CBSE Class 12 Biology Short Answer Questions (NCERT): Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production

Course & Examination Details

• Course: CBSE Class 12 Biology
• Unit: Unit III – Biology and Human Welfare
• Chapter: Chapter 9 – Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production
• Prescribed Textbook: NCERT Biology Class XII
• Examination: CBSE Class 12 Board Examination
• Question Type: Short Answer Type
• Answer Length: 60–80 words each
• Syllabus Alignment: Strictly as per NCERT

Section A: Animal Husbandry

Q1. What is animal husbandry and why is it important?

Answer:
Animal husbandry is the scientific management of livestock to improve production of milk, meat, eggs, and other products. It is important because it enhances food availability, improves nutritional security, increases farmers’ income, and supports rural economy through sustainable animal-based agriculture.

Q2. Explain dairy farm management.

Answer:
Dairy farm management involves selection of high-yielding breeds, proper housing, balanced feeding, and disease control of milk-producing animals. These practices ensure increased milk yield, improved quality, and prevention of diseases, thereby supporting economic growth and nutrition.

Q3. Describe poultry farming and its objectives.

Answer:
Poultry farming involves rearing birds like chickens for eggs and meat. Objectives include high egg production, rapid growth, disease resistance, and low maintenance cost. Proper feed, hygiene, and environmental control are essential for success.

Q4. What is animal breeding?

Answer:
Animal breeding is the process of mating animals to improve desirable genetic traits such as yield, disease resistance, and adaptability. It plays a key role in improving livestock productivity.

Q5. Explain inbreeding and its advantages.

Answer:
Inbreeding is mating between closely related individuals of the same breed. It helps in fixing desirable traits and increasing homozygosity, leading to uniformity and improved breed characteristics.

Q6. What is inbreeding depression?

Answer:
Inbreeding depression refers to reduced fertility and productivity due to accumulation of harmful recessive genes when inbreeding is continued for several generations.

Q7. Describe cross-breeding in animals.

Answer:
Cross-breeding involves mating animals of different breeds to combine desirable traits. It results in hybrid vigour, improved productivity, and better disease resistance.

Q8. Explain the importance of apiculture.

Answer:
Apiculture is the rearing of honeybees for honey and wax production. Bees also enhance pollination, increasing crop yield and agricultural productivity.

Q9. Name two species of honeybees used in apiculture.

Answer:
Apis indica and Apis mellifera are commonly used species in apiculture.

Q10. How does animal husbandry contribute to food security?

Answer:
Animal husbandry increases availability of nutritious food like milk, eggs, and meat, supporting balanced diet and reducing food scarcity.

Section B: Plant Breeding

Q11. Define plant breeding and state its objectives.

Answer:
Plant breeding is the science of developing improved crop varieties. Objectives include higher yield, disease resistance, tolerance to abiotic stresses, and improved nutritional quality.

Q12. Explain the concept of germplasm.

Answer:
Germplasm refers to the collection of genetic resources of plants. It provides raw material for breeding programmes and ensures genetic diversity.

Q13. Describe the steps involved in plant breeding.

Answer:
Steps include collection of germplasm, evaluation and selection, hybridisation, selection and testing of hybrids, and release of improved varieties.

Q14. Why is hybridisation important in plant breeding?

Answer:
Hybridisation combines desirable traits from different parents, resulting in improved yield, resistance, and adaptability.

Q15. What is selection in plant breeding?

Answer:
Selection is the process of choosing plants with desirable traits from a breeding population to develop improved varieties.

Q16. Explain plant breeding for disease resistance.

Answer:
Disease-resistant varieties are developed to reduce crop loss and pesticide use. This ensures stable yield and environmental safety.

Q17. What is mutation breeding?

Answer:
Mutation breeding involves inducing mutations to create genetic variation, helping develop improved crop varieties.

Q18. What are abiotic stresses? Give examples.

Answer:
Abiotic stresses are non-living environmental factors like drought, salinity, heat, and cold that affect crop growth.

Q19. How does breeding for abiotic stress resistance help agriculture?

Answer:
It ensures stable crop yield under adverse conditions and reduces crop failure.

Q20. Explain plant breeding for improved quality.

