Karnataka 2nd PUC Geography Question Bank Chapter 8 Agriculture Questions and Answers Solution, Notes by Expert Teacher Priya Verma. Karnataka Class 12 Geography Solution Chapter 8.
There are 2 Parts in Karnataka Class 12 Textbook. Here You will find Part A Fundamental of Agriculture’s Chapter 8 Agriculture (Important and Types, New Dimensions of Agriculture – Green Revolution, Organic Farming, Tissue Culture And Holticulture, Major Crops – Food Crops – Rice and Wheat, Commercial Crops – Sugarcane and Cotton. Plantation Crops – Tea and Coffee).
Karnataka 2nd PUC Geography Question Bank Chapter 8 – Agriculture Solution
- State – Karnataka.
- Class – 2nd PUC / Class 12
- Subject – Geography.
- Topic – Solution / Notes.
- Chapter – 8
- Chapter Name – Agriculture.
- Subpart – Important and Types, New Dimensions of Agriculture – Green Revolution, Organic Farming, Tissue Culture And Holticulture, Major Crops – Food Crops – Rice and Wheat, Commercial Crops – Sugarcane and Cotton. Plantation Crops – Tea and Coffee.
(I) Answer the following in a word or a sentence each
(1) What is agriculture?
Answer :
Agriculture is a primary sector activity which involves preparing soil and cultivating crops.
(2) What is Subsistence farming?
Answer :
Subsistence farming is an agricultural practice in which a farmer produces crops for his domestic consumption only and not for commercial use.
(3) Define Migratory farming.
Answer :
Migratory farming is practised by tribals and tropical rain forest. In this practice they clear a batch of forest by cutting and burning trees and cultivate land. Later they migrate to another part of the forest and repeat the same process.
(4) Which crops are suitable to dry farming?
Answer :
Crops like jowar, Bajra, ragi, oil seeds etc are suitable for dry farming.
(5) What is Green Revolution?
Answer :
The use of high yield crop varieties and modern agriculture techniques to increase agriculture production is termed as green revolution.
(6) What is Tissue culture?
Answer :
The scientific process of developing a cell or tissue or an organ in an artificial nutritive medium is known as tissue culture.
(7) Define Organic farming.
Answer :
The process of cultivating crops by using green manure compost and biological pest control is termed as organic farming.
(8) Which state is the largest producer of vegetables?
Answer :
West Bengal tops among all the states in vegetable production.
(9) Which is the king of Spices?
Answer :
Black pepper is known as the king of his spices.
(10) What you meant by Catch crops?
Answer :
Catch crops are the crops which are sown between two major crops.
(11) Which state is popular for the production of Basumati rice in India?
Answer :
Punjab is popular for basmati rice production.
(12) What you meant by food crops?
Answer :
The crops which form an essential part of human diet are known as food crops.
(13) Define the plantation crops.
Answer :
The crops which are grown in large estates are known as plantation crops.
(14) What is Ratooning system?
Answer :
The growing of sugarcane from the previously planted sugarcane’s roots and stems is known as the ratoon cropping.
(15) Mention two important beverage crops of India.
Answer :
Two important beverage crops of India are tea and coffee.
(II) Answer the following in a two or three sentences each
(1) Mention the different names of migration farming in India.
Answer :
Migration farming is an ancient agriculture practice in which farmers clear patches of forest by cutting and burning the trees and cultivate a land. Later demigrate to a different place and repeat the same process. Migration farming is also known as jhumming in northeast India, koman in Odisha, ponam in Kerala, and podu in Andhra Pradesh.
(2) What is Mixed farming? When it has been introduced in India?
Answer :
Mixed farming is an agricultural practice in which raising of crops and keeping livestock is done simultaneously. It was introduced in India in 1951. It is popular in states like Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu.
(3) What are Aus, Aman and Boro?
Answer :
Aus, aman and boro are three varieties of rice which are sown during different seasons. Ausis also known as autumn rice and it is sold during May June and harvested in September and October. Aman is also known as winter rice. It is sold during June July and harvested in November December. Borrow is also known as summer rice and it is sown in November or December and harvested in March or April.
