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NCERT Class 12 Geography Chapter 15 Land Resources and Agriculture
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Land Resources and Agriculture
Chapter: 15
PART – II INDIA: PEOPLE AND ECONOMY
Very Short Type Questions Answer
1. Give an important characteristic of Indian agriculture.
Ans: The large scale irrigation serves only one-third of crop area. The remaining have to suffer the vagaries of monsoon. Variety of crops India has a variety of relief features and climatic conditions which enables cultivation of a variety of crops. Preponderance of food crops India has to feed a large population.
2. How does agricultural production provide a base for the development of the industrial sector? Give three examples for the same.
Ans: Agriculture provides industrial raw material to a large number of industries (textile ,silk , oil ,sugar, rice, flour mills etc.) As a supplier of raw material ,the agricultural sector is of primary significance for the growth of the industrial sector in the economy. For example, the textile industry utilises cotton, jute, silk, and other natural fibres produced through agriculture.
3. Name the states where tropical varieties of sugarcane are cultivated.
Ans: In Tropical zone Maharashtra is the major sugarcane growing state covering about 9.4 lakh ha area with production of 61.32 Million ton, whereas the productivity of Tamil Nadu is highest in tropical zones.
4. Name the three crop seasons of India. State the two major crops of each.
And: Rabi crops include wheat and corn. Kharif crops include rice, sugarcane, jute, cotton and vegetables. Zaid Crops include potatoes and oilseeds like soybean and sunflower.
Short Type Questions Answer
1. Bring out the difference between crop rotation and crop combination.
Ans:
| Basic | Crop rotation | crop combination |
| Meaning | Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar or different types of crops in the same area in sequenced seasons. It is done so that the soil of farms is not used for only one set of nutrients. It helps in reducing soil erosion and increases soil fertility and crop yield. | crop combination is also helpful for the study of the comprehensive area development planning particularly for the rural areas. The study of cropping pattern constitutes an important aspect of agricultural geography as it provides a good basis for agricultural regionalization. |
| Scope | Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar or different types of crops in the same area in sequenced seasons. It is done so that the soil of farms is not used for only one set of nutrients. | Crop combination is the analysis of the total percentage acreage area occupied by different crops in a given region in an agricultural year. |
| Function | Crop rotation improves water use efficiency by increasing the amount of organic matter in the soil, which can improve soil structure and water-holding capacity. Also, this method helps preserve moisture in deep soil layers, which plants can use during droughts. | Crop combination refers to the most dominant group of crops which are being cultivated in a region for a particular time period (mostly year). The basic idea of Weaver’s method is that the most dominant crops are representative of the natural, cultural and economic situation of an area. |
| Benefits | A crop rotation can help to manage your soil and fertility, reduce erosion, improve your soil’s health, and increase nutrients available for crops. | Crop combination can help to reduce the risk of crop failure if one crop is affected by pests, diseases, or weather conditions. |
| Problems | Crop rotation helps return nutrients to the soil without synthetic inputs. The practice also works to interrupt pest and disease cycles, improve soil health by increasing biomass from different crops’ root structures, and increase biodiversity on the farm. | These include the climate and weather conditions, soil characteristics and fertility, water availability and irrigation, pest and disease management, and market demand. By understanding these factors, farmers can make informed decisions when selecting crops to combine. |
2. Explain four important factors which compel Indian farmers almost all over the country to provide irrigation facilities to agriculture.
Ans: India has limited land resources, and for farming, the land is limited. As the population rises, it decreases the per capita farmland and increases the competition for water and inputs. This pressure is the biggest reason for the backwardness of our agricultural practices and land improvement. Here is how the “factors of technology” genetics, crop nutrition, crop protection and agronomic interventions-have boosted agricultural growth in India despite shrinking cultivable land. In agriculture, there are four–what economists would call– “factors of production”: Land, water, labour and energy.
3. What was the condition of Indian agriculture before independence?
Ans: At the time of independence, old and outdated methods of farming were used in the agriculture sector. There was insufficient use of fertilisers and other machines. Agriculture was excessively dependent upon rainfall. Good rainfall implied good output, while poor rainfall implied poor output. A major contributing factor back then was the zamindari system, in which the Zamindars received all the profits instead of farmers and cultivators.
4. Eastern parts of India are available for jute production while the western parts for cotton production. Why?
Ans: Along with well-drained alluvial soil, high temperature and average rainfall above 150 cm are essential for jute production. Due to these very specific requirements, jute cultivation is confined to West Bengal, Assam, and some parts of Odisha. Proximity of the jute producing areas, inexpensive water transport, supported by a good network of railways and roadways to facilitate movement of raw material to the mills, abundant water for processing raw jute, cheap labour from West Bengal and.
