PYQs - IBPS SO AFO Mains Exam 2012 (Agriculture Knowledge)

 

IBPS SO AFO Mains Exam 2012 (Agriculture Knowledge)

Previous Year Questions (PYQs):

Q(1). Co-238 is a variety of:

(a.) Maize

(b.) Rice

(c.) Cotton

(d.) Sugarcane

(e.) Wheat

Q(2). Identify the central agency that advises the Government of India on the fixation of MSP for major crops.

(a.) FCI

(b.) NABARD

(c.) CACP

(d.) APEDA

(e.) ICAR

Q(3). National Women Farmers Day is celebrated on:

(a.) 12 October

(b.) 15 October

(c.) 16 October

(d.) 24 October

(e.) 26 November

Q(4). What is the average milk production of Holstein Friesian cow?

(a.) 1200 to 1800 kgs per lactation

(b.) 3000 to 4000 kgs per lactation

(c.) 4000 to 5000 kgs per lactation

(d.) 6000 to 7000 kgs per lactation

(e.) 8000 to 9000 kgs per lactation

Q(5). Which is an indigenous dual-purpose breed of cattle?

(a.) Tharparkar

(b.) Hariana

(c.) Kankrej

(d.) Ongole

(e.) All of the above

Q(6). A sprayer with a volume of less than 5 litres/hectare is considered as:

(a.) High volume sprayer

(b.) Medium volume sprayer

(c.) Low volume sprayer

(d.) Very low-volume sprayer

(e.) Ultra-low volume sprayer

Q(7). Which variety of tomatoes is especially suited for processing?

(a.) Pusa Gaurav

(b.) Roma

(c.) Punjab Chuhara

(d.) Pusa Uphar

(e.) All of the above

Q(8). The practice of forestry in areas devoid of tree growth in places away from the conventional forest areas with the object of increasing the area under tree growth is called:

(a.) Farm Forestry

(b.) Extension forestry

(c.) Mixed forestry

(d.) Shelterbelts

(e.) Recreation Forestry

Q(9). Which is the best method of milking dairy cattle?

(a.) Full hand milking

(b.) Machine milking

(c.) Automatic milking

(d.) Voluntary milking

(e.) Robotic milking

Q(10). The Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH) is located at:

(a.) Arunachal Pradesh

(b.) Manipur

(c.) Meghalaya

(d.) Mizoram

(e.) Nagaland

Q(11). Which is the most dreaded malady of mango in North India?

(a.) Blacktip

(b.) Fruit drop

(c.) Clustering

(d.) Mango malformation

(e.) Spongy tissue

Q(12). The heaviest egg can be seen among which poultry bird?

(a.) Chicken

(b.) Quail

(c.) Turkey

(d.) Duck

(e.) Koel

Q(13). The cultivation of grapes is called ____.

(a.) Pomology

(b.) Olericulture

(c.) Viticulture

(d.) Floriculture

(e.) Sericulture

Q(14). What should be the tilt angle for a good plough in a disc plough?

(a.) 5° to 10°

(b.) 10° to 15°

(c.) 15° to 25°

(d.) 42° to 45°

(e.) 60° to 70°

Q(15). Which is a crop that completes its life cycle within a season or year and produces seeds and dies within the season?

(a.) Sugar beet

(b.) Beetroot

(c.) Mustard

(d.) Napier fodder grass

(e.) Coconut

Q(16). What is the feature of a standard disc plough?

(a.) 1 to 3 disc blades, spaced to cut 28 to 40 cm per disc

(b.) 2 to 6 disc blades, spaced to cut 18 to 30 cm per disc

(c.) 6 to 8 disc blades, spaced to cut 25 to 40 cm per disc

(d.) 8 to 10 disc blades, spaced to cut 25 to 40 cm per disc

(e.) 10 to 14 disc blades, spaced to cut 10 to 15 cm per disc

Q(17). Which is the largest and fastest-growing prawn species?

