Agriculture & Environment MCQs for UPSC Prelims

68 practice questions on Agriculture & Environment from the Environment & Ecology section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 68 come with a written explanation and 25 are actual previous year questions. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

6 Easy 50 Medium 12 Hard 25 from past papers

Sample questions

Q1
Previous year question medium

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.

  1. A 1 and 3 only
  2. B 1, 2 and 4 only
  3. C 2, 3 and 4 only
  4. D 1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - 1, 2 and 4 only

Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) is a method that raises seedlings in a nursery and transplants young single-budded setts, which sharply cuts the quantity of seed cane needed, so statement 1 is correct. Wider spacing makes drip irrigation and fertigation highly effective, so statement 2 is correct, and the gaps between widely spaced plants leave room for intercropping, so statement 4 is correct. Statement 3 is wrong because SSI promotes balanced and reduced use of inputs and integrated nutrient management, not the total elimination of chemical or inorganic fertilizers. Hence 1, 2 and 4 only.

Q2
Previous year question medium

With reference to the circumstances in Indian agriculture, the concept of "Conservation Agriculture" assumes significance. Which of the following fall under the Conservation Agriculture? 1. Avoiding the monoculture practices 2. Adopting minimum tillage 3. Avoiding the cultivation of plantation crops 4. Using crop residues to cover soil surface 5. Adopting spatial and temporal crop sequencing/crop rotations. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. A 1, 3 and 4
  2. B 2, 3, 4 and 5
  3. C 2, 4 and 5
  4. D 1, 2, 3 and 5
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - 2, 4 and 5

Conservation agriculture rests on three core principles: minimum mechanical soil disturbance, permanent soil cover with residues, and diversified crop rotations, which correspond to statements 2, 4 and 5, so option (c) is correct. Statement 1 about avoiding monoculture is broadly desirable but conservation agriculture is defined by crop rotation and diversification rather than framed as 'avoiding monoculture', and the practice does not specifically prohibit monoculture as a defining rule. Statement 3 is wrong because conservation agriculture does not require avoiding plantation crops; it is concerned with how soil and residues are managed, not with banning particular crop categories. Hence 2, 4 and 5 is the answer.

Q3
Previous year question medium

Which of the following practices can help in water conservation in agriculture? 1. Reduced or zero tillage of the land 2. Applying gypsum before irrigating the field 3. Allowing crop residue to remain in the field Select the correct answer using the code given below :

  1. A 1 and 2 only
  2. B 3 only
  3. C 1 and 3 only
  4. D 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - 1 and 3 only

Practices 1 and 3 conserve soil moisture: reduced or zero tillage avoids exposing moist soil to evaporation, and leaving crop residue mulches the surface, cutting evaporative loss and runoff. Gypsum (practice 2) is mainly a soil amendment used to reclaim sodic/alkaline soils and improve structure rather than a water-conservation step, so the official key excludes it. The answer is therefore 1 and 3 only. This was a disputed question because some sources argue gypsum improves infiltration, but the official UPSC key marks option C.

Q4
Previous year question medium

Government of India encourages the cultivation of 'sea buckthorn'. What is the importance of this plant? 1. It helps in controlling soil erosion and in preventing desertification. 2. It is a rich source of biodiesel. 3. It has nutritional value and is well-adapted to live in cold areas of high altitudes. 4. Its timber is of great commercial value. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A 1 only
  2. B 2, 3 and 4 only
  3. C 1 and 3 only
  4. D 1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - 1 and 3 only

Sea buckthorn is a hardy shrub of the cold deserts of Ladakh, Lahaul-Spiti and other high-altitude Himalayan zones. Its dense, deep root system binds the soil and resists erosion and desertification, so statement 1 is correct, and its berries are exceptionally rich in vitamins and antioxidants while the plant thrives in harsh cold high-altitude conditions, so statement 3 is correct. It is not cultivated as a biodiesel feedstock, so statement 2 is wrong, and being a small shrub it yields no commercially valuable timber, so statement 4 is wrong. Hence only 1 and 3 are correct.

Q5
Previous year question medium

How is permaculture farming different from conventional chemical farming? 1. Permaculture farming discourages monocultural practices but in conventional chemical farming, monoculture practices are predominant. 2. Conventional chemical farming can cause increase in soil salinity but the occurrence of such phenomenon is not observed in permaculture farming. 3. Conventional chemical farming is easily possible in semi-arid regions but permaculture farming is not so easily possible in such regions. 4. Practice of mulching is very important in permaculture farming but not necessarily so in conventional chemical farming. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A 1 and 3
  2. B 1, 2 and 4
  3. C 4 only
  4. D 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - 1, 2 and 4

Permaculture emphasises diversity and polyculture, so it discourages monocropping unlike chemical farming, making statement 1 correct, and heavy fertiliser and irrigation use in chemical farming can raise soil salinity while permaculture avoids this, so statement 2 is correct. Mulching to conserve moisture and build soil is a core permaculture technique not essential to chemical farming, so statement 4 is correct. Statement 3 is wrong because permaculture, with its mulching and water-harvesting design, is in fact well suited to semi-arid regions, so the right combination is 1, 2 and 4.

Q6
Previous year question medium

Among the following crops, which one is the most important anthropogenic source of both methane and nitrous oxide?

  1. A Cotton
  2. B Rice
  3. C Sugarcane
  4. D Wheat
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - Rice

Flooded paddy fields create anaerobic conditions where methanogenic bacteria release large amounts of methane, while nitrogen fertilisers applied to rice generate nitrous oxide, making rice the leading crop source of both gases. Cotton, sugarcane and wheat are grown in largely aerobic, non-flooded soils and emit far less methane. Hence rice is the correct answer.

Q7
Previous year question hard

Consider the following statements : 1. Moringa (drumstick tree) is a leguminous evergreen tree. 2. Tamarind tree is endemic to South Asia. 3. In India, most of the tamarind is collected as minor forest produce. 4. India exports tamarind and seeds of moringa. 5. Seeds of moringa and tamarind can be used in the production of biofuels. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. A 1, 2, 4 and 5
  2. B 3, 4 and 5
  3. C 1, 3 and 4
  4. D 1, 2, 3 and 5
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - 3, 4 and 5

Moringa belongs to the family Moringaceae and is not a legume, and it is deciduous rather than truly evergreen, so statement 1 is wrong, and the tamarind is native to tropical Africa, not endemic to South Asia, so statement 2 is wrong. Most tamarind in India is gathered as minor forest produce, India is a leading exporter of tamarind and moringa seeds, and the oil-bearing seeds of both can be used for biofuel, so statements 3, 4 and 5 are correct. This matches the official UPSC key answer of '3, 4 and 5', so the wrong combinations are those that wrongly include the false statements 1 and 2.

Q8
Previous year question medium

What is/are the advantage/advantages of zero tillage in agriculture? 1. Sowing of wheat is possible without burning the residue of previous crop. 2. Without the need for nursery of rice saplings, direct planting of paddy seeds in the wet soil is possible. 3. Carbon sequestration in the soil is possible. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. A 1 and 2 only
  2. B 2 and 3 only
  3. C 3 only
  4. D 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - 1, 2 and 3

Zero tillage allows wheat to be drilled directly into fields with the previous crop's residue retained as mulch, avoiding stubble burning, so statement 1 is correct. It also enables direct seeding of rice into wet soil without raising and transplanting a nursery, saving water and labour, so statement 2 is correct. By leaving soil undisturbed and retaining residue, zero tillage builds soil organic matter and sequesters carbon, so statement 3 is correct. Hence all three are advantages.

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More Environment & Ecology topics

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