Agriculture 2021 Paper I 50 marks 150 words Compulsory Describe

Q1

Describe the following in about 150 words each: (a) The major ways for sustainable management of natural resources (10 marks) (b) Improved agro-practices for the production of quality protein maize (10 marks) (c) Social forestry and various schemes related to social forestry (10 marks) (d) The major weeds of rice and their management practices under both upland and lowland conditions (10 marks) (e) Biofertilizers and the major constraints in popularization of biofertilizers (10 marks)

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

निम्नलिखित प्रत्येक का लगभग 150 शब्दों में वर्णन कीजिए : (a) प्राकृतिक संसाधनों के सतत प्रबंधन के मुख्य उपाय (10 अंक) (b) गुणवत्तापूर्ण (क्वालिटी) प्रोटीन मक्का के उत्पादन के लिए उन्नत शस्य विधियाँ (10 अंक) (c) सामाजिक वानिकी एवं सामाजिक वानिकी से संबंधित विविध योजनाएँ (10 अंक) (d) धान के मुख्य खरपतवार एवं ऊपरी तथा निचली भूमि अवस्थाओं में इनके प्रबंधन के उपाय (10 अंक) (e) जैव उर्वरक एवं जैव उर्वरक के लोकप्रिय होने में मुख्य बाधाएँ (10 अंक)

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Directive word: Describe

This question asks you to describe. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.

See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

The directive 'describe' demands factual, structured exposition with clarity and precision across all five sub-parts. Allocate approximately 30 words per sub-part (150 words total), spending roughly equal time on each since all carry 10 marks. Structure each sub-part as: definition/scope → key components/mechanisms → examples/schemes → brief significance. No conclusion needed; prioritize coverage over depth for any single part.

Key points expected

  • (a) Sustainable NRM: 3-4 major ways—conservation agriculture (zero tillage, crop rotation), integrated nutrient management (INM), integrated pest management (IPM), watershed management, and agroforestry; mention resource-use efficiency and intergenerational equity
  • (b) Quality Protein Maize (QPM): improved agro-practices—selection of opaque-2 or modified opaque-2 varieties, isolation distance (200-400m) to maintain protein quality, proper sowing time, balanced fertilization (especially sulphur and zinc), irrigation scheduling, and post-harvest handling to prevent amino acid degradation
  • (c) Social forestry: definition (forestry for community benefit); schemes—National Social Forestry Programme (1985), Joint Forest Management (1990), Farm Forestry, Community Forestry, and Agroforestry; mention NAPCC and Green India Mission linkages
  • (d) Rice weeds: upland weeds (Echinochloa crus-galli, Cyperus rotundus, Eleusine indica) vs lowland weeds (Echinochloa colona, Monochoria vaginalis, Marsilea quadrifoliata); management—cultural (nursery raising, transplanting), mechanical (hand weeding), chemical (butachlor, pendimethalin, bispyribac-sodium), and IPM approaches specific to water regime
  • (e) Biofertilizers: types (Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, PSB, KMB, Azolla, BGA); constraints—short shelf life, contamination, lack of quality standards, farmer skepticism, inadequate cold chain, poor extension, and incompatibility with chemical fertilizers

Evaluation rubric

DimensionWeightMax marksExcellentAveragePoor
Concept correctness25%12.5Scientifically accurate definitions across all parts: correctly identifies INM/IPM for (a), distinguishes opaque-2 vs modified opaque-2 genetics for (b), accurately differentiates JFM vs Farm Forestry for (c), correctly classifies weeds by water regime for (d), and accurately lists biofertilizer types with their specific bacterial/fungal agents for (e)Broadly correct concepts with minor errors—e.g., conflates social forestry with agroforestry, or lists biofertilizers without specifying organisms; some confusion between upland and lowland weed ecologyMajor conceptual errors—e.g., describes QPM as simply high-yielding maize without protein quality aspect, or confuses biofertilizers with biopesticides, or treats all rice weeds identically regardless of water regime
Quantitative reasoning15%7.5Provides specific quantitative data where relevant: isolation distance for QPM (200-400m), seed replacement rate, biofertilizer cell count standards (10^8 CFU/ml), or herbicide doses (kg ai/ha); demonstrates awareness of measurable parameters for resource managementVague quantitative references—e.g., 'adequate isolation' or 'sufficient inoculum' without numbers; or misses quantitative aspects entirely while remaining conceptually soundNo quantitative dimension; or invents implausible figures (e.g., 99% nitrogen fixation by Azotobacter alone) demonstrating fundamental misunderstanding of biological nitrogen fixation limits
Indian context examples20%10Contextualizes with Indian examples: for (a) cites watershed projects (Watershed Development Fund, NWDPRA), for (b) mentions HQPM-1 or Vivek QPM-9 varieties, for (c) names specific state JFM programs (West Bengal's Arabari), for (d) references DSR (direct seeded rice) weed management in Punjab/Haryana, for (e) cites BNF Project or NBAII BangaloreGeneric Indian references—e.g., mentions 'ICAR' or 'government schemes' without specificity; or provides only international examples (CIMMYT for QPM) without Indian adaptationCompletely decontextualized—uses only foreign examples (e.g., US organic farming for (a), Brazilian zero-tillage) or no examples at all, failing to demonstrate awareness of Indian agricultural reality
Diagram / process15%7.5Describes processes structurally where applicable: for (a) outlines INM decision flow, for (d) compares upland vs lowland weed management in tabular or sequential format, for (e) explains biofertilizer production stages (mother culture → bulk → carrier); uses clear process description even without actual drawingMentions processes without structural clarity—e.g., lists biofertilizer constraints randomly rather than categorizing into production, distribution, and application constraintsNo process description where clearly needed; or describes irrelevant processes (e.g., detailed photosynthesis for QPM when genetics and isolation are key)
Policy / extension angle25%12.5Demonstrates policy literacy: for (a) links to National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), for (c) details National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and CAMPA, for (e) discusses FCO (Fertilizer Control Order) amendments for biofertilizers, PM PRANAM; shows awareness of extension challenges and institutional mechanismsNames schemes without elaboration—e.g., 'JFM exists' without noting 25% benefit sharing or 1990 Joint Notification; or conflates scheme objectivesNo policy references; or severely outdated/wrong schemes (e.g., cites Social Forestry Project 1976 as currently operational, or confuses NAP with NAPCC); demonstrates disconnect between technical knowledge and implementation framework

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