. Which type of agriculture practice is famous in North-Eastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland?

a. Jhumming

b. Slash and burn farming

c. Commercial farming

d. Subsistence farming

Ans. Option (a)

ii. Jhumming in Brazil is called _____.

a. Ladang

b. Masole

c. Roca

d. None of these

Ans. Option (c)

iii. Choose the correctly matched pair about the Primitive Cultivation in India from the following options:

a. Dahiya – Madhya Pradesh

b. Kumari - Jharkhand

c. Khil - Andhra Pradesh

d. Koman - Karnataka

Ans. Option (a)

iv. What is common between primitive subsistence farming and intensive subsistence farming?

a. Both require the use of modern machinery.

b. Both are done on large tracts of land.

c. Both require large amounts of credit.

d. Both are labor-intensive

Ans. Option (d)

v. Kamal uses high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds and chemical fertilizers to increase his wheat production. Which type of farming is Kamal practicing?

a. Intensive subsistence farming

b. Primitive subsistence farming

c. Commercial farming

d. Organic farming

Ans. Option (c)

vi. Watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables, and fodder crops are the types of _____.

a. Zaid crop

b. Kharif crop

c. Rabi crop

d. None of these

Ans. Option (a)

vii. Which of the following is the staple food crop of a majority of the people in India?

a. Jowar

b. Bajra

c. Wheat

d. Rice

Ans. Option (d)

viii. Which of the following crop is grown three times in a year and is also called Aus, Aman, and Boro in the states of Assam, West Bengal, and Orissa?

a. Tea

b. Paddy

c. Wheat

d. Sugarcane

Ans. Option (b)

ix. Fill in the blank

Barley: Rabi crop, Cotton: Kharif crop, _____: Zaid crop.

a. Wheat

b. Mustard

c. Soya bean

d. Cucumber

Ans. Option (d)

x. Observe the flow chart given below:

What will come in the empty box?

a. Gram

b. Maize

c. Millets

d. Pulses

Ans. Option (c)

xi. Which of the following crops have high nutritional value?

a. Wheat

b. Rice

c. Millets

d. Maize

Ans. Option (c)

xii. A type of millet rich in iron, calcium, other micronutrients, and roughage is

a. Bajra

b. Rajma

c. Jowar

d. Ragi

Ans. Option (d)

xiii. Identify the crop with the help of the following information

• It is a crop that is used both as food and fodder.
• It is a kharif crop that requires a temperature between 21°C to 27°C.
• It grows well in old alluvial soil.
• The use of modern inputs has contributed to the increasing production of this crop.

Options:

a. Wheat

b. Maize

c. Rice

d. Sugarcane

Ans. Option (b)

xiv. Which of the following crop do not help in restoring soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air?

a. Tur (arhar)

b. Urad

c. Moong

d. Masur

Ans. Option (a)

xv. The largest tea-producing state is _____.

a. Karnataka

b. Assam

c. Andhra Pradesh

d. Arunachal Pradesh

Ans. Option (b)

xvi. Choose the correctly matched pair about the crops and the areas they are grown in:

a. Groundnut – Assam

b. Tea – Gujarat

c. Coffee – Karnataka

d. Sugarcane – Chhattisgarh

Ans. Option (c)

xvii. Which of the following is the MOST LIKELY reason why the Government of India introduced a comprehensive land development program in the 1980s and 1990s?

a. To help farmers across the country as the earlier policies concentrated development in a few states only

b. To help farmers grow those crops that are produced in countries where agriculture is subsidized

c. To help farmers buy the land which was re-distributed during Bhoodan and Gramdan

d. To encourage farmers to practice organic farming and reduce environmental stress

Ans. Option (a)

xviii. Raghu was an Indian farmer during the 1950s. Which of the following institutional reforms would he have witnessed in the 1950s?

a. Package technology being used in agriculture

b. Kissan Credit Card (KCC) being launched

c. Establishment of the Grameen banks

d. Abolition of the zamindari system

Ans. Option (d)

xix. Which of the following might NOT help in modernizing agriculture?

a. Improving rural infrastructure

b. Establishing agricultural universities

c. Increasing export duties on agricultural products

d. Investing in research in meteorology and weather forecast

Ans. Option (c)

xx. Look at this picture of Maahir, who practices organic farming from his rooftop.

