Topic wise Previous Year Questions (Solved) : Ecology | Agriculture Optional for UPSC PDF Download

Q1: Briefly discuss the principles of agro-ecology. (2024)

Ans: Agro-ecology integrates ecological principles into agriculture to promote sustainable and resilient farming systems. It emphasizes harmony with nature, enhancing productivity while preserving ecosystems, and is highly relevant in India’s diverse agricultural landscape facing climate and resource challenges.

• Biodiversity: Agro-ecology promotes diverse crops and species, like intercropping millets with pulses in India, enhancing soil health and pest resistance.
• Ecosystem Balance: It maintains natural cycles, such as using compost in Punjab farms to recycle nutrients, reducing chemical inputs.
• Local Knowledge: Integrating farmers’ traditional practices, like rain-fed farming in Rajasthan, ensures context-specific solutions.
• Sustainability: It prioritizes long-term resource conservation, as seen in organic farming in Sikkim, minimizing environmental degradation.

For instance, agro-ecological practices in Andhra Pradesh’s Zero Budget Natural Farming have boosted yields while cutting costs. Critics argue it requires intensive knowledge, limiting scalability. Nonetheless, agro-ecology aligns with India’s sustainable development goals.

Agro-ecology’s principles foster resilient agriculture, ensuring food security and environmental health in India’s changing climate. 

Q2: Explain the term conventional and conservation tillage. Give account of their comparative effects on soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions. (2024)

Ans: Tillage practices influence soil health and environmental sustainability in agriculture. Conventional and conservation tillage differ in their approach, impacting soil properties and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, critical for India’s farming systems.

• Conventional Tillage: Involves intensive plowing, like in India’s wheat fields, disrupting soil structure to prepare seedbeds, often leading to erosion.
• Conservation Tillage: Minimizes soil disturbance, using techniques like no-till in Haryana’s rice-wheat systems, retaining crop residues to protect soil.
• Soil Properties: Conventional tillage degrades organic matter, reducing fertility, while conservation tillage enhances soil structure and water retention, as seen in Madhya Pradesh farms.
• GHG Emissions: Conventional tillage releases stored carbon, increasing CO2, whereas conservation tillage sequesters carbon, reducing emissions, evident in India’s sustainable agriculture projects.

The 2023 adoption of conservation tillage in Punjab cut emissions by 10-15%. Critics note conservation tillage’s initial yield dips, requiring farmer training. Nonetheless, it supports long-term sustainability.

Conservation tillage outperforms conventional tillage in preserving soil health and reducing GHG emissions, vital for India’s climate-smart agriculture. 

Q3: Discuss the Remote sensing system used for ecosystem analysis. Briefly discuss the use of Remote sensing for drought monitoring. (2024)

Ans: Remote sensing uses satellite and aerial imagery to analyze ecosystems, providing critical data for agriculture and environmental management. In India, it supports sustainable farming and disaster response, particularly for drought monitoring.

• Types of Remote Sensing: Optical (Landsat) and radar (Sentinel) systems capture land, water, and vegetation data, used in India’s crop monitoring programs.
• Ecosystem Analysis: It assesses soil health, forest cover, and biodiversity, like mapping India’s Western Ghats to track deforestation.
• Drought Monitoring: Remote sensing tracks vegetation stress (NDVI) and soil moisture, identifying drought-prone areas, as in Maharashtra’s 2023 drought assessments.
• Applications: Data guides relief, like India’s Drought Management Plan, prioritizing water allocation in affected regions.

For example, ISRO’s RISAT-1 aided drought forecasting in Rajasthan, enabling timely interventions. Critics note high costs and data interpretation challenges, yet remote sensing’s precision is unmatched.

Remote sensing revolutionizes ecosystem analysis and drought monitoring, enhancing India’s agricultural resilience and disaster preparedness. 

Q4: Explain conventional and conservation tillage and their effects on soil and GHG emissions. (2024)

Ans: Conventional and conservation tillage are distinct agricultural practices with significant impacts on soil health and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In India, where sustainable farming is critical, understanding their effects guides policy and practice.

• Conventional Tillage: Involves deep plowing to prepare land, common in India’s rice fields, breaking soil structure for planting.
• Conservation Tillage: Reduces soil disturbance, like zero-tillage in Punjab’s wheat farms, leaving crop residues to protect soil.
• Soil Effects: Conventional tillage erodes soil and depletes organic matter, while conservation tillage improves fertility and moisture retention, as seen in Gujarat’s drylands.
• GHG Emissions: Conventional tillage releases carbon, increasing CO2, whereas conservation tillage sequesters carbon, lowering emissions, evident in India’s climate-smart projects.

The 2023 conservation tillage trials in Haryana reduced emissions by 12%. Critics highlight conservation tillage’s need for specialized equipment, limiting adoption. Still, its benefits for soil and climate are substantial.

Conservation tillage offers a sustainable alternative to conventional tillage, supporting India’s goals for soil conservation and climate mitigation. 

Q5: Write down the principles involved in Integrated Watershed Management. Briefly discuss the relevance of Integrated Watershed Management under climate change scenario. (2024)

Ans: Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) is a holistic approach to managing land, water, and vegetation within a watershed to ensure sustainability. In India, IWM is vital for addressing climate change impacts on agriculture and water security.

• Holistic Planning: IWM integrates land and water use, as in India’s watershed projects in Rajasthan, balancing farming and conservation.
• Community Participation: Local involvement, like village committees in Maharashtra, ensures context-specific solutions.
• Sustainability: It promotes practices like contour bunding in India’s drylands, preserving resources for future generations.
• Climate Change Relevance: IWM mitigates erratic rainfall and droughts, as seen in Gujarat’s check dams, enhancing water resilience.

