NCERT Solutions - Land Resources and Agriculture

(i) Which one of the following is NOT a land-use category?
(a) Fallow land
(b) Marginal land
(c) Net area sown
(d) Culturable wasteland
Ans: (b)
Explanation: Land-use statistics normally classify land into categories such as net sown area, fallow land, culturable wasteland, forest, and land under non-agricultural uses. Marginal land is not a standard statutory land-use category; it is a descriptive term for land of limited agricultural value rather than an official category used in land-use statistics.

(ii) Which one of the following is the main reason 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 the notified area allocated for forest growth
(d) Better peoples' participation in managing forest area
Ans: (c)
Explanation: The recorded rise in forest area in official statistics is largely due to administrative actions - areas being newly notified or reclassified as forest. This change in notification or classification, rather than only actual large-scale afforestation on the ground, is the main reason for the increase in reported forest cover over recent decades.

(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)
Explanation: Irrigated areas commonly suffer from salinisation because excessive or poorly managed irrigation raises the water table and allows salts to accumulate in the root zone. Without adequate drainage, salts concentrate at the surface and reduce soil fertility, making salinity the principal form of degradation in many irrigated tracts.

(iv) Which one of the following crops is not cultivated under dryland farming?
(a) Ragi
(b) Jowar
(c) Groundnut
(d) Sugarcane
Ans: (d)
Explanation: Dryland farming depends on limited and erratic rainfall and therefore favours hardy, drought-resistant crops such as ragi, jowar and groundnut. Sugarcane is a water-intensive crop that requires regular irrigation and is unsuitable for dryland farming.

(v) In which of the following group of countries of the world, HYVs of wheat and rice
 were developed?
(a) Japan and Australia
(b) U.S.A. and Japan
(c) Mexico and Philippines
(d) Mexico and Singapore
Ans: (c)
Explanation: High-yielding varieties (HYVs) of wheat were developed in Mexico, while the major breakthroughs in high-yielding rice varieties originated at research institutions in the Philippines. These two countries are therefore recognised as the centres where HYVs for wheat and rice were developed, leading to the Green Revolution.

Q2: Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) Differentiate between barren and wasteland and culturable wasteland.
Ans:

• Barren and uncultivable land: Land that cannot be used for cultivation because of steep slopes, rocks, deserts, ravines or very poor soil. Such land cannot be brought under regular cultivation except at very high cost and with poor likelihood of returns. Large extents occur in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
• Culturable wasteland: Land that is fit for cultivation but is not being used for crops at present. These areas were often cultivated in the past but have been abandoned because of problems such as lack of water, salinity or alkalinity of soil, erosion, water-logging, unfavourable physiography or human neglect. Such lands can be reclaimed and returned to agricultural use with appropriate measures.

(ii) How would you distinguish between net sown area and gross cropped area?
Ans: Net sown area is the total area on which crops are sown in a year, each parcel counted only once even if cropped more than once. Gross Cropped Area (GCA) is the total area sown including multiple cropping; if a field is cropped twice in a year it is counted twice in GCA.

(iii) Why is the strategy of increasing cropping intensity important in a country like India?
Ans: Increasing cropping intensity is important because:

• It raises overall foodgrains production to meet the needs of a growing population and supplies raw materials for agro-based industries.
• It makes fuller use of available land resources, raises farmers' incomes and provides additional rural employment by allowing more crops to be grown on the same area in a year.

(iv) How do you measure total cultivable land?
Ans: Total cultivable land is measured by adding the net sown area, all categories of fallow land and cultivable wastelands; together these give the total area that is currently cultivable or can be brought under cultivation.

(v) What is the difference between dryland and wetland farming?
Ans: Dryland farming is practised where annual rainfall is low (typically less than about 75 cm) or unreliable. It aims to conserve soil moisture and grow drought-resistant crops such as ragi, bajra, moong, gram and guar, using soil-moisture conservation and rainwater harvesting techniques. Wetland farming occurs where rainfall is plentiful or irrigation provides excess moisture during the growing season. Such areas support water-intensive crops like rice, jute and sugarcane, may face flood and erosion hazards, and often include aquaculture in fresh water bodies.

Q3: Answer the following questions in about 150 words. 
(i) What are the different types of environmental problems of land resources in India?
Ans:

• Soil erosion: Removal of the fertile topsoil by water or wind reduces soil productivity. Erosion increases production costs and lowers yields; it is aggravated by deforestation, overgrazing and unsustainable cultivation on slopes.
• Water-logging and salinisation: Poor irrigation and inadequate drainage can raise the water table, leading to water-logging. This deprives plant roots of air and reduces crop yields. Prolonged water-logging often leads to salinisation, where soluble salts accumulate at the surface and render soils infertile.
• Alkalisation (alkalinisation) of land: Excessive use of certain chemical fertilisers and irrigation with sodium-rich water can change soil chemistry, destroying natural soil structure and reducing fertility. Faulty irrigation and inadequate soil management contribute to this problem.
• Drought and desertification: Prolonged dry spells reduce soil moisture and biological activity in the soil, causing soils to become dry, cracked and less fertile. Repeated droughts and land misuse can lead to desertification and the loss of productive agricultural land.

(ii) What are the important strategies for agricultural development followed in the post-independence period in India?
Ans.

• Land reforms: Abolition of intermediaries and distribution of land titles to actual cultivators strengthened ownership incentives and encouraged better use of land. Land reforms also sought to reduce tenancy and improve equity in rural areas.
• New agricultural strategy (Green Revolution): From 1966-67, India adopted high-yielding varieties of seeds, increased use of fertilisers, improved irrigation and modern agronomic practices in selected regions. This package approach, including multiple cropping and plant protection, aimed to raise yield per hectare and achieve food self-sufficiency.
• Economic reforms and policy changes: Liberalisation and market reforms affected agriculture indirectly through trade policy, price mechanisms and access to inputs. The Government introduced policies such as support prices and, later, the New Agricultural Policy (2000) to improve efficiency and sustain output growth.
• Regional and planning measures: The Planning Commission promoted agro-climatic and decentralised planning (from 1988) to achieve balanced regional agricultural development and to encourage diversification away from over-dependence on a few crops.