Land Resources and AgricultureClass 12 India - People And Economy NCERT Solutions
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Q1EXERCISES
(i) Which one of the following is NOT a land-use category? (a) Fallow land (b) Marginal land (c) Net Area…
(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
(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.
(iii)
Which one of the following is the main form of degradation in irrigated areas?
(a)
Gully erosion
(b)
Wind erosion
(c)
Salinisation of soils
(d)
Siltation of land
(iv)
Which one of the following crops is not cultivated under dryland farming?
(a)
Ragi
(b)
Jowar
(c)
Groundnut
(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
Solution
(i) (b) Marginal land
'Marginal land' is not a formal land-use category as maintained in the Land Revenue Records discussed in the chapter. The official categories include Fallow land, Net Area Sown, and Culturable Wasteland.
(ii) (c) Increase in notified area allocated for forest growth
The chapter explicitly states that the increase in the share of land under forest is accounted for by an increase in the demarcated or notified area under forest, rather than an actual increase in the forest cover itself.
(iii) (c) Salinisation of soils
According to the chapter, a serious environmental problem arising from faulty irrigation strategies is the degradation of land. In irrigated areas, this is particularly alarming, with large tracts of agricultural land losing fertility due to alkalisation and salinisation of soils, as well as waterlogging.
(iv) (d) Sugarcane
Dryland farming is practiced in regions with low rainfall (less than 75 cm annually) and focuses on hardy, drought-resistant crops like ragi and jowar. The chapter mentions that sugarcane is a crop of tropical areas and is largely an irrigated crop in India, making it unsuitable for dryland farming.
(v) (c) Mexico and Philippines
The chapter states that the Green Revolution in India was facilitated by the availability of new seed varieties. High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of wheat were developed in Mexico and rice in the Philippines, which were then introduced in India in the mid-1960s.
Q2EXERCISES
(i) Differentiate between barren and wasteland and culturable wasteland. (ii) How would you distinguish…
(i)
Differentiate between barren and wasteland and culturable wasteland.
(ii)
How would you distinguish between net sown area and gross cropped area?
(iii)
Why is the strategy of increasing cropping intensity important in a country like India?
(iv)
How do you measure total cultivable land?
(v)
What is the difference between dryland and wetland farming?
Solution
(i) Differentiate between barren and wasteland and culturable wasteland.
The main difference between these two categories lies in their potential for cultivation.
- Barren and Wasteland: This category includes land that normally cannot be brought under cultivation with available technology. Examples include barren hilly terrains, desert lands, and ravines.
- Culturable Wasteland: This category includes land that has the potential to be cultivated but is left uncultivated (fallow) for more than five years. It can be brought under cultivation after improvement through reclamation practices.
(ii) How would you distinguish between net sown area and gross cropped area?
- Net Sown Area (NSA): This refers to the total physical extent of land on which crops are sown and harvested in an agricultural year. It is the actual land area under cultivation and is counted only once, regardless of how many crops are grown on it during the year.
- Gross Cropped Area (GCA): This is the total area sown with crops in a year. If a single plot of land is used to grow two crops in a year, its area is counted twice in the GCA. Thus, GCA is the Net Sown Area plus the area sown more than once in the same year.
(iii) Why is the strategy of increasing cropping intensity important in a country like India?
Increasing cropping intensity (growing multiple crops on the same piece of land in a single agricultural year) is important for a land-scarce but labour-abundant country like India for two main reasons:
- Fuller Utilisation of Land Resource: As the scope for bringing additional land under cultivation is limited, increasing cropping intensity helps to maximise output from the available land.
- Reducing Rural Unemployment: This strategy increases the demand for labour significantly throughout the year, which helps in reducing seasonal and overall unemployment in the rural economy.
(iv) How do you measure total cultivable land?
Total cultivable land is an estimation of the total stock of agricultural land resources. It is measured by adding up the following land-use categories:
- Net Sown Area
- All Fallow Lands (Current Fallow and Fallow other than Current Fallow)
- Culturable Wasteland
(v) What is the difference between dryland and wetland farming?
Dryland and wetland farming are two types of rainfed farming, distinguished by the adequacy of soil moisture.
- Dryland Farming: This is practiced in regions with an annual rainfall of less than 75 cm. It involves growing hardy and drought-resistant crops like ragi, bajra, and gram, and employing measures for soil moisture conservation and rainwater harvesting.
- Wetland Farming: This is practiced in regions where rainfall is in excess of the soil moisture requirement of plants during the rainy season. These areas grow water-intensive crops like rice, jute, and sugarcane and may face challenges like floods and soil erosion.
Q3EXERCISES
(i) What are the different types of environmental problems of land resources in India? (ii) What are the…
(i)
What are the different types of environmental problems of land resources in India?
(ii)
What are the important strategies for agricultural development followed in the post-independence period in India?
Solution
(i) What are the different types of environmental problems of land resources in India?
The environmental problems of land resources in India are significant and arise largely from faulty agricultural strategies. These problems threaten soil fertility and long-term agricultural sustainability.
One of the most serious problems is the degradation of cultivable land, which manifests differently in irrigated and rainfed areas:
-
Problems in Irrigated Areas:
- Alkalisation and Salinisation: Excessive irrigation without proper drainage leads to the accumulation of salts on the soil surface, making the land infertile. Waterlogging is also a common issue.
- Chemical Contamination: The Green Revolution strategy promoted the heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Their excessive application has led to the concentration of toxic amounts of these chemicals in the soil profile, degrading soil health.
- Depletion of Soil Fertility: The practice of multiple cropping has reduced the duration of fallow periods. Furthermore, leguminous crops, which naturally fix nitrogen in the soil, have been displaced from the cropping pattern. This has disrupted the natural process of fertilization and depleted soil fertility.
-
Problems in Rainfed Areas:
- Soil Erosion: In humid and semi-arid tropics, land resources suffer from soil erosion caused by water (sheet and gully erosion) and wind. These processes are often accelerated by human activities like deforestation and overgrazing.
These problems lead to the depletion of soil fertility, which is a serious issue as it can permanently damage the productive capacity of the land.
(ii) What are the important strategies for agricultural development followed in the post-independence period in India?
After independence, India adopted several strategies for agricultural development to achieve food security and promote rural growth. These strategies evolved over time to address emerging challenges.
-
Immediate Post-Independence Strategy (1950s): The immediate goal was to increase foodgrain production. This was pursued by:
- Switching over from cash crops to food crops.
- Intensifying cropping over already cultivated land.
- Increasing cultivated area by bringing cultivable and fallow land under the plough. When production stagnated, the government launched the Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural Area Programme (IAAP).
-
The Green Revolution (Mid-1960s onwards): Following food crises in the mid-1960s, a new strategy was adopted. This involved the introduction of a 'package technology' in irrigated areas, which included:
- High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of seeds, particularly for wheat and rice.
- Use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
- Expansion of irrigation facilities. This strategy led to a rapid increase in foodgrain production, making India self-reliant. Initially confined to states like Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh, it later spread to other parts of the country.
-
Planning for Balanced Development (1980s): Recognizing the regional disparities created by the Green Revolution, the Planning Commission initiated agro-climatic planning in 1988 to promote regionally balanced agricultural development. This strategy also emphasized the diversification of agriculture, including dairy farming, poultry, horticulture, and aquaculture, especially in rainfed areas.
-
Liberalisation and Market Economy (1990s): The initiation of economic reforms, liberalisation, and a free market economy in the 1990s further influenced the course of agricultural development, opening it up to market forces.