What is MOST LIKELY to be true about Maahir?

a. He does not have enough money to buy crops from the market.

b. He is practicing a type of farming that is environmentally friendly.

c. He is only growing kharif crops on his rooftop.

d. He is a farmer by profession.

Ans. Option (b)

xxi. According to some economists, which of these is a quick fix for farmers to increase their incomes and reduce environmental degradation?

a. diversifying their cropping pattern away from cereals

b. joining alternative employment opportunities in the agriculture sector

c. using high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds for obtaining higher productivity

d. seeking more subsidies on fertilizers and decreasing the cost of production

Ans. Option (a)

Q. No. 2) Case-Based Questions

A. Read the source given below and answer the questions by choosing the most appropriate option:

There has been a gradual shift from the cultivation of food crops to the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, oil seeds, and industrial crops. This has led to the reduction in net sown area under cereals and pulses. With the growing population of India, the declining food production puts a big question mark on the country’s future food security. The competition for land between non-agricultural uses such as housing etc. and agriculture has resulted in a reduction in the net sown area. The productivity of land has started showing a declining trend. Fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides, which once showed dramatic results, are now being held responsible for degrading the soils. Periodic scarcity of water has led to a reduction in the area under irrigation. Inefficient water management has led to water logging and salinity.

i. One can infer from the above-given information that marginal and small farmers have been pushed out of cultivation. Which one of the following is the prominent cause?

a. Food and fruit crops are expensive in the market

b. Shift to multifarious crops according to demand

c. Periodic scarcity of water in many regions

d. Soil degradation and extensive Green Revolution

Ans. Option (d)

ii. Read the following statements and find the correct ones from the given options:

1. Indian farmers are diversifying their cropping pattern.
2. They are shifting production from cereals to fruits, vegetables, etc.
3. Jute is in high demand in the Indian market.

Options:

a. I & II

b. II&III

c. III Only

d. II Only

Ans. Option (a)

iii. According to the information given above, there has been a reduction in the net sown area under cereals and pulses. Identify the reason.

a. Lack of markets to sell cereals and pulses

b. Earn more income from the non-agricultural sector

c. Need of huge labor in cultivating cereals and pulses

d. Availability of more profits from commercial crops

Ans. Option (d)

iv. ‘Fertilisers, pesticides, and insecticides, which once showed dramatic results, are now being held responsible for degrading the soil.’ Infer the positive effects of these inputs noticed earlier from the following statements:

a. These inputs have shown increased outputs and productivity.

b. These are integral to the process of reducing agrarian losses.

c. These inputs can cut the amount of harvestable produce.

d. These are the leading causes of mortality and health problems.

Ans. Option (a)

v. There are states in India that are using fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides at an excessive level to increase their agricultural production. Identify the states which are at a prominent level from the following options.

a. Karnataka and Kerala

b. Haryana and Punjab

c. Punjab and Gujarat

d. Haryana and Telangana

Ans. Option (b)

vi. Food production provides the base for food security and is a key determinant of food availability. Why is this trend shifting towards industrial crops? Choose the correct option in reference to the context.

a. To improve the land use pattern

b. To use intensive farming techniques

c. To improve the fertility of the soil

d. To fetch more income and high earnings

Ans. Option (d)

B. Read the information about climate-smart agriculture and answer the question that follows.

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps guide actions to transform agri-food systems towards green and climate-resilient practices. CSA supports reaching internationally agreed goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change. CSA supports the Food and Agriculture Organisation Strategic Framework 2022-2031 based on the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.
Source (edited): Food and Agriculture Organisation

(i) A CSA expert suggested increased production and consumption of millets in India. Justify their stance.

(ii) What is the necessity to think of CSA in India?

(iii) Suggest two methods through which India can shift towards CSA.

Ans. i.

• Millets have high nutritional value.
• They are rainfed, hardly need any irrigation facilities, and hence can be grown in arid and semi-arid regions.
• Millets do not require a lot of investment to flourish which can help them be great commercial grain substitutes in poorer nations.

ii. It is important to start planning for CSA in India because of the changing climate due to global warming.

iii.