(4) Explain the lowland rice.
Answer :
Lowland rice is a rice variety which is grown in lowland areas or marshy areas. Usually it is grown by transplanting rice sapling and by using irrigation. More than 90% of rice production in India is lowland rice or wet rice.
(5) Why wheat is grown as Rabi crop?
Answer :
Although the rice is grown in both kharif and Rabi seasons in India, but it is usually regarded as a Rabi crop. During the kharif season 91.5 million tonnes of rice production takes place from 40.1 million hectares of land. Whereas 12.8 million tonnes of rice production takes place in the Rabi season which comes only from 3.9 million hectares. So per hectare productivity during Rabi season is greater than kharif season that is why it is regarded as a Rabi crop.
(6) Name the varieties of wheat in India.
Answer :
There are majorly for varieties of wheat. They are bread wheat, macaroni wheat, emmet wheat and Indian dwarf wheat. Bread wheat constitutes most in the total wheat production in India. On the basis of sowing season wheat is also classified in two types. They are winter wheat and spring meat. The wheat which is grown in winter and harvested in summer is known as winter wheat. Whereas the wheat which is grown in spring and harvested in late summer is known as spring wheat.
(7) What are the uses of sugarcane?
Answer :
Sugarcane is a cash crop and is the main source of sugar, gur and Khandsari. It is also used for manufacturing alcohol, sweetmeats, beverages, syrups, medicines etc. Its stem is used as the gas for fuel paper and fertiliser production. It is also known as bagasse. Molasses which is a byproduct of sugar production is used as a fodder and manure in the agriculture field.
(8) Black soil is quiet suitable for cotton cultivation, why?
Answer :
Black soil is the most suitable soil form for the production of cotton crops. It is capable of retaining moisture for a long period of time which makes it suitable for cotton cultivation.
(9) Why tea is considered a labour intensive crop?
Answer :
Tea is a labour intensive crop because it requires pruning, plucking and processing of tea leaves which could be done by hands only.
(10) Explain the Coffee Robusta.
Answer :
Coffee Robusta variety of coffee grown in India. It accounts for about 68.9% of the total coffee production in India. As of 2010-11 it accounts for 51.1% of the total area under coffee plantation.
(III) Answer the following Questions
(1) What is intensive farming? Explain its main characteristics.
Answer :
Intensive farming is an agricultural practice which is labour and capital intensive. It is usually performed in areas having dense populations and small land holdings. In this type of farming usually 2-3 harvests are performed in a year. It involves huge labour and capital on a small piece of land for getting maximum production of crops. The cultivation and irrigation facilities are available throughout the year. In this system farmers till the lands carefully and try to raise two or more crops simultaneously. It is characterised by high yield per unit area as farmers try to get maximum benefits from small land holdings. It is usually done in fertile and irrigated parts of the country. Usually it does not involve mechanisation, and is carried on by manual labour and draught animals. Rice is the main crop under intensive farming in India.
(2) Explain the chief advantages of plant tissue culture..
Answer :
Plant tissue culture is in scientific technology in which a cell or tissue or an organ is artificially developed in a nutritive medium. It commonly refers to the culture of animal cells and tissue with the more specific use in plant tissue culture. In this process a small piece of plant tissue is grown in ‘in vitro culture’ which is known as plant tissue culture. Some common benefits of plant tissue culture are-
- Multiple plants can be developed from a single sample of a plant tissue. This property helps in rapid multiplication and propagation of desired plant characteristics.
- It creates plants which are free from pests and pathogens. It is also helpful in production of disease free plants and pest resistant plants.
- It is economical in space and resource terms. Thousands of plants can be raised in a few square metres of laboratory space.
- This process is independent of climatic phenomenon and plants can be grown in any season as per the demand.
- The plants generated are easier to transport because of their small size.
- It is helpful in selective multiplication of desired plants.
(3) Write a note on demerits of Green Revolution.
Answer :
The green revolution was introduced in India in the 1960s. During this the food production increased due to the introduction of high yield varieties of crops and modern agriculture techniques in India. But it had certain demerits like-
- It leads to the degradation of soil quality because of heavy use of chemical fertilisers.
