ncertcourse.com offers you best answers for NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Geography Part B Chapter 5 Land Resources and Agriculture. This chapter designed by expert’s subject teachers to prepare students to score well. Here you find question wise complete detailed chapter questions and answers.
Class 12 Geography Chapter 5 NCERT Textbook Questions Solved
Q1.Choose the right answers of the followings from the given options:
(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
Answer:- (b) Marginal land
(ii) What 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 notified area allocated for forest growth
(d) Better peoples’ participation in managing forest area.
Answer:- (c) Increase in notified area allocated for forest growth
(iii) Which one of the following is the main form of degradation in irrigated areas?
(a) Gully erosion
(b) Wind erosion
(c) Salinization of soils
(d) Siltation of land
Answer:- (c) Salinization of soils
(iv) Which one of the following crops is not cultivated under diyland farming?
(a) Ragi
(b) Jowar
(c) Groundnut
(d) Sugarcane
Answer:- (d) Sugarcane
(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
Answer:- (c) Mexico and Philippines
Q2 Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) Differentiate between barren and wasteland and culturable wasteland.
Answer:- (i) Barren and Wastelands :- The land which normally cannot be brought under cultivation because it is infertile. Here plant growth is sparse, stunted and limited such as barren hilly terrains, desert lands, ravines, etc.
(ii) How would you distinguish between net sown area and gross cropped area?
Answer:- Net sown area. The extent of land on which crops are sown and harvested is known as net sown area.
Gross cropped area. The total area (including the area grown more than once in a year) under cultivation is called gross cropped area.
(iii) Why is the strategy of increasing cropping intensity important in a country like India?
Answer:- India as an economy unsent major changes over the past few decades, which has
influenced the land-use changes in the country. Therefore proper planning and analysis of
increasing cropping intensity is required in order to cope up with the needs of the growing
population. The strategy is important because of the needs of an ever increasing population
which requires more yield per unit area. High cropping intensity will also lead to fuller utilisation
of land resources and will also reduce unemployment in the rural economy.
(iv) How do you measure total cultivable land?
Answer:- Total cultivable land is the entire land which can be cultivated either in the current state or after reclaiming it through the available technologies. It is a sum of total culturable wasteland, Fallow other than current fallow, current fallow and net sown area.
(v) What is the difference between dryland and wetland farming?
Answer:- Dryland farming is confined to regions having annual rainfall less than 75 cm. These regions
are used to grow hardy and drought resistant crops such as ragi, bajra, gram etc. Soil moisture
conservation and rainwater harvesting techniques are used here to supplement irrigation.
In wetland farming, the rainfall is in excess to what plants require, therefore water logging
situation may arise and regions may face flood and soil erosion hazards. Crops such as rice,
jute and sugarcane are grown here and aquaculture is practiced.
Q3. Answer the following questions in about 150 words.
(i) What are the different types of environmental problems of land resources in India?
Answer:- Land resources in India are faced with multiple issues that lead to decline in their productivity. The causes are both environmental and related to malpractices. The main environmental issues confronting Indian resources are:
Dependence on Erratic Monsoon: Irrigation covers only about 33 per cent of the cultivated area in India. The crop production in rest of the cultivated land directly depends on rainfall. Poor monsoon adversely affects the supply of canal water for irrigation. Rainfall in drought prone areas is too meager and highly unreliable. Even the areas receiving high annual rainfall experience considerable fluctuations. This makes them vulnerable to both droughts and floods. Droughts and floods continue to be twin menace in India.
Low productivity: The yield of the crops in the country is low in comparison to the international level. Indian agriculture is also very low in comparison to international level. The vast rainfed areas of the country, particularly drylands, which mostly grow coarse cereals, pulses and oilseeds, have very low yields.
Degradation of Cultivable Land: One of the serious problems that arises out of faulty strategy of irrigation and agricultural development is degradation of land resources. It leads to depletion of soil fertility. In irrigated areas a large tract of agricultural land lost its fertility due to alkalisation and salinization of soils and waterlogging. Excessive use of chemicals such as insecticides and pesticides has led to their concentration in toxic amounts in the soil profile. Leguminous crops have been displaced from the cropping pattern in the irrigated areas and duration of fallow has substantially reduced owing to multiple cropping. This has obliterated the process of natural fertilization such as nitrogen fixation. Rainfed areas also experience degradation of several types like soil erosion by water and wind erosion which are often induced by human activities.
(ii) What are the important strategies for agricultural development followed in the post-independence period in India?
Answer:- Before 1947, Indian agricultural economy was largely subsistence. After Independence, the
goal of the Government was to meet the growing needs of food. The reforms introduced
included, switching to food crops from earlier cash crops, intensification of cropping,
increasing cultivated area by bringing cultivable and fallow land under it. Initially, this strategy
helped.
However, agricultural production stagnated during late –1950s. Therefore, the government
introduced Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural Area
Programme (IAAP). Under it “Green Revolution” comprising HYVs were introduced in irrigated
areas of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. This strategy of agricultural development increased the foodgrains production at a very fast rate and helped
solve the problem of low availability and production of food.