• use of genetically modified seeds resistant to insect damage for cropping
• shift towards organic and natural farming methods

Q. No. 3) Why agriculture is the mainstay of India?

Or,

Write the features of Indian agriculture.

Ans. Agriculture is the mainstay of India due to the following reasons:

1. Two-thirds of the population is engaged in agricultural activities.
2. An age-old economic activity of India.
3. Agriculture is a primary activity, which produces most of the food that we consume.
4. Besides food grains, it also produces raw materials for various industries.
5. Some agricultural products like tea, coffee, spices, etc., are also exported.

Q. No. 4) i. Explain slash-and-burn agriculture. How it is known in different parts of India.

ii. By which other names are slash-and-burn farming or shifting agriculture known in different countries?

Ans. i. Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their families. When the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for cultivation. This type of 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.

It is known by different names in different parts of India:

• Jhumming in north-eastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland.
• Pamlou in Manipur
• Dipa in Bastar district of Chattishgarh and in Andaman and Nicobar islands.

ii. Slash-and-burn farming or shifting agriculture is known by different names in different countries

• Mexico and Central America – Milpa
• Venzuela – Conuco
• Brazil – Roca
• Vietnam – Ray
• Central Africa – Masole.

Q. No. 5) State the characteristics of primitive subsistence farming.

Ans. The characteristics of primitive subsistence farming are:

1. In this type of farming, farmers grow crops for self-consumption.
2. It is practiced on small patches of land.
3. Farmers use primitive tools like hoe, dao, digging sticks, etc.
4. Completely depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil, and suitability of other environmental conditions for the crops grown.
5. Only family labor is used for farming.
6. Land productivity is low.
7. It is also known as slash-and-burn agriculture.

Q. N0. 6) Establish the difference between Commercial farming and Subsistence farming with the help of a suitable example.

Ans.

Subsistence farming	Commercial farming
i. Practiced on small patches of land.	i. Practiced on big land holdings.
ii. Primitive techniques and tools are used.	ii. Modern techniques and tools are used.
iii. Production for the local markets.	iii. Production for the export.
iv. Dependent on monsoons.	iv. Dependent on irrigation facilities.
v. Family members provide labor.	v. Labourers are hired.
vi. No costly fertilizers are used.	vi. Chemical fertilizers are used.

Q. No. 7) What is plantation farming? Describe its characteristics.

Ans. Plantation farming: The plantation is a type of commercial farming. In this type of farming, a single crop is grown on a large area using capital-intensive inputs, with the help of migrant laborers.

Examples: Tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, etc.

Characteristics of plantation farming:

1. Plantations have very large areas.
2. Capital-intensive inputs are used.
3. Migrant labor is used.
4. It is done mainly for the market. The sole aim is to earn profit.
5. It has an interface between agriculture and industry.
6. All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries.

Q. No. 8) Which are the main cropping seasons in India? Mention their growing and harvesting periods.

Ans. India has three cropping seasons: Rabi, Kharif, and Zaid.

1. Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December and harvested in summer from April to June. Wheat, barley, peas, gram, etc. are the main rabi crops.
2. Kharif crops are sown with the onset of monsoon in June-July and harvested in September-October. Rice, maize, jowar, bajra, tur, moong, cotton, jute, groundnut, etc. are the main kharif crops.
3. 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 of this season are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables, and fodder crops.

Q. No. 9) What are the growing conditions required for the main staple food crop of India? Mention the main growing regions.

Ans. Rice is the staple food crop of a majority of people in India.

Growing conditions required for rice are:

• Temperature: High temperature (above 25°C).
• Rainfall: High humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm.
• Agricultural season: Kharif crop
• Major producing areas: West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh.

Q. No. 10) What are the geographical conditions required for the cultivation of wheat and explain its distribution also.

Ans. Wheat is the second staple food crop of a majority of people in India.

Growing conditions required for wheat are:

• Temperature: It requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening.
• Rainfall: 50-75 cm of annual rainfall evenly distributed over the growing season.
• Agricultural season: Rabi crop
• Major producing areas: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan.

Q. No. 11) a. Name any two important pulse-producing states.

b. State the importance of ‘Pulses crop’.

c. Why the pulses are mostly grown in rotation with other crops?

