Important Questions CBSE Class 10th : Social Science Year 2009 (Solved)
(Agriculture)

Question .1. What is the importance of agriculture in Indian economy?
Answer : India is an agricultural country as nearly 65% of its population depends on agriculture for its livelihood. It provide food, raw material for industries and some product for export. It accounts for about 25% of the gross domestic product.

Question .2. Name three features of Indian agriculture?
Answer : The feature of Indian agriculture are:-
(i) The food security is insured.
(ii) Several raw materials for industries are produced, e.g. cotton, jute.
(iii) Produces several products for export, e.g. tea.

Question .3. What is plantation agriculture?
Answer : It is a bush or tree farming of Tea, Rubber, Coffee, etc. It is a large scale single crop farming which involves huge capital, good management, technical knowledge and better transport facilities.

Question .4. Name three important wheat producing states in India?
Answer : The important wheat producing states in India are:-
(i) Punjab
(ii) Haryana
(iii) Uttar Pradesh

Question .5. Name three sugarcane producing states of the country?
Answer : The sugarcane producing states of the country are:-
(i) Uttar Pradesh
(ii) Maharastra
(iii) Karnataka
(iv) Tamil Nadu
(v) Andhra Pradesh

Question .6. Mention spice producing areas of India?
Answer : (i) Kerala (ii) Karnataka (iii) Tamil Nadu

Question .7. Name three tobacco producing states of India?
Answer : (i) Gujarat (ii) Uttar Pradesh (iii) Andhra Pradesh (iv) Karnataka

Question .8. Which states make up for over two-third of the cattle population?
Answer : (i) Madhya Pradesh (ii) Uttar Pradesh (iii) Bihar (iv) Maharastra (v) Orissa (vi) Karnataka (vii) Rajasthan have over two-third of the cattle population in India.

Question .9. Which animal is called poor man’s cow? Give its distribution?
Answer : Goat is called poor man’s cow.It provides milk, meat, hair, hides and skins.More than 50% of the goats are found in Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

Question .10. State the advantages of Biotechnology?
Answer : (i) Biotechnology is used to increase the crop yield per hectare.
(ii) Genetically modified crops require less water.

Question .11. Distinguish between Shifting and Subsistence agriculture?
Answer :

Question .12. Distinguish between Rabi and Kharif Crops?
Answer :

Question .13. Distinguish between Dry and Wet agriculture?
Answer :

Question .14. Differentiate between Tea and Coffee cultivation?
Answer:

Question .15. Describe the condition required for Jute and its distribution?
Answer : Jute requires hot and humid climate. The ideal temperature is above 25º C and rainfall above 150 cm. It is produced in West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Orissa and Meghalaya.

Question .16. What is the sowing and harvesting period of Kharif season. Name two main crops of Kharif season?
Answer : Sowing Period – with the onset of monsoon in June.
Harvesting Period – beginning of winter in November.
Two main crops of Kharif are:-
(i) Rice
(ii) Maize.

Question . 17. Which is the staple food crop of India? Write four major producing area of that crop?
Answer : The staple food crop of India is Rice.
The major producing areas are:-
(i) West Bengal
(ii) Uttar Pradesh
(iii) Andhra Pradesh
(iv) Tamil Nadu and
(v) Punjab.

Question .18. Indian cattle are in great demand in the international market. Explain one reason. Also, explain two reasons why agricultural animals are more important to farmers?
Answer : Indian cattle are hardy and resistant to several diseases.Agricultural animals are important part of farming and also contribute to the income of farmers.

Question .19. Explain food security?
Answer : Gradual shift from the cultivation of cereal crops to cash crops like fruits, vegetables, oil seeds and crops which provide raw material to industries has been done.This had led to the reduction of net sown areas of cereal crops, millets and pulses. With the growing population, the reduction in production has put a big question mark over the country’s future food security.

Question .20. Describe the impact of globalization on Indian agriculture?
Answer : (i) The aim of globalization is to integrate our national economy with that of the world.
(ii) It is based on the philosophy of free and open international trade.
(iii) There is no need of agreement and negotiation with any country.
(iv) The product of good quality will survive in the market.
(v) Thus the basic two factors are:-
(a) Use of advanced technology and
(b) Vast capital.
(vi) We can have a better access to the reasonable and abundant capital from all parts of the world.
(vii) To stand in the global competition biotechnology may be used.

