IAS Mains Paper: Agriculture 2001
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Paper-I
Section A
- Write short notes in about 200 words each on any three of the following:
- Organic farming
- Allelopathy
- Recent methods of line sowing
- Price fluctuation
- Define intercropping. Give the definition of different systems of intercropping each with 3 examples. Discuss the effect of component crops on each other.
- What do you mean by IPNM? Discuss it in the context of rice-wheat cropping system.
- Write comments on the following:
- Intercropping of sugarbeet with sugarcane
- Summar sown pigeonpea-wheat rotation
- N-application in submerged soils in rice
- Wheat after potato and wheat with potato
Section B
- Write short notes in about 200 words each on any three of the following:
- Agro-techniques for stabilising crop production in rainfed conditions
- Scope of agro-forestry
- Farm planning
- Methods of evaluation of extension programmes
- Discuss the different approaches of scheduling irrigation in field crops. Give your opinion about the scope of: Drip and sprinkler irrigation in field crops.
- Prepare a production plan for a family farm of 0.5 hectare having four fields irrigated by hired tubewell water in which domestic needs govern the cropping system
- Differentiate between the following:
- Soil fertility & productivity
- Relative & Obnoxious weeds
- Synergistic and Legume effect in crops
- Maximum yield and Maximum economic yield
Paper-II
Section A
- Answer any three of the following in about 200 words each:
- Discuss the vole of self-incompatibility in plant breeding.
- Briefly explain the salient features of cytoplasmic inheritance.
- Briefly describe hybrid seed production of bajra.
- Explain the role of vernalization in crop production.
- Answer the following questions
- Describe the method of back cross breeding used for transfer of recessive disease resistance. Can this method improve yield potential? Justify your answer.
- Describe the pure-line selection. How far has this method been useful in evolving high yielding varieties of cereal crops?
- Discuss the vole of conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources giving examples.
- Answer the following questions
- Define plant growth regulators. Classify them according to their mode of action, and discuss their use in horticulture.
- Describe the role of photo-morphogenesis in plants and explain the influence of light on biomass accumulation in plants.
- Describe the temperature-induced injuries in fruits, vegetables and flower crops. Explain the strategies by which these injuries can be avoided.
- Justify the following statements with the help of examples:
- Mutation creates variability needed for evolution.
- Improved crop varieties have contributed significantly to green revolution in India.
- Adoption of bio-technological techniques in horticulture are quite useful.
- Apical dominance has great significance in floriculture and landscape gardening.
Section B
- Answer any three of the following in about 200 words each, with examples:
- Discuss the relevance of pruning and training of horticultural crops.
- Explain the causes of guava wilt and describe its control measures.
- Discuss the use of herbicides in agriculture and the hazards from their use.
- Discuss the reasons for biennial bearing in fruits, and the measures for its alleviation.
- Answer the following questions
- Describe the ecological classification of horticultural crops in the country. Discuss the climate requirements for litchi, pineapple and cherry, and name three commercial varieties of each of these fruits.
- What is the scope for floriculture in India particularly for export purposes? Discuss the package of practices for the cultivation of roses.
- Describe the factors responsible for post-harvest losses in fruits and vegetables and the measures to minimise these losses.
- Answer the following questions
- What are the principles of integrated insect-pest management in agriculture? Describe the methods used for control of pests of citrus fruits.
- Discuss the importance and scope of processing of fruits and vegetables. Briefly describe the methods of vegetables preservation with the help of suitable examples.
- Differentiate between climacteric and non-climacteric fruits. Explain the changes that occur during maturity and ripening of these fruits.
- Explain the following with examples:
- Market intelligence and marketing of fruits and vegetables.
- Principles of orchard planning.
- Role of Apomixis in horticulture.
- Use of fungicides for the control of diseases in vegetables crops.