(a.) Giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon)

(b.) White leg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei)

(c.) Giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii)

(d.) Banana prawn (Fenneropenaeus indicus)

(e.) None of the above

Q(18). Which state has the maximum area under sugarcane cultivation?

(a.) Maharashtra

(b.) Andhra Pradesh

(c.) Uttar Pradesh

(d.) Tamil Nadu

(e.) Madhya Pradesh

Q(19). Karnal bunt is caused by:

(a.) Neovossia indica

(b.) Albugo candida

(c.) Phytophthora infestans

(d.) Both a. and b.

(e.) None of these

Q(20). Sugarcane inflorescence is:

(a.) Compound

(b.) Racemose

(c.) Capitulum

(d.) Arrow

(e.) None of these

Q(21). What is the Biuret content in urea?

(a.) 0.1 per cent

(b.) 0.5 per cent

(c.) 2 per cent

(d.) 4 per cent

(e.) 5 per cent

Q(22). Which greenhouse gas has the largest contribution to global warming?

(a.) Methane (15 per cent)

(b.) Nitrous oxide (5 per cent)

(c.) Carbon dioxide (60 per cent)

(d.) CFC

(e.) Carbon monoxides

Q(23). What is the total geographical area of India?

(a.) 328.9 ha

(b.) 328.9 M-ha

(c.) 328.9 sq. km.

(d.) 328.9 m.sq.km.

(e.) 33028.9 m.sq.km.

Q(24). Vertisol is related to:

(a.) Red soil

(b.) Laterite soil

(c.) Black soil

(d.) Alluvial soil

(e.) None

Q(25). Where is the Central AGMARK laboratory located?

(a.) Faridabad

(b.) Hyderabad

(c.) Jaipur

(d.) Nagpur

(e.) Raipur

Q(26). What is a tree + crop + pasture system known as?

(a.) Agrosilvopastoral system

(b.) Silviculture

(c.) Horti-pastoral

(d.) Agri-Horti-pastoral

(e.) Agri-Silviculture

Q(27). Late blight is a disease of which crop?

(a.) Potato

(b.) Tobacco

(c.) Wheat

(d.) Chilli

(e.) None of these

Q(28). How is a reclamation of alkali soils accomplished?

(a.) Gypsum

(b.) Rock Sulphate

(c.) SSP

(d.) Lime

(e.) None of these

Q(29). How many agroclimatic zones are there in India?

(a.) 15

(b.) 16

(c.) 17

(d.) 18

(e.) 20

Q(30). Who gave the Law of Minimum?

(a.) Shelford

(b.) Liebig

(c.) Clement

(d.) Blackman

(e.) None

Q(31). Most wheat varieties are:

(a.) Quantitative long-day plants

(b.) Qualitative long-day plants

(c.) Day-neutral

(d.) Short day plants

(e.) None

Q(32). Rice grain is deficient in:

(a.) Glycine

(b.) Lysine

(c.) Alanine

(d.) Isoleucine

(e.) None

Q(33). The precursor of ethylene is:

(a.) Methionine

(b.) Tryptophan

(c.) Glycine

(d.) Histidine

(e.) None

Q(34). Which element is involved in the biosynthesis of IAA?

(a.) Boron

(b.) Zinc

(c.) Nitrogen

(d.) Copper

(e.) Nitrogen

Q(35). Aflatoxin contamination is generally found in:

(a.) Chickpea

(b.) Groundnut

(c.) Pea

(d.) Soybean

(e.) Rice

Q(36). Which crop is also known as white gold?

(a.) Cotton

(b.) Opium

(c.) Soybean

(d.) Maize

(e.) Rice

Q(37). In the Indo-Gangetic plains, the rice-wheat cropping system covers about:

(a.) 8 m ha

(b.) 10 m ha

(c.) 15 m ha

(d.) 5 m ha

(e.) 18 m ha

Q(38). Which state contributes the most to pulse production?

(a.) U.P.

(b.) M.P.

(c.) Punjab

(d.) Maharashtra

(e.) HP

Q(39). What was the first maize hybrid in India?