Long Type Questions Answer
1. What are the main features of Indian agriculture? What are the drawbacks of Indian agriculture?
Ans: Indian agriculture is mainly of intensive subsistence type.It is mainly practised in areas of high population pressure on land. It is labour-intensive farming where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining high yields. It provides employment to nearly 61% of the total population. It contributes 25% to national income. Dependence on monsoon: Agriculture in India mainly depends on monsoon. If monsoon is good, the production will be more and if monsoon is less than average then the crops fail.
(i) Labour intensive cultivation: Due to the increase in population the pressure on land holding increased. Land holdings get fragmented and subdivided and become uneconomical. Machinery and equipment can not be used on such farms. Inadequate irrigation facilities and uncertain rainfall, the production of agriculture is less, farmers find work a few months in the year. Due to large scale sub-division and fragmentation of holdings, land holding size is quite small. Agricultural production is low in India. India produces 27 Qtls. Wheat per hectare. France produces 71.2 Qtls per hectare and Britain 80 Qtls per hectare. Average annual productivity of an agricultural labourer is 162 dollars in India, 973 dollars in Norway and 2408 dollars in USA.
2. Highlight the main characteristics of Indian agriculture.
Ans: Agriculture is very important in India because it helps people make a living, makes sure there is enough food, reduces poverty, and keeps growth going.
(i) Diversity: India’s diverse agro-climatic zones allow for the cultivation of a wide variety of crops, including rice, wheat, sugarcane, cotton, and more. This diversity contributes to the country’s self-sufficiency in food production.
(ii) Subsistence Farming: A significant portion of Indian agriculture is characterised by small and marginal farmers who engage in subsistence farming, producing primarily for their own consumption.
(iii) Importance of animals: Animal power has always been an important part of farming tasks like ploughing, watering, threshing, and moving crops from one place to another. Complete mechanisation of Indian agriculture is still a long way off, and for the next few years, animals will still be the most important part of Indian agriculture.
(iv) Predominance of Cereal Crops: Cereals like rice and wheat are staples in the Indian diet and are among the primary crops cultivated. These crops receive significant government attention.
(v) Use of Traditional Methods: Traditional and age-old farming practices are still prevalent in many parts of India, although modern farming techniques and technology adoption are increasing.
(vi) Multiple Cropping Seasons: Many regions in India allow for multiple cropping seasons in a year, making efficient use of the available land.
3. Discuss the cultivation of pulses in the country.
Ans: India’s Pulses Production: India is the largest producer (25% of global production), consumer (27% of world consumption) and importer (14%) of pulses in the world.
(i) India is the largest producer, with 25% of the global production of pulses. It is also the largest consumer of pulses globally, with 27% of global consumption. There is also an import of pulses of nearly 14% to make it sufficient for the Indian population. The total production of Indian pulses accounts for about 20% of its total production. There was nearly 62% of the world’s total production in 2019-2020. There has been almost 100 tonnes of increase in pulses production in the last five to six years.
(ii) Pulses are annual leguminous crops yielding between one and 12 grains or seeds of variable size, shape and colour within a pod, used for both food and feed. Pulses have high nutritional values with rich protein values. It is suitable for health and therefore suggested to have this insufficient manner. It plays a critical role in challenging the poverty and status of people. This is because people from poor backgrounds cannot fulfil their demands of pulses and legumes. Therefore, it is considered to determine the poverty state of people. A nitrogen fixation feature of pulses improves soil fertility and increases productivity.
(iii) India is the largest producer (25% of global production), consumer (27% of world consumption) and importer (14%) of pulses in the world. Pulses account for around 20 percent of the area under food grains and contribute around 7-10 per cent of the total foodgrains production in the country. Though pulses are grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons, Rabi pulses contribute more than 60 per cent of the total production.
4. What are oil seeds? Give an account of oil seeds production in the country.
Ans: Soybeans, cottonseed, sunflower seed, canola, rapeseed, and peanuts. Soybeans are the dominant oilseed in the United States, accounting for about 90 percent of U.S. oilseed production.India is the 4th largest oilseeds producer in the world. It has 20.8% of the total area under cultivation globally, accounting for 10% of global production. The country produces groundnut, soybean, sunflower, sesamum, niger seed, mustard and safflower oilseeds. Groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum, soyabean, castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower, are the major oilseeds produced in India.
