NIOS Class 12 Environmental Science Chapter 20 Modern Agriculture

NIOS Class 12 Environmental Science Chapter 20 Modern Agriculture Solutions to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse throughout different chapters NIOS Class 12 Environmental Science Chapter 20 Modern Agriculture Notes and select need one. NIOS Class 12 Environmental Science Chapter 20 Modern Agriculture Question Answers Download PDF. NIOS Study Material of Class 12 Environmental Science Paper Code 333.

NIOS Class 12 Environmental Science Chapter 20 Modern Agriculture

Also, you can read the NIOS book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) Book guidelines. These solutions are part of NIOS All Subject Solutions. Here we have given NIOS Class 12 Environmental Science Chapter 20 Modern Agriculture Solutions, NIOS Senior Secondary Course Environmental Science Solutions for All Chapter, You can practice these here.

Modern Agriculture

Chapter: 20

Module 6: Sustainable Development

Textual Question Answer

INTEXT QUESTIONS 20.1

1. Define “green revolution”.

Ans: Substantial increase of new crop varieties of wheat and rice using large quantities of fertilizers, pesticides and good irrigation. 

2. How was “Sharbati Sonora” produced by Dr. Swaminathan?

Ans: ‘Sharbati Sonora’ a very desirable variety of wheat produced by mutation Sonara-64 by radiations of x-rays and gamma rays. 

3. Define fertilizer.

Ans: Fertilizers are substances that are generally applied to the soil to promote healthy growth of plants. 

4. What are the advantages of using organic fertilizers or manure?

Ans: Organic fertilizers are environmental friendly and improves and enriches the soil. 

INTEXT QUESTIONS 20.2 

1. What are the advantages of using disease resistant varieties of seeds?

Ans: Disease resistant plants variety do not require pesticides thus the environment is saved from pollution, also money spent on purchase of pesticides is saved.

2. What are the functions of combine harvesters, ploughs and land levellers?

Ans: Combine harvesters – It harvests the crops as well as separates the grains from the ears (threshing) Ploughs- Turn the soil over which is very important to make the soil healthy and airy before sowing is done. Land levelers – After ploughing the soil is leveled before sowing is done. 

3. Of what significance is the production of seed varieties resistant to salinity, dry or waterlogged conditions?

Ans: Plants can be grown under different situations thereby extending the area of cultivation. 

4. Name three important newer agricultural practices of great value and their advantages.

Ans: Mushroom culture, bee-keeping or apiculture, poultry farming are newer practices which bring money and creates employment. 

INTEXT QUESTIONS 20.3 

1. Name three indigenous and three foreign breeds of cows.

Ans: The indigenous breeds of cows are Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi, Foreign breed are Jersey, Brown Swiss, Holstein-Friesian. 

2. What are the main reasons of low milk yield per day a cow in our country?

Ans: Low milk yield in our country is due to: poor quality feed, shortage of feed and fodder, low milk yielding indigenous breeds. 

3. Mention the causal organisms and the symptoms of the diseases like (i) foot and mouth diseases, (ii) Rinderpest and (iii) Anthrax.

Ans: (i) Foot and mouth causal organisms virus: Blisters on the mouth, foot, excessive production of saliva, loss of appetite, high temperature, shivering.

(ii) Rinderpest causal organism Bacteria: Discharge from eyes, nostrils, loss of appetite, constipation followed by sever diarrhea. 

(iii) Anthrax causal organism Bacteria: Swelling of body, fever, reduction in milk secretion. 

INTEXT QUESTIONS 20.4 

1. Mention the harmful effects of infecting hormones in order to increase milk production in cows.

Ans: Indiscriminate use of hormones to increase milk production causes extreme enlargement of udders of the animals which results in difficulty of movement and discomfort to the animals. 

2. Define aquaculture?

Ans: Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms including fish, mollusks, crustaceans and aquatic plants. It is fish farming that is cultivating fish in a controlled environment (coastal or inland pond, lake, and reservoir) and harvesting when they reach desired size. 

3. Which are the main dangers the fish population suffer from?

Ans: Over exploitation, habitat destruction, incidental mortality of non-target species, pollution. 

4. What is the advantage of the system of eco-aquaculture?

Ans: Ecological aquaculture focuses on adequate farming system that preserves the aquatic environment in which they are suited and can be harvested in a sustainable manner.

TERMINAL EXERCISE

1. Define green revolution. Which were the two crops specially involved with ‘Green Revolution’ in the beginning? 

Ans: ‘Green revolution’ is substantial increase in yield of crops using high yielding varieties of seeds, and providing enough fertilizer and pesticides and good irrigation. The green revolution was initiated by M.S. Swaminathan in India.

The two crops which were especially involved with the green revolution in the beginning, are rice and wheat.

2. Which was the wheat variety production by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan and how? 

Ans: Sharbati Sonora was the wheat variety produced by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. It was developed from Sonora-64 through mutation breeding using X-rays and gamma rays.

3. What do the farmers do when the pests develop genetic resistance to certain pesticide? 

Ans: When pests develop genetic resistance to certain pesticides, then farmers used to tackle the problem by crop rotation particularly to those under the pest problem.

4. Define pesticides. Mention two advantages of using pesticides. 

Ans: Pesticides are defined as the chemical which is used to kill the harmful pest on crops. 

The two advantages of using pesticides are – (i)  it kills the harmful pest and (ii) it does not harm the crop.

5. Write brief notes on combined harvester, plough, land levelers, box drill. 

Ans: The harvester functions as harvesting the crop, the plow is for plowing, the land leveler for leveling the land, and the box drill or seed drill is used for sowing the seeds for crop production. Combine harvesters are a machine for harvesting, threshing, and cleaning of crops. The function of combine harvesters, plows, and land levelers is the harvester used to cut, thresh, window, and clean grain or seeds into separated units. Whereas, Box drill or seed drill is a machine that is used to sow the seeds for the production of the crop.

6. Name four new areas of agricultural practices. Write a short note on poultry farming. 

Ans: The four newer agricultural practices are:

(i) Mushroom culture.

(ii) Apiculture (bee-keeping).

(iii) Poultry farming.

(iv) Aquaculture.

Poultry farming: Poultry farming is an agricultural practice of breeding and raising birds such as chickens, ducks, and turkeys. It provides meat and eggs and is a major source of income and employment in rural areas.

7. How do you define animal husbandry? Mention the food items that are provided by these animals. 

Ans: Animal husbandry is a branch of agriculture which deals with proper care and breeding of domestic animals.

Food items such as meat, eggs, milk, pork are the common food items that are obtained from Animal husbandry.

8. Write the names of causal organism and animals affected with the following diseases –

1.	Foot and mouth disease
2.	Pox
3.	Tuberculosis
4.	Anthrax
5.	Rinderpest

Ans: 

Disease	Causal Organism	Animals Affected
Foot and Mouth Disease	Virus (Enterovirus, family Picornaviridae)	Cattle, pigs, sheep, goats
Pox	Virus (Poxvirus – Vaccinia/Variola group)	Cattle, sheep, goats, buffaloes
Tuberculosis	Bacterium (Mycobacterium bovis)	Cattle, buffaloes, sometimes humans
Anthrax	Bacterium (Bacillus anthracis)	Cattle, sheep, goats, and humans
Rinderpest	Virus (Morbillivirus, family Paramyxoviridae)	Cattle and buffaloes