(a.) Vikram

(b.) Kisan

(c.) Vijay

(d.) Ganga-1

(e.) Ganga-5

Q(40). Castor belongs to which family?

(a.) Pedaliaceae

(b.) Papilionaceae

(c.) Compositae

(d.) Euphorbiaceae

(e.) None

Q(41). What are plants adapted to saline soils called?

(a.) Lithophytes

(b.) Halophytes

(c.) Chasmophytes

(d.) All of these

(e.) None of these

Q(42). Foundation seed is produced from:

(a.) Certified seed

(b.) Breeder seed

(c.) Nucleus seed

(d.) Registered seed

(e.) None

Q(43). Where are alluvial soils found?

(a.) River delta

(b.) Mountains

(c.) Forests

(d.) Deserts

(e.) None

Q(44). Under the Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme, a Soil Health Card will be made available to a farmer once in a cycle of:

(a.) 2 years

(b.) 5 years

(c.) 7 years

(d.) 9 years

(e.) 12 years

Q(45). The top portion of the sugarcane plant is good for seed material because it contains:

(a.) More number of buds and more supply of nutrients

(b.) More sucrose

(c.) Less molassgenic substances

(d.) Thick-walled meristem

(e.) All of the above

Q(46). Mukta is a variety of:

(a.) Mustard

(b.) Sesame

(c.) Linseed

(d.) Castor

(e.) Pea

Q(47). Which nutrient is a primary constituent of chlorophyll and imparts a dark green colour to leaves?

(a.) Mn

(b.) Mo

(c.) Mg

(d.) Zn

(e.) Fe

Q(48). The triangular method of planting is recommended for which crop?

(a.) Papaya

(b.) Guava

(c.) Litchi

(d.) Pomegranate

(e.) Coconut

Q(49). What is the maximum temperature for the growth of maize in India?

(a.) 12-14 °C

(b.) 15-18 °C

(c.) 20-23 °C

(d.) 36-38 °C

(e.) 40-43 °C

Q(50). Kisan Call Centre services are available from:

(a.) 6.00 AM to 6.00 PM on each Sunday and Wednesday of the week

(b.) 9.00 AM to 6.00 PM on six days of the week

(c.) 7.00 AM to 9.00 PM on six days of the week

(d.) 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM on all seven days of the week

(e.) 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM on all seven days of the week

Answer and Explanations:

Ans.(1). (d.) Sugarcane; Explanation: Co-238 is a sugarcane variety. The prefix Co is commonly associated with sugarcane varieties developed from Coimbatore breeding work.

Ans.(2). (c.) CACP; Explanation: The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) advises the Government of India on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for major agricultural commodities. MSP recommendations are based on cost of cultivation, demand-supply, price trends and farmers’ interest.

Ans.(3). (b.) 15 October; Explanation: National Women Farmers Day is celebrated on 15 October in India. It recognises the contribution of women farmers in agriculture and allied sectors.

Ans.(4). (d.) 6000 to 7000 kgs per lactation; Explanation: Holstein Friesian is an exotic dairy breed known for very high milk production. Its lactation yield is generally higher than indigenous breeds, and the given answer key marks 6000 to 7000 kgs per lactation as correct. TNAU also describes Holstein Friesian as one of the best exotic dairy breeds for milk yield.

Ans.(5). (e.) All of the above; Explanation: Tharparkar, Hariana, Kankrej and Ongole are indigenous dual-purpose cattle breeds. Dual-purpose breeds are useful for both milk production and draught work.

Ans.(6). (e.) Ultra-low volume sprayer; Explanation: A sprayer applying less than 5 litres/hectare is classified as an ultra-low volume sprayer. ULV spraying uses very small spray volume and is useful where concentrated pesticide application is required.

Ans.(7). (e.) All of the above; Explanation: Pusa Gaurav, Roma, Punjab Chuhara and Pusa Uphar are tomato varieties suitable for processing. Processing varieties generally have firm fruits, high pulp content, deep red colour and good total soluble solids.

