Land Resources and Agriculture Test - 3

The dominant crop in India is rice, and India is one of the largest rice producer countries in the world. Rice is a Kharif crop that occupies the largest crop area in the country.

Soil conservation is the preservation of soil against deterioration and loss by using it within its capabilities, and applying the conservation practices needed for its protection.

Rapeseeds is a rabi crop.

Kharif crops, also known as monsoon crops, are sown in June or July and harvested in September. These crops are rice, maize, millet, sugarcane, ragi, pulses, soybean, groundnut, etc.

A minimum Support Price is a government announcement in support of a crop. The price at which the government purchases crops from farmers is known as the Minimum Support Price (MSP). On occasion, the purchasing price may exceed the MSP. The MSP essentially acts as a floor price to give farmers guaranteed minimum prices. Before the start of the sowing season, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) proposes the MSP for 23 crops (14 Kharif crops, six rabi crops, and sugarcane, jute, and copra). To ensure the MSP system is implemented, the Food Corporation of India (FCI), state agencies, and cooperatives purchase commodities from the farmers.

The National Rice Research Institute (NRRI) is located near Bidyadharpur village on the Cuttack-Paradip Road, Odisha. It was established on April 23, 1946.

There are over 100 coffee species, but the main commercial varieties are Arabica, Robusta, and to a lesser extent Liberica. Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica are three common coffee beans used globally and they vary in flavour, price, body, and caffeine content. Coffee is cultivated in over 70 countries, with the largest producers being Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia.

Monocropping is also called single cropping or monoculture. Here cropping intensity is 100%, (Cropping Intensity = Number of crops grown in a year × 100). In India, cropping intensity is about 136%.

Rabi crops are known as winter crops. They are grown in October or November. The crops are then harvested in spring. These crops require frequent irrigation because they are grown in dry areas. Examples: Wheat, barley, peas, gram, and mustard are all key rabi crops.

Uttar Pradesh comes out on top of the list and is the largest wheat-producing state in India. It produces 33949680 tonnes of wheat annually.

Arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. A country with the most arable land in the world is the United States having a share of 10.5% of the world’s arable land. India stands in the second position with a production of 9.22%.