Geography Quiz: Agriculture and Animal Husbandry | 8 July, 2021

Source: NCERT – XII India People and Economy 

In wetland farming, the rainfall is in excess of soil moisture requirement of plants during rainy season.

• Such regions may face flood and soil erosion hazards.
• These areas grow various water intensive crops such as rice, jute and sugarcane and practice aquaculture in the fresh water bodies.

Source: NCERT – XII India People and Economy

In southern states and West Bengal the climatic conditions allow the cultivation of two or three crops of rice in an agricultural year.

In West Bengal farmers grow three crops of rice called ‘aus’, ‘aman’ and ‘boro’.

Source: NCERT – XII India People and Economy

Rice is a staple food for the overwhelming majority of population in India.

• Though, it is considered to be a crop of tropical humid areas, it has about 3,000 varieties which are grown in different agro-climatic regions.
• These are successfully grown from sea level to about 2,000 m altitude and from humid areas in eastern India to dry but irrigated areas of Punjab, Haryana, western U.P. and northern Rajasthan.

Source: NCERT – XII India People and Economy

China is the top country by wheat production in the world. As of 2020, wheat production in China was 134,250 thousand tonnes that accounts for 20.65% of the world’s wheat production.  

• The top 5 countries (others are India, Russian Federation, the United States of America, and Canada) account for 63.43% of it.  
• The world’s total wheat production was estimated at 650,017 thousand tonnes in 2020. 

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/255945/top-countries-of-destination-for-us-rice-exports-2011/ 

In India after rice. India produces about 12.3 per cent of total wheat production of world (2016).  

• It is primarily a crop of temperate zone. Hence, its cultivation in India is done during winter i.e., rabi season.  
• About 85 per cent of total area under this crop is concentrated in north and central regions of the country i.e., Indo- Gangetic Plain, Malwa Plateau and Himalayas up to 2,700 m altitude.  
• About 14 per cent of the total cropped area in the country is under wheat cultivation. 

Source: NCERT – XII India People and Economy 

Tea is a plantation crop used as beverage. Black tea leaves are fermented whereas green tea leaves are unfermented.

• Tea leaves have rich content of caffeine and tannin. It is an indigenous crop of hills in northern China.
• It is grown over undulating topography of hilly areas and well-drained soils in humid and sub-humid tropics and sub-tropics.

Source: NCERT – XII India People and Economy

Coffee is a tropical plantation crop. Its seeds are roasted, ground and are used for preparing a beverage.

• There are three varieties of coffee i.e., arabica, robusta and liberica.
• India mostly grows superior quality coffee, arabica, which is in great demand in international market.

Source: NCERT – XII India People and Economy

Rubber grows well in places whose temperature does not go below 21 degrees centigrade, and where humidity and heat is quite high.

• It grows well in temperature conditions between 25 to 35 degrees centigrade.
• Rainfall should be between 200cm and 400cm. It should not be less than 152cm.
• Rainfall must be fairly evenly distributed throughout the year because strong seasonal rainfall is unsustainable.
• Long dry spell and low temperature are very harmful for the crop.

Source: NCERT – XII India People and Economy

The kharif crops are associated with the Southwest Monsoon.

• They are sown in the months of June and July and harvested in autumn months, i.e., in September and October.
• Important kharif crops are rice, jowar, bajra, ragi, maize, sugarcane, cotton and jute.

Source: NCERT – XII India People and Economy