Ans.(8). (b.) Extension forestry; Explanation: Extension forestry means raising trees on lands outside conventional forest areas. Its main objective is to increase tree cover in farms, villages, roadsides, canal banks and wastelands.

Ans.(9). (c.) Automatic milking; Explanation: Automatic milking reduces manual labour and allows hygienic milking with less animal stress. It is considered a modern and efficient method for milking dairy cattle.

Ans.(10). (e.) Nagaland; Explanation: The Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH) is located at Medziphema, Nagaland. It supports horticultural development particularly in the North-Eastern region.

Ans.(11). (d.) Mango malformation; Explanation: Mango malformation is considered one of the most serious maladies of mango in North India. It causes abnormal vegetative and floral growth, reducing flowering and fruiting.

Ans.(12). (c.) Turkey; Explanation: Among the given poultry birds, turkey produces the heaviest egg. Turkey eggs are larger than chicken, duck and quail eggs.

Ans.(13). (c.) Viticulture; Explanation: The cultivation of grapes is called viticulture. The term is derived from Vitis, the botanical genus of grape.

Ans.(14). (c.) 15° to 25°; Explanation: A good tilt angle for a disc plough is 15° to 25°. This angle helps in proper penetration, soil cutting and inversion by the disc.

Ans.(15). (c.) Mustard; Explanation: Mustard is an annual crop that completes its life cycle within one season or year. It flowers, produces seed and dies within the same season.

Ans.(16). (b.) 2 to 6 disc blades, spaced to cut 18 to 30 cm per disc; Explanation: A standard disc plough commonly has 2 to 6 disc blades. Each disc is spaced to cut about 18 to 30 cm width of soil.

Ans.(17). (a.) Giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon); Explanation: Giant tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon, is one of the largest and fast-growing prawn species. It is an important commercial species in brackish-water aquaculture.

Ans.(18). (c.) Uttar Pradesh; Explanation: Uttar Pradesh has traditionally been the leading state in sugarcane area and production in India. Its subtropical climate and large irrigated area favour sugarcane cultivation.

Ans.(19). (a.) Neovossia indica; Explanation: Karnal bunt of wheat is caused by Neovossia indica, also known as Tilletia indica. It produces partial bunt symptoms in wheat grains and affects grain quality.

Ans.(20). (d.) Arrow; Explanation: Sugarcane inflorescence is commonly called an arrow. It is a large, branched flowering structure that emerges at the top of the cane.

Ans.(21). (c.) 2 per cent; Explanation: The answer key marks 2 per cent as the biuret content in urea. Biuret is an impurity formed during urea manufacture and excess biuret may injure plants.

Ans.(22). (c.) Carbon dioxide (60 per cent); Explanation: Carbon dioxide is the major greenhouse gas contributing to global warming among the listed options. It has a large share due to fossil fuel burning, land-use change and industrial activities.

Ans.(23). (b.) 328.9 M-ha; Explanation: The total geographical area of India is about 328.9 million hectares. This value is commonly written as 328.9 M ha in agriculture and land-use statistics.

Ans.(24). (c.) Black soil; Explanation: Vertisols are commonly associated with black soils. They are clayey soils with shrink-swell properties and develop deep cracks during dry periods.

Ans.(25). (d.) Nagpur; Explanation: The Central AGMARK Laboratory is located at Nagpur. AGMARK certification is associated with quality grading and standardisation of agricultural commodities.

Ans.(26). (a.) Agrosilvopastoral system; Explanation: A system combining trees + crops + pasture is called an agrosilvopastoral system. It integrates agriculture, forestry and pasture/livestock components on the same land unit.

Ans.(27). (a.) Potato; Explanation: Late blight is a serious disease of potato. It is caused by Phytophthora infestans and can cause severe yield loss under cool and humid conditions.

Ans.(28). (a.) Gypsum; Explanation: Gypsum is used for reclamation of alkali or sodic soils. Calcium from gypsum replaces exchangeable sodium and improves soil structure and permeability.