The 2023 IWMP in Karnataka improved groundwater levels amid climate variability. Critics note high initial costs and coordination challenges, yet IWM’s adaptability is key. Under climate change, it stabilizes agriculture and livelihoods.

IWM’s principles foster sustainable resource use, making it indispensable for climate-resilient agriculture in India. 

Q6: Discuss the response of crop plants to rising temperature and carbon dioxide levels in relation to climate change, with suitable examples. (2023)

Ans: Climate change, marked by rising temperatures and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, significantly affects crop plants, influencing yields and food security. In India, understanding these responses is crucial for adapting agriculture to changing conditions.

• Temperature Effects: High temperatures reduce photosynthesis and grain filling, as seen in wheat yield declines in Punjab, where heat stress shortens growth cycles.
• CO2 Fertilization: Elevated CO2 boosts photosynthesis in C3 crops like rice, increasing yields, as observed in Tamil Nadu’s paddy fields.
• Combined Impacts: While CO2 may enhance growth, heat stress often negates benefits, as in India’s maize crops facing reduced productivity.
• Adaptation Needs: Heat-tolerant varieties, like drought-resistant millets in Rajasthan, are critical to counter adverse effects.

The 2023 ICAR trials showed CO2 benefits for rice but heat-related losses in wheat. Critics note water and nutrient limitations exacerbate challenges. Adaptive strategies are essential.

Crop responses to climate change demand innovative farming practices to ensure India’s food security amid environmental shifts. 

Q7: What do you understand by agroecology? How does agroecology help in crop distribution and sustainable food production? (2023)

Ans: Agroecology applies ecological principles to agriculture, promoting sustainable and resilient farming systems. In India, it supports crop distribution and food production by aligning practices with environmental and social needs.

• Agroecology Definition: It integrates biodiversity, local knowledge, and ecosystem balance, as seen in India’s organic farming in Sikkim.
• Crop Distribution: Agroecology diversifies crops, like millets and pulses in Maharashtra, matching varieties to local climates and soils.
• Sustainable Production: It reduces chemical inputs, using compost in Punjab to maintain soil fertility and ensure long-term yields.
• Social Benefits: By empowering farmers, like women-led cooperatives in Andhra Pradesh, it enhances food security and equity.

The 2023 Zero Budget Natural Farming initiative in Andhra Pradesh doubled small farmers’ incomes. Critics argue agroecology’s labor-intensive nature limits scalability, yet its environmental benefits are undeniable.

Agroecology fosters sustainable food systems, ensuring equitable crop distribution and resilient production in India’s diverse agro-climatic zones. 

Q8: Classify the agroforestry systems and explain in detail the importance of social forestry in Indian context. (2023)

Ans: Agroforestry integrates trees with crops or livestock, enhancing sustainability. Social forestry, a key agroforestry component, is vital in India for environmental and community benefits, addressing deforestation and rural needs.

• Agroforestry Systems: Agrisilviculture (trees with crops, e.g., teak with maize in Madhya Pradesh), silvopastoral (trees with livestock), and agrosilvopastoral (combined) systems.
• Social Forestry Importance: It promotes community-managed forests, like village woodlots in Rajasthan, providing fuelwood and fodder.
• Environmental Benefits: Social forestry enhances soil conservation and carbon sequestration, as in India’s Green Mission plantations.
• Economic Support: It generates income through timber and non-timber products, supporting tribal communities in Odisha.

The 2023 National Afforestation Programme boosted rural livelihoods through social forestry. Critics note land conflicts and maintenance issues, yet its role in sustainability is critical.

Social forestry within agroforestry systems strengthens India’s environmental and socio-economic resilience, fostering sustainable rural development. 

Q9: Write about the various tools used in proximal and remote sensing. (2023)

Ans: Proximal and remote sensing tools are essential for precision agriculture, providing data on crops, soil, and water. In India, these technologies enhance farm management, supporting sustainable productivity.

• Proximal Sensing Tools: Handheld devices like soil moisture sensors and NDVI meters measure crop health, used in Punjab’s wheat fields for irrigation planning.
• Remote Sensing Tools: Satellites (Landsat, Sentinel) and drones capture imagery, monitoring India’s monsoon-dependent crops.
• Data Applications: Tools assess soil fertility and pest damage, as in Maharashtra’s cotton farms, guiding targeted interventions.
• Challenges: High costs and technical skills limit adoption, especially among India’s small farmers.

The 2023 ISRO drone trials in Karnataka improved yield predictions. Critics note data access issues in remote areas, yet sensing tools transform agriculture.

Proximal and remote sensing tools empower Indian farmers with precise data, driving efficient and sustainable farming practices. 

Q10: Give a brief note on GIS-based soil mapping and yield mapping. (2023)

Ans: Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based soil and yield mapping analyze spatial data to optimize agriculture. In India, these tools enhance resource management, supporting food security and sustainability.

• Soil Mapping: GIS integrates soil data (texture, nutrients) to create maps, guiding fertilizer use in Haryana’s rice fields.
• Yield Mapping: It tracks crop yields spatially, using harvest data, as in Punjab’s wheat farms, identifying low-yield zones.
• Applications: Maps inform precision farming, like variable-rate irrigation in Gujarat, reducing resource waste.
• Challenges: Limited access to GIS technology and training hinders small farmers’ adoption in India.

The 2023 ICAR GIS project in Tamil Nadu improved soil fertility management. Critics highlight data accuracy issues, yet GIS mapping’s potential is vast.

GIS-based soil and yield mapping revolutionize Indian agriculture, enabling data-driven decisions for sustainable productivity.