Ans. a. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka.

b. Importance of Pulses:

1. A major source of protein in a vegetarian diet.
2. Being leguminous crops, pulses help restore soil fertility (except arhar) by fixing nitrogen from the air.
3. Pulses need less moisture and survive even in dry conditions.

c. Pulses are mostly grown in rotation with other crops because pulses being leguminous crops help in restoring soil fertility (except arhar) by fixing nitrogen from the air.

Q. No. 12) Mohan owns a farm in Uttar Pradesh. He wishes to cultivate either Jute or Sugarcane. Which crop out of these two should he cultivate keeping in mind the conditions required for their growth? Explain.

Ans. He should cultivate Sugarcane as the geographical conditions it requires are available in Uttar Pradesh.

• Sugarcane grows well in a hot and humid climate
• Requires a temperature of 21°C to 27°C
• Needs annual rainfall between 75cm and 100cm
• Irrigation is required in regions of low rainfall.
• It can be grown on a variety of soils and needs manual labor from sowing to harvesting. All these conditions are available in Uttar Pradesh.

Q. No. 13) i. Name any four oilseeds produced in India. Explain the importance of oilseeds in our day-to-day life.

ii. State the importance of groundnut. Which state is the largest producer of groundnut?

Ans. i. Major oil seeds produced in India are :

• Groundnut
• Mustard
• Coconut
• Sesamum (til)
• Soyabean
• Castor seeds

The importance of oilseeds are:

• Most of the oilseeds are edible and used as cooking mediums.
• Used as raw materials in the production of soap, cosmetics, and ointments.

ii. Importance of groundnut are:

• Most of the oilseeds are edible and used as cooking mediums.
• Used as raw materials in the production of soap, cosmetics, and ointments.

Gujarat was the largest producer of groundnut.

Q. No. 14) Name the beverage crop that was introduced by Britishers in India. Write the geographical conditions needed for its cultivation. Also, mention its two major producing states.

Ans. Tea.

Geographical conditions needed for the cultivation of tea are:

• Tea 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.

Two major tea-producing states are Assam and West Bengal (hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts).

Q. No. 15) Mr. Palani is from Tamil Nādu, and wishes to cultivate either Tea or Wheat. Which one of the crops out of the two can he cultivate in his state? Substantiate your answer with any two reasons.

Ans. Mr. Palani must cultivate Tea in Tamilnadu as the soil and climatic conditions in Tamil Nādu are suitable for growing Tea.

• The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates endowed with deep and fertile well-drained laterite 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.

Q. No. 16) Explain rubber cultivation in India under the following heads:

a. Importance

b. Geographical conditions

c. Any two rubber-producing states.

Ans. a. Importance: Rubber is an important raw material for industries.

b. Geographical conditions: It is an equatorial crop. It requires a moist and humid climate with rainfall of more than 200 cm and temperature above 25°C.

c. Two rubber-producing states are Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, etc.

Q. No. 17) a. Name the four major fiber crops grown in India. Out of these which fibre is not obtained directly from the crops? Write the name of its production method.

b. Discuss the geographical conditions required to grow golden fiber and cotton.

c. Mention any four uses of the golden fiber.

Ans. a. Four major fiber crops are cotton, jute, hemp, and natural silk.

Silk is not obtained directly from the crops. It is obtained through sericulture (i.e., rearing of silkworms for the production of silk fiber is known as sericulture).

b. The geographical conditions required to grow jute (also known as golden fiber) are:

1. Grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the flood plains where soils are renewed every year.
2. High temperature is required during the time of growth.
3. The geographical conditions required to grow cotton are:
4. Cotton grows well in drier parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau.
5. It requires high temperature, light rainfall/irrigation, 210 frost-free days, and bright sun-shine for its growth.
6. It is a Kharif crop and requires 6-8 months to mature.

c. It is used in making:

• Gunny bags
• Mats
• Ropes
• Yarn
• Carpets, etc.

Q. No. 18) Why do we need technical and institutional reforms in agriculture?

Ans. We need technical and institutional reforms in agriculture because:

1. Sustained uses of land without compatible techno-institutional changes have hindered the pace of agricultural development.
2. In spite of the development of sources of irrigation, most of the farmers still depend upon monsoons and natural fertility in order to carry on their agriculture.
3. Agriculture which provides a livelihood for more than 60 % of its population, needs some serious technical and institutional reforms.