Answer:
Plant breeding improves nutritional quality, taste, and processing traits, enhancing food value and consumer acceptance.

Section C: Biofortification

Q21. What is biofortification?

Answer:
Biofortification is the process of increasing nutritional content of crops through plant breeding or biotechnology.

Q22. Name nutrients targeted through biofortification.

Answer:
Iron, zinc, vitamin A, and proteins are commonly targeted nutrients.

Q23. Explain the importance of biofortification.

Answer:
Biofortification helps combat malnutrition, improves public health, and provides sustainable nutritional security.

Q24. How does biofortification differ from supplementation?

Answer:
Biofortification improves food quality at source, while supplementation provides nutrients externally.

Q25. Give one example of a biofortified crop.

Answer:
Iron-rich wheat is an example of a biofortified crop.

Section D: Single Cell Protein (SCP)

Q26. Define single cell protein.

Answer:
Single cell protein is protein-rich biomass obtained from microorganisms like algae, yeast, and bacteria.

Q27. Name organisms used as SCP.

Answer:
Spirulina, Chlorella, and Saccharomyces are used as SCP sources.

Q28. Explain advantages of SCP.

Answer:
SCP has high protein content, rapid growth rate, requires less land, and uses waste materials.

Q29. How does SCP contribute to sustainable development?

Answer:
SCP reduces pressure on traditional agriculture and utilises waste, supporting environmental sustainability.

Q30. Why is SCP important in developing countries?

Answer:
SCP provides a cheap and rich protein source, helping reduce malnutrition.

Section E: Tissue Culture

Q31. Define tissue culture.

Answer:
Tissue culture is the technique of growing plant cells or tissues in sterile nutrient medium under controlled conditions.

Q32. Explain totipotency.

Answer:
Totipotency is the ability of a plant cell to regenerate into a complete plant.

Q33. What is an explant?

Answer:
An explant is a plant part used to initiate tissue culture.

Q34. Describe micropropagation.

Answer:
Micropropagation is rapid multiplication of plants using tissue culture techniques to produce disease-free plants.

Q35. What are somaclones?

Answer:
Somaclones are genetically identical plants produced through tissue culture.

Q36. Explain the steps involved in tissue culture.

Answer:
Steps include explant selection, sterilisation, inoculation, callus formation, differentiation, and hardening.

Q37. State advantages of tissue culture.

Answer:
It produces disease-free plants, enables rapid multiplication, and conserves rare species.

Q38. Why is hardening necessary in tissue culture?

Answer:
Hardening helps tissue culture plants adapt to natural environment before transfer to soil.

Q39. How does tissue culture help in agriculture?

Answer:
It ensures uniform quality, higher yield, and rapid availability of elite plant varieties.

Q40. Mention one limitation of tissue culture.

Answer:
It requires skilled labour and controlled laboratory conditions.

Section F: Integrated Concepts

Q41. How does plant breeding support food security?

Answer:
Plant breeding increases crop yield, resistance, and nutritional quality, ensuring food security.

Q42. Explain the role of biotechnology in food production.

Answer:
Biotechnology enhances crop productivity, quality, and sustainability through advanced techniques.

Q43. Why is balanced feed essential in poultry farming?

Answer:
Balanced feed ensures healthy growth, high egg production, and disease resistance.

Q44. How does cross-breeding improve livestock productivity?

Answer:
Cross-breeding results in hybrid vigour, improved performance, and adaptability.

Q45. Why is disease control important in animal husbandry?

Answer:
Disease control prevents economic loss and improves productivity.

Q46. How does apiculture indirectly benefit agriculture?

Answer:
Bees improve pollination, increasing crop yield and quality.

Q47. Why is plant breeding considered eco-friendly?

Answer:
It reduces pesticide use and promotes sustainable agriculture.

Q48. How does SCP help reduce environmental pollution?

Answer:
SCP utilises waste materials, reducing pollution.

Q49. Explain the significance of Chapter 9 for CBSE exams.

Answer:
It covers applied biology concepts frequently asked in board exams.

Q50. Why are food production strategies important today?

Answer:
They ensure sustainable food supply for a growing population.

✔ Strictly NCERT-Based | ✔ CBSE Board Aligned | ✔ Ideal for 3–4 Mark Questions