Agriculture – MCQs with Answers and Explanations
Geography — Chapter 3: Agriculture
30 Topic-wise MCQs with Answers & Detailed Explanations — NCERT-aligned for CBSE Class 8
CBSE Board Preparation — Systematic Order
1. Which of the following is NOT a direct role of agriculture in India?
Answer: C Explanation
Software production is part of the IT sector and not a direct function of agriculture. Agriculture provides employment, raw materials and food security.
2. Agriculture helps earn foreign exchange mainly through:
Answer: A Explanation
Exporting commodities like tea, spices and rice brings foreign currency into the country, contributing to foreign exchange reserves.
3. Which of the following provides direct employment in rural areas?
Answer: A Explanation
Agro-based industries like sugar mills and textile units provide local employment in rural and semi-urban areas by processing agricultural produce.
4. Which activity is considered an allied activity of agriculture?
Answer: A Explanation
Dairy farming is directly linked to agriculture as it supplements farm income and uses farm produce as feed and contributes manure.
5. A farmer growing crops mainly for family consumption practices:
Answer: B Explanation
Subsistence farming is practised to meet the food needs of the farmer's household with little surplus for sale.
6. Which of the following is a feature of commercial farming?
Answer: C Explanation
Commercial farming focuses on large-scale, market-oriented production using modern inputs like fertilisers and machinery to increase yield and profit.
7. Plantation agriculture usually involves:
Answer: B Explanation
Plantations are large-scale estates that specialise in one cash crop such as tea, coffee, rubber or coconut, often for export or national markets.
8. Mixed farming is best described as:
Answer: B Explanation
Mixed farming integrates crops and livestock, providing diverse income sources and benefits like manure for crops and feed for animals.
9. Which farming type often involves shifting plots after soil fertility declines?
Answer: B Explanation
Shifting cultivation (jhum) involves clearing forest patches for cultivation and moving to new land once fertility decreases; it is practised in some hilly regions.
10. Intensive subsistence farming is typically associated with:
Answer: C Explanation
Intensive subsistence farming uses family labour intensively on small plots to produce enough food for household needs and local markets.
11. Kharif crops are sown during:
Answer: B Explanation
Kharif crops (e.g., rice, maize, cotton) are sown with the arrival of monsoon and harvested around September–October.
12. Which of the following is a Rabi crop?
Answer: B Explanation
Wheat is sown in winter (Rabi season) and harvested in spring; rice and maize are mainly Kharif crops in many regions.
13. Zaid crops are grown in which season?
Answer: A Explanation
Zaid crops are short duration crops grown in the summer months between Kharif and Rabi—examples include watermelon and muskmelon.
14. Which factor is LEAST important in determining cropping patterns?
Answer: C Explanation
Soil, climate and market demand influence cropping choices; a farmer's favourite colour is irrelevant.
15. Crop rotation helps mainly to:
Answer: B Explanation
Crop rotation alternates crops to prevent nutrient depletion and break pest cycles, thereby maintaining soil fertility.
16. The wheat belt of India includes:
Answer: B Explanation
Punjab and Haryana form the major wheat-producing region due to fertile soils and extensive irrigation facilities.
17. Tea is extensively grown in which region?
Answer: B Explanation
Assam and Darjeeling have high rainfall and hilly terrains ideal for tea plantations.
18. Rubber plantations are commonly found in:
Answer: B Explanation
Warm, humid climates with heavy rainfall in Kerala and parts of the Nilgiris suit rubber cultivation.
19. Cotton is mainly grown on which soils?
Answer: C Explanation
Black cotton soils retain moisture and are rich in clay, making them suitable for cotton cultivation in regions like Maharashtra and Gujarat.
20. Nomadic herding is practiced mainly in:
Answer: C Explanation
Nomadic herding suits arid and trans-Himalayan regions where pastoralists move with livestock in search of pastures.
21. The Green Revolution primarily introduced:
Answer: B Explanation
HYV seeds, along with better irrigation and fertilisers, led to substantial increases in wheat and rice productivity during the Green Revolution.
22. One environmental concern from intensive farming is:
Answer: B Explanation
Excessive irrigation for high-yielding crops led to groundwater depletion in several parts of India, a major environmental concern.
23. Drip irrigation helps mainly to:
Answer: B Explanation
Drip irrigation conserves water by supplying it directly to the root zone, reducing evaporation and runoff—ideal for water-scarce areas.
24. Precision farming uses which of the following technologies?
Answer: A Explanation
Precision farming employs GPS, sensors and data analytics to optimise inputs and increase productivity while reducing waste.
25. Which practice can reduce the environmental impact of fertiliser use?
Answer: A Explanation
INM combines organic and chemical fertilisers to maintain soil health and reduce environmental harm from overuse of chemicals.
26. Fragmented landholdings make mechanisation difficult because:
Answer: A Explanation
Mechanisation is cost-effective when used on larger contiguous fields; small scattered plots increase transit time and reduce efficiency.
27. Minimum Support Price (MSP) is intended to:
Answer: B Explanation
MSP provides a price floor for certain crops, protecting farmers from sharp falls in market prices and ensuring minimum income levels.
28. Which scheme is specifically designed for crop insurance in India?
Answer: A Explanation
PMFBY is the central crop insurance scheme that provides financial support to farmers in case of crop loss due to natural calamities.
29. Better storage facilities help farmers mainly by:
Answer: B Explanation
Storage and cold chains reduce spoilage and enable farmers to time their sales to market demand, obtaining better prices instead of distress selling.
30. Which of the following is NOT a direct solution to groundwater depletion?
Answer: C Explanation
Excessive tube-well drilling worsens groundwater depletion. Sustainable solutions include rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation and managed aquifer recharge.
Note: These MCQs are based strictly on NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 3 (Agriculture) and include clear explanations for conceptual understanding and exam preparation.