Economic Geography (Part-1)

Total Questions: 50

1. Consider the following statements associated with Plantation agriculture and select the correct answer using the codes given below : [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1998]

1. Mostly Tropical plantations are located in lowlands.

2. Tropical plantations are found in bunches along the sea coast.

3. Favorable physical conditions for Rubber plantation occur in Amazon Basin but lacks workers.

Code:

Correct Answer: (b) 2 & 3 are correct
Solution:The tropical plantation is one of the world's oldest systems of commercial agriculture. Plantation crops are usually raised on large estates, of more than 40 hectares (100 acres) each, though the success of such crops has often encouraged other farmers to grow them so small holdings also exist side by side with the large estates.

It is always a monoculture over a large area, e.g., coffee in Brazil, Tea in India, Rubber in Malaysia, etc. Some of the main plantation crops are Rubber, Palm oil, Cotton and Copra, Beverages like Coffee, Tea and Cocoa, Fruits like Pineapples and Bananas, as well as Sugarcane, hemp and jute.

Although these crops require heavy rainfall for its growth, stagnant water is injurious to its roots. It is, therefore, grown on hill slopes where water drains away easily and water-logging does not take place.

However, it grows equally well in the valley if the drainage is good. Thus, statement (1) is wrong but statement (2) is correct. Till 19th century, Amazon Basin was a major producer of Natural Rubber. Favourable conditions for rubber plantation existed in Amazon Basin and rubber plants even grow spontaneously.

Now, Rubber production is not salient characteristic of South American Countries because of the lack of workers and many other reasons. Thus, statement (3) is correct.

2. Consider the following crops: [U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2004]

1. Coffee

2. Rubber

3. Coconut

4. Spices

Which of the above crops are plantation crops ?

Correct Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 3
Solution:According to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, coconut, Arecanut, Cocoa and cashew nut come under plantation crops. However, as per the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Tea, coffee, rubber and spices are plantation crops. Thus, Coconut, Arecanut, cocoa, cashew nut, tea, coffee, rubber and spices are plantation crops.

3. A cropping system where crops are grown in the inter spaces between rows of planted trees is called- [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2007]

Correct Answer: (d) Alley cropping
Solution:Alley Cropping is planting rows of trees with wide spacings. A companion crop is grown in the alleyways between the rows. Intercropping is a wide multiple cropping practices involving growing two or more crops in proximity which includes Relay cropping, mixed cropping and alley Cropping methods.

4. 'Monoculture' is a distinct characteristic of - [U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2010]

Correct Answer: (a) Commercial grain-farming
Solution:Monoculture is a distinct characteristic of commercial grain farming.
  • Monoculture farming is a type of agriculture in which only one type of crop is grown at a time on a specific field. A polyculture system, on the other hand, assumes that a field is sown with two or more crops at the same time. It should be noted that the concept of monoculture does not only apply to crops, but also to farm animals: it entails breeding only one species of animal on a given farm, whether it is dairy cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, or anything else.
  • It is important to note when discussing monoculture crops that even if a different culture is planted on a given field plot each year, the concept of growing a single crop on one field at a time is still referred to as "monoculture." Monoculture has been applied to both industrial and organic farming, enhancing planting and harvesting efficiency and bringing down costs for farmers.
  • One example is cultivating only beans or maize for the duration of the planting season. However, it also raises the possibility of contracting infections and pests. In terms of modern agriculture, monoculture promotes crop specialization because it includes producing just one crop on most or all of the available land.

5. Which one of the following is not a type of shifting cultivation ? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2006, 2010]

Correct Answer: (d) Fazenda
Solution:Jhooming, Chena, Milpa are type of shifting cultivation while Fazenda is not concerned with shifting cultivation. Fazenda is related to plantation found throughout Brazil.

Shifting cultivation is a farming method where small forest areas are cleared and burned to make land for planting crops. Farmers use this land for a few years until the soil loses its nutrients. Then, they leave the plot and move to a new area, letting the old land recover naturally over time.

Shifting cultivation is a farming method that involves several steps:

Farmers cut down plants and burn them to enrich the soil with nutrients. They then plant crops like cereals, vegetables, and tubers in the fertile soil. Once the crops are ready, they are harvested.

After a few years, when the soil becomes less fertile, the land is left unused to recover. During this time, plants grow back, and the soil regains its nutrients. Farmers repeat this cycle by moving to new areas while allowing old plots to recover.

6. 'Taungya' agriculture is practised in: [R.A.S./R.T.S.(Pre) 1999]

Correct Answer: (a) Myanmar
Solution:Taungya is a system whereby villagers and sometimes forest plantation workers are given the right to cultivate agriculture crop during the early stage of the forest. It is mainly practised in Myanmar.

7. With reference to primitive subsistence agricultural practices, which of the pair/s is/are correctly matched? [U.P. R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2023]

Agricultural PracticesRegion
1. JhummingSouth-East Asia
2. MilpaMexico
3. LadangSri Lanka

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Code:

Correct Answer: (c) 1 and 2 only
Solution:Primitive subsistence agricultural practices :

Jhumming - South East Asia

Milpa Mexico and Central America

Ladang - Indonesia

Hence statement 1 and 2 are correct. Primitive subsistence agricultural practices are also called slash and Burn farming method, which are prevalent in many tribes of the world including India.

8. Consider the following statements and answer the question with the help of codes given below: [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008]

Assertion (A) : A plant which has Nitrogen deficiency will show symptoms like stunted growth and pale green and yellow leaves.

Reason (R) : Nitrogen is responsible for green leaf growth.

Code:

Correct Answer: (a) Both (A) and (R) are individually true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Solution:Nitrogen is an essential element for the growth and development of the plants. It is a major constituent for the formation of cells and tissues. Due to a lack of nitrogen, the development of plants gets blocked.

The chlorophyll content of the plant leaves is reduced which results in a pale yellow colour. Older leaves turn completely yellow. Flowering, fruiting, protein and starch contents are reduced. Reduction in protein results in stunted growth and dormant lateral buds.

9. Consider the following organisms: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2013]

1. Agaricus

2. Nostoc

3. Spirogyra

Which of the above is/are used as biofertilizer/ fertilizers?

Correct Answer: (b) Only 2
Solution:Azotobacter, Rhizobium, Azospirillum and Blue-green algae are being used as biofertilizers for a long time. Blue-green algae belonging to a general cyanobacteria genus, Nostoc or Anabaena or Tolypothrix or Aulosira, fix atmospheric nitrogen and are used as inoculations for paddy crop grown in both upland and low-land conditions.

10. Azolla-Anabaena Biofertilizer is used for crop : [R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 2008]

Correct Answer: (b) Rice
Solution:6Azolla- Anabaena Biofertilizer is used for Rice crop production. Azolla is a water fern that has a symbiotic relationship with the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena azollae. The Anabaena bacteria within Azolla fix atmospheric nitrogen, converting it into a form that rice plants can utilize.
Benefits for rice:
  • Nitrogen Source: Azolla-Anabaena can supply a significant portion of the nitrogen needed by rice plants, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
  • Improved Soil Health: Azolla decomposes rapidly in the soil, releasing nutrients and improving soil structure.
  • Weed Suppression: A thick Azolla mat on the water surface can help suppress weed growth in rice paddies.
  • Environmental Benefits: Using Azolla as a biofertilizer is a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach compared to using synthetic fertilizers