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Among the following, which one is the least water efficient crop?

(a)

Sugarcane

(b)

Sunflower

(c)

Pearl millet

(d)

Red gram

Correct Answer

(a)

Explanation

Sugarcane is an important cash crop cultivated in India. It is the least water efficient crop. The water requirement for sugarcane is 1800-2200 mm/season. Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Microtheme: Crop-specific details —
25 questions asked in Prelims in the past.

  1. [2025] Consider the following statements regarding turmeric during the year 2022–23:
    1. India is the largest producer and exporter of turmeric in the world.
    2. More than 30 varieties of turmeric are grown in India.
    3. Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are major turmeric-producing States in India.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    • (a) 1 and 2 only
    • (b) 2 and 3 only
    • (c) 1 and 3 only
    • (d) 1, 2 and 3
    Correct Answer: (D) 1, 2 and 3
  2. [2024] Consider the following plants:
    1. Groundnut
    2. Horse-gram
    3. Soybean
    How many of the above belong to the pea family?

    • (a) only one
    • (b) only two
    • (c) All three*
    • (d) None
    Correct Answer: (C) All three*
  3. [2024] Which of the following countries are well known as the two largest cocoa producers in the world?

    • (a) Algeria and Morocco
    • (b) Botswana and Namibia
    • (c) Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana*
    • (d) Madagascar and Mozambique
    Correct Answer: (C) Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana*
  4. [2022] Consider the following States :
    1. Andhra Pradesh
    2. Kerala
    3. Himachal Pradesh
    4. Tripura
    How many of the above are generally known as tea producing States?

    • (a) Only one State
    • (b) Only two States
    • (c) Only three States
    • (d) All four States
    Correct Answer: (D) All four States
  5. [2022] Among the following crops, which one is the most important anthropogenic source of both methane and nitrous oxide?

    • (a) Cotton
    • (b) Rice
    • (c) Sugarcane
    • (d) Wheat
    Correct Answer: (B) Rice
  6. [2021] With reference to ‘palm oil,’ consider the following statements:
    1. The palm oil tree is native to Southeast Asia.
    2. Palm oil is a raw material for some industries producing lipstick and perfumes.
    3. Palm oil can be used to produce biodiesel.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    • (a) 1 and 2 only
    • (b) 2 and 3 only
    • (c) 1 and 3 only
    • (d) 1, 2, and 3
    Correct Answer: (B) 2 and 3 only
  7. [2021] Among the following, which one is the least water efficient crop?

    • (a) Sugarcane
    • (b) Sunflower
    • (c) Pearl millet
    • (d) Red gram
    Correct Answer: (A) Sugarcane
  8. [2020] “The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost-free days and 50 to 100 centimeters of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop.” Which one of the following is that crop?

    • (a) Cotton
    • (b) Jute
    • (c) Sugarcane
    • (d) Tea
    Correct Answer: (A) Cotton
  9. [2020] With reference to the current trends in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, consider the following statements:
    1. A substantial saving in seed material is made when ‘bud chip settlings’ are raised in a nursery and transplanted in the main field.
    2. When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with singlebudded setts as compared to setts with many buds.
    3. If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts.
    4. Sugarcane can be cultivated using settlings prepared from tissue culture.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    • (a) 1 and 2 only
    • (b) 3 only
    • (c) 1 and 4 only
    • (d) 2, 3 and 4 only
    Correct Answer: (C) 1 and 4 only
  10. [2020] With reference to pulse production in India, consider the following statements:
    1. Black gram can be cultivated as both kharif and rabi crop.
    2. Green-gram alone accounts for nearly half of pulse production.
    3. In the last three decades, while the production of kharif pulses has increased, the
    production of rabi pulses has decreased.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    • (a) 1 only
    • (b) 2 and 3 only
    • (c) 2 only
    • (d) 1, 2 and 3
    Correct Answer: (A) 1 only
  11. [2019] Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?

    • (a) Spices
    • (b) Fresh fruits
    • (c) Pulses
    • (d) Vegetable oils
    Correct Answer: (D) Vegetable oils
  12. [2019] With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crops in India in the last five years, consider the following statements:
    1. Area under rice cultivation is the highest.
    2. Area under the cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds.
    3. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.
    4. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    • (a) 1 and 3 only
    • (b) 2, 3 and 4 only
    • (c) 2 and 4 only
    • (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
    Correct Answer: (A) 1 and 3 only
  13. [2019] Among the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years?

    • (a) China
    • (b) India
    • (c) Myanmar
    • (d) Vietnam
    Correct Answer: (B) India
  14. [2016] With reference to ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion’,
    which of the following statements is/are correct?
    1. This initiative aims to demonstrate the improved production and post-harvest technologies
    and to demonstrate value-addition techniques, in an integrated manner, with a cluster approach.
    2. Poor, small, marginal, and tribal farmers havea larger stake in this scheme.
    3. An important objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers of commercial crops to shift to millet cultivation by offering them free kits of critical inputs of nutrients and micro irrigation equipment.
    Select the the correct answer using the code given below.