This subsequently helped in the development of a number of agro-processing related industries
and small and medium scale enterprises. This strategy made the country self-reliant.
The Planning Commission in 1980’s focused on the problems of imbalance in agricultural
development It initiated agro-climatic planning to induce regionally balanced agricultural
development. It emphasised on the need for diversification of agriculture and development of
dairy farming, poultry, horticulture, livestock rearing and aquaculture industries.
Extra Questions of Class 12 Geography Part B Chapter 5 Land Resources and Agriculture
Q1. In which state is the intensity of cropping the highest?
Answer:- Punjab 181 percentage.
Q2. What is the major problem of Indian agriculture?
Answer:- Low productivity with developed countries
Q3. What is the solution of agriculture crops problem?
Answer:- Ensured irrigation facilities and payment of proper price to farmers.
Q4. Which are the three cropping seasons in India?
Answer:- Kharif , rabi and zaid.
Q5. Which state is the leading producer of rice?
Answer:- West Bengal.
Q6. What is meant by oilseeds?
Answer:- A group of such seeds from which oil can be extracted.
Q7. Name four coarse grains.
Answer:- Jowar-bajra, maize, barley, ragi, etc.
Q8. How much area is irrigated in India ?
Answer:- 570 lakh hectares.
Q9. Name the two most important cereal crops of India. Give the name of any two states which are the important producers of each of their crops.
Answer:- Wheat and Rice are the two most important cereal crops of India.
Important Producers
(a) Wheat: Uttar Pradesh and Punjab
(b) Rice: Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
Q10. Explain any three features of dryland farming in India.
Answer:- (i) Dryland farming is practiced in areas with less than 75 ems rainfall.
(ii) This type of farming grows hard and resistant crops.
(iii) This practices method of soil moisture conservation.
Q11. Name the leading state in the production of Jute in India.
Answer:- West Bengal.
Q12. Distinguish between reporting area and geographical area.
Answer:- The land use categories add up to reporting area, which is some what different from the geographical area. The Survey of India is responsible for measuring geographical area of administrative units in India. The reporting area is calculated on land revenue records. The difference between the two concepts is that while the former changes somewhat depending on the estimates of the land revenue records, the latter does not change.
Q13. Distinguish between actual forest cover and classified forests.
Answer:- Actual forest cover is different from area classified as forest. The classified forest area is identified and demarcated by government for forest growth. But the actual forest cover is that area where forests are actually found.
Q14. What is the importance of land resources ? State three facts.
Answer:- Land resource is more crucial to the livelihood of the people depending on agriculture :
(i) Agriculture is a purely land based activity unlike secondary and tertiary activities. In other words, contribution of land in agricultural output is more compared to its contribution in the outputs in the other sectors. Thus, lack of access to land is directly correlated with incidence of poverty in rural areas.
(ii) Quality of land has a direct bearing on the productivity of agriculture, which is not true for other activities.
(iii) In rural areas, aside from its value as a productive factor, land ownership has a social value and serves as a security for credit, natural hazards or life contingencies, and also adds to the social status.
Q15. Describe the different cropping seasons in India. Name the crops grown in each season.
Answer:- Cropping Seasons in India
There are three distinct crop seasons in the northern and interior parts of country, namely kharif, rabi and zaid.
(1) The kharif season largely coincides with Southwest Monsoon under which the cultivation of tropical crops such as rice, cotton, jute, jowar, bajra and tur is possible.
(2) The rabi season begins with the onset of winter in October-November and ends in March-April. The low temperature conditions during this season facilitate the cultivation of temperate and subtropical crops such as wheat, gram and mustard.
(3) Zaid is a short duration summer cropping season beginning after harvesting of rabi crops. The cultivation of watermelons, cucumbers, vegetables and fodder crops during this season is done on irrigated lands.
Q16. Why is agricultural productivity still low in India? Write three main reasons.
Answer:- The agricultural productivity is still low in India. The reasons are as under:
- Inadequate irrigation facilities: Agriculture in India depends on monsoonal rainfall. But to uncertain and variable rainfall irrigation is necessary. In our country, only 22%cultivated land is irrigated, whereas it is necessary to irrigate at least 50% of the cultivated land to make it success.
- Loss of fertility: due to continuous agriculture over a long period, the fertility of soil is declining. That is why the productivity is low.
- Poor technique of production: The India farmers have been using old and inefficient methods due to which there is low productivity. Use of better quality seeds and pesticides can increase the productivity.
- Lack of mechanized farming: In our country agriculture is mostly intensive. Human labour is used to get maximum output. Use of modern machines is limited due to low purchasing power.
India People and Economy
- Lesson. 1 Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition
- Lesson. 2 Migration: Types, Causes and Consequences
- Lesson. 3 Human Development
- Lesson. 4 Human Settlements
- Lesson. 5 Land Resources and Agriculture
- Lesson. 6 Water Resources
- Lesson. 7 Mineral and Energy Resources
- Lesson. 8 Manufacturing Industries
- Lesson. 9 Planning and Sustainable Development in Indian Context
- Lesson 10 Transport And Communication
- Lesson 11 International Trade
- Lesson 12 Geographical Perspective on Selected Issues and Problems