Question .21. What is the importance of animal husbandry in India?
Answer : (i) Farm animals form an important ecosystem in an agricultural country.
(ii) Farm animals are partners of the farmers.
(iii) Livestock production contributes to household, nutritional security and elevate poverty by increasing income.
(iv) Buffalo,ox,camel are used as performing activities like ploughing, sowing, threshing and transporting farm products.
(v) Cows and buffaloes provide milk.
(vi) Due to white revolution, India is the largest producer of milk in the world.

Question .22. Describe the rice cultivation in India?
Answer : (i) Rice is grown on about 25% of the total cropped area and provide food to about 50% of the population of India.
(ii) Being a tropical crop, rice requires high temperature and maximum humidity.
(iii) The average temperature should be about 24º C and average rain fall of 100 cm.
(iv) In Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh rice is grown with the help of irrigation.
(v) The major producer of rice are West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu.

Question .23. ‘Despite the Green Revolution, the food production has started to show a declining trend;. How?
Answer : (i) In past 50 years, production of the food grain has increased from 51 MT to 209 MT.
(ii) There is rapid increase in population in India, requires food grain, pulses, oil seeds and vegetable.
(iii) There is surplus food grains but 26% of population in India are below poverty line.
(iv) There are reduction of net sown area under foodgrains due to gradual shift from cultivation of food crops to fruit, cash crops and vegetables.
(v) With declining food production and increasing population may disrupt the future food security.
(vi) The food production in 2000-01 was 199 million tones (MT)

Question .24. What is the new technology in agriculture? Describe its significance in the development of Indian agriculture with three examples?
Answer : To achieve the goal of green revolution, there must be increase in production of food grains.This can be done by using high yielding variety of seeds, adopting modern methods of irrigation, large scale use of fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, electrification and mechanization.

Question .25. Name the two main food crops of India. Mention three major producing areas of each crop?
Answer : (i) Rice : – (a) West Bengal (b) Kerala (c) Punjab
(ii) Wheat : – (a) Punjab (b) Haryana (c) Uttar Pradesh

Question .26. What are millets? Why are millets very important food crops in India? Explain with the help of three points?
Answer : In India, the important millets grown are Jowar, Bajra and ragi. These crops rae grown in dry and warm area as it require very little rainfall. Its production is very high and value is low. It is consumed generally by our rural folk.

Question .27. “Wheat and Rice farming in India are fairly different from each other.” Explain with the help of four points?
Answer :

Question .28. “It is said that India produces almost every crop under the sun.” Explain this statement with four examples?
Answer : India is unique country for agriculture. It has a vast area of leveled land, rich soil, wide climate variations suited for various types of crops, ample sunshine and a long growing season.Wide variety of crops like Rice, Wheat, Tea, Cotton, Jute, Sugarcane, etc. are grown in India.

Question .29. How is Rice farming different from Wheat farming in respect of the following?
(a) Sowing and harvesting time.
(b) Rainfall / irrigation requirements.
(c) Areal distribution.
(d) Yield per hectare.
Answer :

Question .30. Describe the various technological and institutional reforms, which led to Green and White revolutions in India?
Answer : Green Revolution.
(i) Technical inputs resulted in the green revolution in sixties and seventies of the twentieth century.
(ii) High yielding and early maturing variety of seeds have been used.
(iii) Instead of bio-fertilizers, chemical fertilizers are used.
(iv) Flooding of fields are replaced by drip irrigation and the use of sprinklers. White Revolution.
(i) The Dairy Development led to the white revolution or “Operation Flood”.
(ii) The dairy co-operation in the rural areas helped in rural development.
(iii) The National Milk Grid achieved Operation Flood.
(iv) Cross breed from foreign and native cattle have been developed.

Question .31. What steps should be done to improve the present state of agriculture in India?
Answer : (i) More and more use of high yielding and early maturing variety of seeds.
(ii) Large scale use of chemical fertilizers.
(iii) Bio-fertilizers as a supplement.
(iv) Improved irrigation facilities.
(v) Use of radio and television by farmers to know new improved techniques of agriculture.
(vi) Cosolidation of holdings of land.
(vii) Crop insurance.
(viii) Availability of loans.
(ix) Government should ensure minimum price for the crop.

Question Q.32. What is implied by ‘Operation Flood’? How can it supplement the meager income of the small and marginal farmers?
Answer : Operation Flood is another name given to White Revolution. Due to Green Revolution, India has become the largest producer of milk in the world. The Dairy development has contributed to household nutritional security and increase in income. The progress in this field has resulted in the balanced development in the status of marginal farmers having livestock.