- It leads to the growth of weeds because of similar crop rotation patterns.
- In the green revolution heavy pesticides, insecticides and chemical fertilisers were used which resulted in loss of biodiversity.
- This unsustainable use of pesticides, insecticides and fertilisers lead to the leaching of chemicals in underground water. It is detrimental for health.
- Heavy use of chemicals also degrade the fertility of soil and are injurious to human health.
- It also led to regional disparities. Some States became rich in agricultural productivity while other states were deprived of new technology.
(4) What is Horticulture? Explain its development in India.
Answer :
Horticulture is the science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, plantation crops, medicinal and aromatic plants in small fields. It is a profitable form of agriculture. It is an intensive farming method which uses scientific methods of cultivation and use of better quality of seeds pesticides fertilisers insecticide etc. It is an labour intensive mode of agriculture and per capita income is high. The social economic conditions of India are ideal for the development of horticulture. The government is also putting an impetus upon the growth of horticultural crops and making agriculture profitable. As of today India is the second largest producer of vegetables and fruits in the world next to China. India has produced 257.3 million tonnes of horticultural products from 23.2 million hectares of land. Recently the area under horticultural products has increased and the total production has also increased. Golden revolution is the term given for the rapid development of the horticultural sector.
(5) Give an account on floriculture in India.
Answer :
The process of cultivating different types of flowers for commercial production is known as floriculture. In recent years floriculture has developed into a profitable agriculture business in India. The agro climatic conditions of India are suitable for cultivation of flowers and its exports. It is a labour intensive process. The world market of flowers is also growing year by year. It has the potential to increase farmers income as well as improve the situation of gender equality by giving employment to women in this sector. Recently the Government of India has also promoted floriculture to increase farmers income and employment opportunities. Some traditional flowers which are grown in India are Jasmine marigold, chrysanthemum, tuberose, crossandra and Aster. These varieties of flower occupied two thirds of the total area under floriculture. Commercial cultivation of flowers like roses, orchids, gladiolus, carnation etc are also being promoted.
(6) Give an account of the production and distribution of rice in India.
Answer :
Rice is an important staple crop in India. It occupies the largest area under cultivation in India and it has the largest production among all the food crops in India. Presently 35% of the total crop area under food grains is under rice cultivation and the total production in 2011-12 was 104.3 million tons from 43.97 million hectares of land. Rice is a kharif crop.
It grows in both tropical and subtropical regions. Rice requires an average temperature of 23 degree Celsius for its growth. 22 degree Celsius is required at the time of sowing, 23 to 25 degree Celsius during growth, and 32-35 degree celsius at the time of harvesting. It requires an annual rainfall of 100 to 200 CM and irrigation facilities. It grows well in alluvial, clayey and clayey loam soil. It also requires a cheap supply of labour, manure and fertilisers.
Rice is grown in various parts of India. But its major cultivation is concentrated in river valleys, deltas, floodplains and low lying coastal areas of north eastern and southern India. West Bengal Uttar Pradesh Andhra Pradesh and Punjab are the leading producers of rice. They together constitute about 41.67% of the total area under rice cultivation and 50.14% of the country’s total rice production.
(7) Explain the conditions required for the growth of wheat and methods used for wheat cultivation in India.
Answer :
Wheat occupies the second largest area under cultivation in India. About 19.7% of the total cropped area in India is under wheat cultivation and it accounts for 34.4% of the total food grain production in the country. It is a Rabi crop.
It is a temperate crop and grows well between 10 degree Celsius to 15 degree celsius in its vegetative stage. It requires an annual rainfall between 50 to 75 cm and irrigation is also required. It grows well in black and heavy loam soils. Frost and hail storms during harvesting time are harmful for the crop. Nearly 85% of the total area under wheat cultivation is under irrigation.
Three methods of wheat cultivation are widely used. They are-
- Broadcastingmethod– in this method seeds are scattered on the prepared soil.
- Drilling method- in this method seeds are sown by drilling into the soil.