In 2008 India was the second largest producer of groundnut in the world after China. 12 percent of the total cropped area of the country is used for the cultivation of various oil crops. It is, therefore, necessary to exploit domestic resources to maximise production to ensure edible oil security for the country. Oil Palm is comparatively a new crop in India and is the highest vegetable oil yielding perennial crop. With quality planting materials, irrigation and proper management, there is potential of achieving 20-30 MT Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFBs) per ha after attaining the age of 5 years. Tree Borne Oilseeds (TBOs), like sal, mahua, simarouba, kokum, olive, karanja, jatropha, neem, jojoba, cheura, wild apricot, walnut, tung etc.
Other Textual Questions & Answers
1. Choose the right answers of the following from the given options:
(i) Which one of the following is not a land-use category?
(a) Fallow land.
(b) Marginal land.
(c) Net sown area.
(d) Culturable wasteland.
Ans: (b) Marginal land.
(ii) What one of the following is the main reasons due to which share of forest has shown an increase in the last forty years?
(a) Extensive and efficient efforts of afforestation.
(b) Increase in community forest land.
(c) Increase in notified area allocated for forest growth.
(d) Better people’s participation in managing forest areas.
Ans: (a) Extensive and efficient efforts of afforestation.
(iii) Which one of the following is the main form of degradation in irrigated areas?
(a) Gully erosion.
(b) Wind erosion.
(c) Salinisation of soils.
(d) Siltation of land.
Ans: (c) Salinisation of soils.
(iv) Which one of the following crops is not cultivated under dryland farming?
(a) Ragi.
(b) Groundnut.
(c) Jowar.
(d) Sugarcane.
Ans: (d) Sugarcane.
(v) In which of the following group of countries of the world, HYVS of wheat and rice were developed?
(a) Japan and Australia.
(b) Mexico and Philippines.
(c) USA and Japan.
(d) Mexico and Singapore.
Ans: (b) Mexico and Philippines.
(vi) India is the leading crop in the world?
(a) Rice.
(b) Coffee.
(c) Tea.
(d) Jute.
Ans: (c) Tea.
(vii) Which one of the following is a rabi crop?
(a) Cotton.
(b) Millets.
(c) Gram.
(d) Rice.
Ans: (c) Gram.
(viii) Which is known as golden fibre?
(a) Silk.
(b) Cotton.
(c) Wool.
(d) Jute.
Ans: (d) Jute.
(ix) Which type of farming is known as slash and burn farming?
(a) Commercial.
(b) Extensive subsistence.
(c) Intensive.
(d) Primitive subsistence.
Ans: (d) Primitive subsistence.
(x) Which state is the largest producer of jowar in India?
(a) Maharashtra.
(b) Punjab.
(c) Rajasthan.
(d) Karnataka.
Ans: (a) Maharashtra.
(xi) Net area sown in India is:
(a) 45%
(b) 77%
(c) 67%
(d) 43%
Ans: (d) 43%.
(xii) In which season Kharif crops are grown?
(a) Spring.
(b) Summer.
(c) Winter.
(d) Autumn.
Ans: (b) Summer.
2. Give one word answer:
(i) Area of the land surface used for agriculture in the year of under consideration.
Ans: Net sown area.
(ii) The cash crop of which India is the Leading producer and consumer.
Ans: Tea.
(iii) Proportion of Indian population dependent on agriculture for its livelihood.
Ans: 70%.
(iv) World rank of India in the production of fruits and vegetables.
Ans: Second.
(v) The rank of India in the world in terms of proportion of the geographical area under agricultural land.
Ans: Second.
(vi) The agricultural practice in which rain water is the only source of moisture for crops.
Ans: Rainfed agriculture.
(vii) The city where CAZRI (Central Arid Zone Research Institute) is located.
Ans: Jodhpur.
(viii) The first ranking crop in India.
Ans: Rice.
(ix) What is the annual production of wheat in India?
Ans: 687 lakh tonnes.
(x) How much part of the total geographical area is cultivated?
Ans: 43%.
(xi) What is the annual production of oil seeds in India?
Ans: 1.89 crore tonnes.
(xii) Name the main cropping seasons of India.
Ans: Kharif, Rabi and Zaid season.
(xiii) What is fallow land?
Ans: A land which is not cultivated for one to five years.
(xiv) What is the annual production of tea?
Ans: 8 lakh tonnes.
(xv) State three purposes for which land is used.
Ans: Production, residence and recreation.
(xvi) Where does India rank in regard the net sown area?
Ans: Second.
(xvii) How much area is irrigated in India?
Ans: 204.6 lakh hectares.
(xviii) How much land is degraded to salinisation and alkalinity?
Ans: 80 lakh hectares.