Ans.(29). (a.) 15; Explanation: India is divided into 15 agro-climatic zones by the Planning Commission. These zones are based on climate, soil, rainfall, physiography and cropping patterns.

Ans.(30). (b.) Liebig; Explanation: The Law of Minimum was proposed by Justus von Liebig. It states that crop growth is limited by the nutrient present in the minimum relative supply.

Ans.(31). (a.) Quantitative long-day plants; Explanation: Most wheat varieties are quantitative long-day plants. They flower faster under long days, but flowering is not absolutely dependent on long-day conditions.

Ans.(32). (b.) Lysine; Explanation: Rice grain is deficient in lysine, an essential amino acid. Cereal proteins are generally low in lysine compared with pulses.

Ans.(33). (a.) Methionine; Explanation: Methionine is the precursor of ethylene biosynthesis. In plants, ethylene is produced through the methionine → SAM → ACC → ethylene pathway.

Ans.(34). (b.) Zinc; Explanation: Zinc is involved in the biosynthesis of IAA. Zinc deficiency reduces auxin formation and commonly causes shortened internodes and poor growth.

Ans.(35). (b.) Groundnut; Explanation: Aflatoxin contamination is commonly associated with groundnut. It is produced mainly by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus under warm and humid storage conditions.

Ans.(36). (a.) Cotton; Explanation: Cotton is known as white gold due to its high economic importance as a fibre crop. It supports textile industries and rural employment.

Ans.(37). (b.) 10 m ha; Explanation: In the Indo-Gangetic plains, the rice-wheat cropping system covers about 10 million hectares. This system is highly important for food security in northern India.

Ans.(38). (b.) M.P.; Explanation: Madhya Pradesh is a leading state in pulse production in India. It contributes substantially to chickpea, lentil and other pulse crops.

Ans.(39). (d.) Ganga-1; Explanation: Ganga-1 was the first maize hybrid released in India. It marked an important step in hybrid maize development.

Ans.(40). (d.) Euphorbiaceae; Explanation: Castor belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae. Its botanical name is Ricinus communis.

Ans.(41). (b.) Halophytes; Explanation: Plants adapted to saline soils are called halophytes. They tolerate high salt concentration through salt exclusion, salt secretion or osmotic adjustment.

Ans.(42). (b.) Breeder seed; Explanation: Foundation seed is produced from breeder seed. It maintains genetic purity and is used for further multiplication into certified seed.

Ans.(43). (a.) River delta; Explanation: Alluvial soils are commonly found in river plains and river deltas. They are formed by deposition of sediments brought by rivers.

Ans.(44). (a.) 2 years; Explanation: Under the Soil Health Card scheme, a Soil Health Card is issued once in a cycle of 2 years. It provides soil nutrient status and fertiliser recommendations to farmers. PIB describes the scheme as an important programme for balanced fertilisation and soil health awareness. 

Ans.(45). (a.) More number of buds and more supply of nutrients; Explanation: The top portion of sugarcane is preferred for seed because it has more active buds and better nutrient supply. These buds support better sprouting and establishment.

Ans.(46). (c.) Linseed; Explanation: Mukta is a variety of linseed. Linseed is an oilseed crop grown for seed oil and fibre.

Ans.(47). (c.) Mg; Explanation: Magnesium (Mg) is the central atom of the chlorophyll molecule. It imparts green colour and plays an essential role in photosynthesis.

Ans.(48). (e.) Coconut; Explanation: The triangular method of planting is recommended for coconut. This system accommodates more palms per unit area than the square system.

Ans.(49). (e.) 40-43 °C; Explanation: The answer key marks 40-43 °C as the maximum temperature for maize growth in India. Maize is a warm-season crop, but very high temperature beyond the optimum may affect pollination and grain filling.

Ans.(50). (e.) 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM on all seven days of the week; Explanation: Kisan Call Centre services are available from 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM on all seven days of the week. The service provides agricultural advisory support to farmers in local languages.