Agriculture – important questions for Boards 2027

CBSE Class 10 Social Science

1. MCQ · 1 mark

   In which conditions is intensive subsistence farming commonly practised? (A) Where population pressure on land is high. (B) Where there is no demand for agricultural output. (C) Only on large plantations using migrant labour. (D) Only where farmers leave land uncultivated.

   Answer

   (A) Where population pressure on land is high. — This type of farming is practised in areas of high population pressure on land.

2. SA · 2 marks

   Name two modern inputs used in commercial farming to obtain higher productivity, and state its main production aim.

   Answer

   The main characteristic of this type of farming is the use of higher doses of modern inputs, e.g. high yielding variety (HYV) seeds and chemical fertilisers in order to obtain higher productivity.

3. LA · 4 marks

   Explain the main features of primitive subsistence farming, including the tools and labour used, its dependence on natural conditions, the slash-and-burn cycle, and why its productivity is low. (4 marks)

   Answer

   Primitive subsistence farming is cultivation on small patches of land to produce food crops for a farmer’s family. 1. Farmers use primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks, while family/community labour carries out the cultivation. 2. Cultivation depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and the suitability of other environmental conditions to the crops grown. 3. Farmers clear a patch of land, grow cereals and other food crops, and shift to a fresh patch when soil fertility decreases. 4. The shifting allows Nature to replenish soil fertility through natural processes, but farmers do not use fertilisers or other modern inputs, keeping land productivity low. Thus, this farming system relies mainly on natural conditions and has low productivity.

4. LA · 5 marks

   Shifting cultivation is known by different names in different parts of the world. Give five examples and name the country or region associated with each. (5 marks)

   Answer

   The slash-and-burn form of shifting cultivation is known by distinct local names in different countries and regions. 1. ‘Milpa’ is the name used in Mexico and Central America, while ‘Conuco’ is used in Venzuela; both terms identify local forms of slash-and-burn agriculture. 2. ‘Roca’ is the regional name for this farming practice in Brazil. 3. ‘Masole’ is the name used for slash-and-burn agriculture in Central Africa. 4. ‘Ladang’ is the name used in Indonesia for this form of cultivation. Farmers clear a patch, grow food crops and shift when soil fertility decreases, allowing natural processes to replenish the soil; the different names reflect the regions where the practice occurs.

5. MCQ · 1 mark

   Which combination of inputs is characteristic of intensive subsistence farming? Choose the correct option. (A) Intensive labour, high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation. (B) No labour, no irrigation and no agricultural inputs. (C) Migrant labour and a single crop grown for industrial processing. (D) Only primitive tools and no effort to raise production.

   Answer

   (A) Intensive labour, high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation. — It is labourintensive farming, where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production.

6. SA · 2 marks

   State two conditions required for the cultivation of wheat in India.

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7. LA · 4 marks

   Name four regional terms used for shifting cultivation in India and identify the regions or states associated with them. (4 marks)

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8. LA · 5 marks

   Explain how inheritance divides agricultural holdings over generations, why farmers continue to maximise output from limited land, and how this creates pressure on agricultural land. (5 marks)

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9. VSA · 1 mark

   In which two states is rice described as a commercial crop, and in which state is it described as a subsistence crop?

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10. SA · 2 marks

    State two features of maize cultivation in India, including how its production has increased.

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