    • (a) 1 only
    • (b) 2 and 3 only
    • (c) 1 and 2 only
    • (d) 1, 2 and 3
    Correct Answer: (C) 1 and 2 only
  15. [2014] Consider the following statements:
    1. Maize can be used for the production of starch.
    2. Oil extracted from maize can be a feedstock for biodiesel.
    3. Alcoholic beverages can be produced by using maize.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    • (a) 1 only
    • (b) 1 and 2 only
    • (c) 2 and 3 only
    • (d) 1, 2 and 3
    Correct Answer: (D) 1, 2 and 3
  16. [2014] Consider the following pairs:
    Region : Well-known for the production of
    1. Kinnaur : Arecanut
    2. Mewat : Mango
    3. Coromondal : Soyabean
    Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

    • (a) 1 and 2 only
    • (b) 3 only
    • (c) 1, 2 and 3
    • (d) None of the above
    Correct Answer: (D) None of the above
  17. [2014] What are the significances of a practical approach to sugarcane production known as ‘Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative’?
    1. Seed cost is very low in this compared to the conventional method of cultivation.
    2. Drip irrigation can be practiced very effectively in this.
    3. There is no application of chemical/inorganic fertilizers at all in this.
    4. The scope for intercropping is more in this compared to the conventional method of cultivation.
    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    • (a) 1 and 3 only
    • (b) 1, 2 and 4 only
    • (c) 2, 3 and 4 only
    • (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
    Correct Answer: (B) 1, 2 and 4 only
  18. [2014] In India, cluster bean (Guar) is traditionally used as a vegetable or animal feed, but recently the cultivation of this has assumed significance. Which one of the following statements is correct in this context?

    • (a) The oil extracted from seeds is used in the manufacture of biodegradable plastics.
    • (b) The gum made from its seeds is used in the extraction of shale gas.
    • (c) The leaf extract of this plant has the properties of antihistamines.
    • (d) It is a source of high quality biodiesel.
    Correct Answer: (B) The gum made from its seeds is used in the extraction of shale gas.
  19. [2013] Consider the following crops :
    (1). Cotton
    (2). Groundnut
    (3). Rice
    (4). Wheat
    Which of these are Kharif crops?

    • (a) 1 and 4
    • (b) 2 and 3 only
    • (c) 1, 2 and 3
    • (d) 2, 3 and 4
    Correct Answer: (C) 1, 2 and 3
  20. [2012] Consider the following crops of India:
    1. Cowpea
    2. Green gram
    3. Pigeon pea
    Which of the above is/are used as pulse, fodder and green manure?

    • (a) 1 and 2 only
    • (b) 2 only
    • (c) 1 and 3 only
    • (d) 1, 2 and 3
    Correct Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only
  21. [2012] Consider the following crops of India: 1. Groundnut 2. Sesamum 3. Pearl millet Which of the above is / are predominantly rainfed crop/crops?

    • (a) 1 and 2 only
    • (b) 2 and 3 only
    • (c) 3 only
    • (d) 1, 2 and 3
    Correct Answer: (D) 1, 2 and 3
  22. [2011] The lower Gangetic plain is characterized by a humid climate with high temperature throughout the year. Which one among the following pairs of crops is most suitable for this region?

    • (a) Paddy and cotton
    • (b) Wheat and Jute
    • (c) Paddy and Jute
    • (d) Wheat and cotton
    Correct Answer: (C) Paddy and Jute
  23. [2010] In India, during the last decade the total cultivated land for which one of the following crops has remained more or less stagnant?

    • (a) Rice
    • (b) Oilseeds
    • (c) Pulses
    • (d) Sugarcane
    Correct Answer: (C) Pulses
  24. [2010] Following are the characteristics of an area in India:
    1. Hot and humid climate
    2. Annual rainfall 200 cm
    3. Hill slopes up to an altitude of 1100 metres
    4. Annual range of temperature 15°C to 30°C Which one among the following crops are you most likely to find in the area described above?

    • (a) Mustard
    • (b) Cotton
    • (c) Pepper
    • (d) Virginia Tobacco
    Correct Answer: (C) Pepper
  25. [2010] Though coffee and tea both are cultivated on hill slopes, there is some difference between them regarding their cultivation. In this context, consider the following statements:
    1. Coffee plant requires a hot and humid climate of tropical areas whereas tea can be cultivated in both tropical and subtropical areas.
    2. Coffee, is propagated by seeds but tea is propagated by stem cuttings only.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    • (a) 1 only
    • (b) 2 only
    • (c) Both 1 and 2
    • (d) Neither 1 nor 2
    Correct Answer: (A) 1 only