Q. No. 19) Explain the technical and institutional reforms brought by the government to improve the condition of Indian agriculture in the 1980s and 1990s.

Or,

Describe any five steps taken by the government of India to increase the productivity of agriculture in India.

Ans. Institutional reforms

1. Collectivization, consolidation of holdings, cooperation, and abolition of zamindari, etc. were given priority to bring about institutional reforms after Independence.
2. Laws of land reforms were enacted.
3. Provision of crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire, and disease.
4. Establishment of Grameen banks, cooperative societies, and banks for providing loan facilities to the farmers at lower rates of interest.
5. Introduction of Kissan Credit Card (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS).

Technological reforms

1. Green revolution and white revolution (operation flood)
2. HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides were provided.
3. Methods of irrigation modernized.
4. Latest agricultural equipment introduced.
5. Special weather bulletins and agricultural programs for farmers were introduced on Radio and Television.
6. Announcement of minimum support price (MSP), remunerative and procurement prices for important crops.

Q. No. 20) Describe the major challenges faced by the farmers in India.

Ans. The major challenges faced by the farmers in India are:

1. Indian farmers are facing a big challenge from international competition and a reduction in public investment in the agriculture sector.
2. Subsidy on fertilizers is decreased leading to an increase in the cost of production.
3. Reduction in import duties on agricultural products has proved detrimental to agriculture in the country.
4. Farmers are withdrawing their investment from agriculture causing a downfall in employment in agriculture.
5. Uncertainty of monsoon.

Q. No. 21) Why Bhoodan and Gramdan are called bloodless revolutions?

Ans. It is called a bloodless revolution because some zamindars, owners of many villages offered to distribute some villages among the landless, and many landowners chose to provide some part of their land to the poor farmers due to the fear of the Land Ceiling Act.

Q. No. 22) The process of increasing the area under cultivation does not have a bright future. What steps should be taken to increase the food supply?

Ans. The steps taken are:

1. Increasing productivity by the use of modern agricultural inputs like HYV seeds, irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides.
2. Initiating agricultural research to evolve better production techniques.
3. Increasing the use of organic manure.
4. Using better irrigation methods like sprinklers and drip irrigation to irrigate the larger areas with less water.
5. Implementing land reform measures like a ceiling on land holdings, consolidation of holdings, etc.

Q. No. 23) Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

Today, Indian agriculture finds itself at a crossroads. To make agriculture successful and profitable, proper thrust should be given to the improvement of the condition of marginal and small farmers. The green revolution promised much. But today it’s under controversy. The keyword today is “gene revolution”, which includes genetic engineering. Organic farming is [also] much in vogue today because it is practiced without factory-made chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. A few economists think that Indian farmers have a bleak future if they continue growing food grains on the holdings that grow smaller and smaller as the population rises. India’s rural population is about 600 million which depends upon 250 million (approximate) hectares of agricultural land, an average of less than half a hectare per person. Indian farmers should diversify their cropping pattern from cereals to high-value crops. This will increase incomes and reduce environmental degradation simultaneously. Because fruits, medicinal herbs, flowers, vegetables, and bio-diesel crops like jatropha and jojoba need much less irrigation than rice or sugarcane. India’s diverse climate can be harnessed to grow a wide range of high-value crops.

Source: NCERT Contemporary India, Chapter-4, Agriculture

a. Give two reasons why the Green Revolution is under controversy.

b. ‘.... holdings that grow smaller and smaller as the population rises.' Evaluate why this is a concern.

c. Bio-diesel crops like jatropha and jojoba have been referred to as high-value crops. Why?

Ans. a. The Green Revolution is under controversy because:

1. chemical fertilizers ruined the soil fertility
2. negatively affected biodiversity
3. adversely affected underground water

b. The sentence means that the yield per land holding will not be enough to feed the rising population hence a shift in agricultural practices is required.

c. Bio-diesel crops like jatropha and jojoba have been referred to as high-value crops because:

• Bio-diesel crops are of high value as they act as alternatives to fuels from nonrenewable sources.
• Another reason is that these crops do not require much water or farmers' attention to grow

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