Soil and Crop Production
(PRACHI Excellence in Social Studies)
EXERCISES
A. Multiple choice questions (MCQs).
Choose the correct answer from the given options:
1. ______________ is the process of decaying and disintegration of the rocks of the earth's crust.
(a) erosion. [ ]
(b) transportation. [ ]
(c) weathering. [✓]
(d) none of these. [ ]
2. Alluvial soil is found in the ___________ .
(a) mountainous area. [ ]
(b) deserts. [ ]
(c) river valleys. [✓]
(d) plateaus. [ ]
3. Which of the following types of soil is known as the cotton soil?
(a) Yellow soil. [ ]
(b) Red soil. [ ]
(c) Alluvial soil. [ ]
(d) Black soil. [✓]
4. It is a food crop.
(a) rice. [ ]
(b) wheat. [ ]
(c) maize. [ ]
(d) all of these. [✓]
5. Which of the following statements regarding the cash crop is wrong?
(a) Rubber and Cotton are the cash crops. [ ]
(b) These are grown to fulfil the needs of a family. [✓]
(c) Modern machines and fertilizers are used to produce cash crops. [ ]
(d) Cash crops are grown to get more profit. [ ]
B. Very short answers type questions.
1. What is the soil?
= Soil is the most important renewable natural resource. It is the medium of plants' growth and supports different types of living organisms on the earth. The soil is a living system.
2. How many types of soils are found in our country?
= There are five major types of soils found in our country - Alluvial Soil, Black Soil, Red and Yellow Soil, Desert/Arid Soil and Mountainous Soil.
3. Mention any five crops.
= Five crops are - rice, wheat, maize, millets and pulses.
4. Name any three cash crops.
= Three cash crops are - sugar cane, jute and cotton.
5. Define : Khadar and Bangar.
= According to their age, alluvial soils can be classified as old alluvial (Bangar) and new alluvial (Khadar). The bangar soil has higher concentration of kankar nodules than Khadar. It has more fine particles and is more fertile.
C. Short answer type questions.
1. How is the soil formed?
= The soil is formed due to the process of weathering. Weathering refers to the decay and disintegration of the rocks of the earth's crust. It is a process that takes thousands of years. Various forces such as temperature, running water, wind or glaciers and decomposers contribute to the formation of soil.
2. How can we increase the fertility of soil?
= Manures and chemical fertilizers are used to increase the fertility of soil. They have increased the crop production in India.
3. Discuss the factors that contribute to increase the agricultural production in India.
= India has favourable climatic conditions to produce a variety of crops. India is a rich country in terms of fertile soil and modern irrigation facilities. Thus, farmers grow various crops throughout the year.
4. Write down a short note on the following.
(a) Black soil.
= This type of soil is black in colour and also known as regur soil. In the north-western part of the Deccan Plateau, the surface is made up of hard igneous rocks. Here, when the igneous rocks break, they produce soils of black colour. This black lava soil is good for producing cotton and sugar cane. Black soil is also called black cotton soil.
(b) Red and Yellow soil.
= Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in the areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of Deccan plateau. This is less fertile and can produce millets and oilseeds. At some places the red soils are leached. These are called laterite soil. A variety of grass can be grown in these soil. Tea, rubber and tobacco are also grown in the areas of red soil.
(c) Mountainous soil.
= This soil is found in the hilly and mountainous areas. The soil texture varies from place to place. It is loamy and silty in the valleys and coarse grained in the upper slopes. The soil on the hill slopes is made up of coarse materials. It is good for planting fruit trees. At many places, terraces have been cut to make the land level. This is used for growing crops. It is also used for growing trees like teak, sheesham, sal and rosewood.
(d) Food Crops of India.
= The main crops grown in India are rice, wheat, maize, millets and pulses. Rice is the most important staple food crop in the eastern and southern parts of India. Rice grows well in places having hot and wet climate.
Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab and Haryana are the major rice producing States of India. India has the largest area under rice cultivation in the world. It is the second largest producer of rice, after China.
Wheat is the second most important food crop grown in India. It grows well in the cool and moist climate. The main wheat producing States are Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Millets or coarse grains include jowar, bajra and ragi. Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are the main producers of these grains.
India is the world's largest producer and consumer of pulses.
(e) Cash Crops of India.
= Sugar cane is the main source of jaggery (gur) and sugar. India is one of the world's largest producers of sugar cane. Uttar Pradesh is the leading producer of sugar cane followed by Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Punjab.
Jute is used to make bags, ropes and carpets. It grows well in hot and wet climate. The main jute producing States are West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Odisha.
Oilseeds include mustard, groundnut, linseed, sesame and sunflower. They are grown in the different parts of our country. The oil extracted from them is called vegetable oil.
Cotton is used to make cloth. It is grown in Gujarat, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Tea is grows well in hot and wet climate. It is grown in Assam, parts of West Bengal and Nilgiri Hills in the south. India is the world's largest producer as well as exporter of tea in the world.
5. What is weathering? How does it help in the formation of soil?
= Weathering refers to the decay and disintegration of the rocks of the earth's crust. It is a process that takes thousands of years. Various forces such as temperature, running water, wind or glaciers and decomposers contribute to the formation of soil.
6. Name the factors that contribute to the formation of soil.
= The factors that contribute to the formation of soil are - temperature, running water, wind and glacier.
7. Differentiate.
(a) Alluvial soil and red soil.
= Alluvial soil is more fertile but red soil is less fertile. Alluvial soil is found in plains but red soil is found on crystalline igneous rocks in the areas of low rainfall in plateau region.
(b) Food crops and cash crops.
= Food crops are produced for the people to eat but cash crops are produced for selling or exporting and earning money.
D. Fill in the blanks.
1. Soil is made by the breaking of rocks.
2. The alluvial soils are found in the Northern plains.
3. The dry sandy soils are found in the Western part of Rajasthan.
4. Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of sugar cane.
5. Wheat is the second most important food crop of India.
6. Coffee is grown in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
E. Read the following statement carefully and mark (✓) on the true and (X) on the false one.
1. The laterite soils are good for growing rice and jute. [X]
2. The alluvial soils are deposited by the rivers. [✓]
3. Desert soils can retain moisture for a long time. [X]
4. Black soil are found in the coastal areas. [X]
5. India is the largest producer of rice in the world. [X]
6. Tea grows in hot and wet climate. [✓]