- Dibbling method– under this method seeds are sown by hand through plugged furrows.
(8) Give an account of the distribution and production of sugarcane in India.
Answer :
Sugarcane is a native commercial crop in india. It belongs to the grass family with a hard and thick stem which contains sucrose. It is the main source of sugar gur and Khandsari. About 67% of the total production of sugarcane in India is used in gur and Khandsari production. Sugarcane is grown in many states in India but it is mainly concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Haryana and Uttarakhand. These States account for nearly 95.13% of the total area under sugarcane cultivation and 96.55% of the total sugarcane production in India.
The world’s largest producer of sugarcane is Brazil and India is the second largest producer of sugarcane. In 2010-11 the total area under sugarcane cultivation was 4.88 million hectares which increased to 5.09 million hectares in 2011-12. While the production in 2010-11 was 342.38 million tonnes and in 2011-12 it was 357.67 million tonnes. The major challenge in sugarcane production in India is insufficient rainfall, inadequate irrigation facilities, less use of fertilisers and primitive methods of cultivation. Because of all these reasons the average per hectare yield of sugarcane is very low in India.
(9) What are the geographical conditions necessary for the cultivation of cotton? Explain the varieties of cotton.
Answer :
Cotton is one of the major commercial crops in India. Presently India is one of the leading producers of raw cotton in the world. It has the largest area under cultivation in the world and is the third largest producer of cotton after China and the USA. The following climatic conditions are required for the growth of cotton-
- It is a tropical and subtropical crop which grows well in high temperatures. At that time of sowing it requires temperature between 21 to 24 degree celsius while the growth of the saplings is retarded when the temperature falls below 20 degree Celsius.
- The average rainfall required for the growth is 52-100 CM. Nearly 36% of the total area under cotton cultivation is under irrigation
- The deep black soil which is found in Gujarat and Maharashtra region in India is the best suited for the growth of cotton crop. It is also known as Black cotton soil. It retains moisture for a long time.
- Manures and fertilisers are required, crop rotation is also a good method of maintaining fertility of the soil to increase cotton production.
- It is a labour intensive crop and it requires insecticides and pesticides.
There are three varieties of cotton which are classified on the basis of length of fibres, fineness, strength and colour.
- Long staple cotton- it is the best variety of cotton and it is grown in Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
- Medium staple cotton-this variety of cotton is most used for the making of clothes. It is grown in Rajasthan, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka etc.
- Short staple cotton-it is the most inferior variety of cotton and is used for blending and stuffing purposes. It is mainly grown in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan etc.
(10) Explain the condition for growth and give reasons for the concentration of coffee cultivation in South India.
Answer :
Tea and coffee are two important beverage crops of India. The first coffee sapling was planted in India in Chandragiri hills which are now known as Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. Coffee is a tropical evergreen plant. It is extracted by roasting the dried coffee seeds. The climatic conditions which are suitable for the growth of coffee plant are-
- It requires a hot and humid climate. The temperature between 15 degree Celsius to 30 degree Celsius is ideal for the growth of a coffee plant.
- It requires rainfall between 150 to 200 CM which is evenly distributed throughout the year.
- It grows well in fertile soil and humus and nitrogenous substances are required. So it grows well in cleared up forest land.
- Coffee plants are grown in shade as direct sun rays and strong winds are harmful for them. These trees are also grown between the Oak, jackfruit or any other shade giving trees.
- Coffee trees are not Frost tolerant. Temperature above 30 degree Celsius and stagnant water is harmful for the plant. Hill slopes are best suited for coffee cultivation.
- It requires dry weather conditions during ripening of berries. Good supply of insecticides and pesticides is also required.
- It also requires a cheap supply of labour because it is required for sowing, transplanting, pruning, plucking, and drying of coffee seeds.
- Its cultivation is mainly concentrated in the southern part of India because the smaller hills of the Southern district provide shallower slopes which are suitable for the growth of coffee plants. The sloppy hills of Southern States prevent stagnation of water and provide shade for coffee cultivation.
Also See: Previous Chapter No. 7 Question answer