Agriculture 2024 Paper I 50 marks Explain

Q4

(a) Explain the term conventional and conservation tillage. Give account of their comparative effects on soil properties and green house gas emissions. 20 marks (b) Discuss the Remote sensing system used for ecosystem analysis. Briefly discuss the use of Remote sensing for drought monitoring. 20 marks (c) Describe in detail about the weed control measures in Black Gram and Sesame. 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

(a) पारंपरिक एवं संरक्षित जुताई शब्द की व्याख्या करिए । मिट्टी के गुणों और ग्रीन हाउस गैस उत्सर्जन पर उनके तुलनात्मक प्रभावों का विवरण दीजिए । 20 (b) पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र विश्लेषण के लिए उपयोग की जाने वाली रिमोट सेंसिंग प्रणाली का वर्णन करिए । सूखे की निगरानी के लिए रिमोट सेंसिंग के उपयोग पर संक्षेप में वर्णन करिए । 20 (c) उड़द एवं तिल में खरपतवार नियंत्रण के उपायों का विस्तार से वर्णन करिए । 10

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Directive word: Explain

This question asks you to explain. 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 'explain' demands conceptual clarity with cause-effect linkages. Allocate ~40% time/words to part (a) given its 20 marks, ~35% to part (b), and ~25% to part (c). Structure: brief intro on sustainable agriculture and precision farming; body with three clearly demarcated sections addressing each sub-part; conclusion synthesizing how conservation tillage, remote sensing, and integrated weed management converge toward climate-smart agriculture.

Key points expected

  • Part (a): Definition of conventional tillage (intensive soil manipulation, inversion) vs conservation tillage (no-till, minimum till, mulch till); comparative effects on soil bulk density, aggregate stability, organic carbon, water infiltration; GHG emissions (CO2, N2O, CH4) with data on carbon sequestration potential
  • Part (a): Specific mention of reduced tillage impact on soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activity; methane oxidation in no-till systems; energy use efficiency comparison
  • Part (b): Remote sensing systems for ecosystem analysis: optical (Landsat, Sentinel-2), thermal, microwave (SAR); vegetation indices (NDVI, EVI, NDWI); ecosystem productivity modeling, LAI estimation, net primary productivity
  • Part (b): Drought monitoring: Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) anomalies, Temperature Condition Index (TCI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI); NDVI- rainfall correlation; early warning systems
  • Part (c): Black Gram (Vigna mungo): critical weed-free period (15-30 DAS); major weeds (Trianthema portulacastrum, Digitaria sanguinalis); cultural (seed rate, spacing, intercropping), mechanical (one hand weeding at 20 DAS), chemical (pendimethalin pre-emergence, quizalofop-ethyl post-emergence), IWM
  • Part (c): Sesame (Sesamum indicum): slow initial growth, poor weed competition; major weeds (Cyperus rotundus, Portulaca oleracea); stale seedbed technique, mulching, hand weeding twice (20 and 40 DAS), oxadiargyl/fluchloralin pre-plant incorporation, isoproturon where permitted

Evaluation rubric

DimensionWeightMax marksExcellentAveragePoor
Concept correctness25%12.5For (a), accurately distinguishes moldboard ploughing from strip-till/zone-till with correct mechanistic explanation of carbon mineralization vs sequestration; for (b), correctly explains spectral reflectance principles, atmospheric correction, and biophysical parameter retrieval; for (c), precisely identifies critical crop-weed competition periods and herbicide selectivity mechanismsDefines terms correctly but conflates minimum tillage with no-tillage; describes NDVI without explaining red-edge significance; lists herbicides without mentioning crop selectivity basis or application timingConfuses conservation tillage with contour farming alone; treats remote sensing as mere satellite photography; recommends non-selective herbicides without crop safety precautions
Quantitative reasoning15%7.5Cites specific data: soil organic carbon increase of 0.3-0.5 t C/ha/year under no-till; 30-50% fuel reduction; N2O emission trade-offs; NDVI range -1 to +1 with typical crop values 0.2-0.8; SPI thresholds for drought severity; herbicide doses in kg ai/ha or g/ha with PHIMentions 'reduced emissions' or 'improved vegetation index' without magnitudes; gives approximate percentage ranges without basis; states herbicide rates without unitsNo numerical data; vague qualifiers like 'significant reduction' or 'high yield loss' without quantification; incorrect units or orders of magnitude
Indian context examples20%10For (a), cites NICRA project, Bhopal no-till wheat trials, or CIMMYT-India data; for (b), mentions ISRO's Bhuvan, NRSC drought bulletins, or Maharashtra/ Karnataka drought monitoring using AWiFS; for (c), references AICRP on Weed Management trials for black gram in Varanasi or sesame in Coimbatore; mentions specific problematic weeds like gharilla (T. portulacastrum) in north IndiaGeneric mention of 'Indian conditions' or 'NATP projects' without specificity; names states without institutional or programmatic linkage; mentions common weeds without regional specificityNo Indian examples; uses only international literature (USDA, FAO) when Indian data exists; ignores region-specific weed flora or cropping systems
Diagram / process20%10For (a), comparative diagram of soil profile under conventional vs conservation tillage showing residue placement, pore continuity, and depth of disturbance; for (b), schematic of remote sensing data flow (sensor-atmosphere-surface-image processing-information product); vegetation index calculation formula with spectral bands; drought monitoring decision tree; for (c), weed control schedule chart showing critical periods and intervention windowsMentions diagrams without drawing them; describes processes in text only; draws generic tillage implement without showing soil-residue interactionNo diagrams or flowcharts where essential; no temporal dimension in weed control description; no spectral band illustration for remote sensing
Policy / extension angle20%10For (a), links to National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), PM-KUSUM for farm mechanization, and carbon credit potential under Paris Agreement; for (b), connects to National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) risk assessment; for (c), references Integrated Weed Management under National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture, herbicide resistance management, and FFS trainingMentions government schemes by acronym without explaining relevance; suggests 'farmer training' without specifying institutional mechanism; states policy exists without namingNo policy or extension linkage; treats technologies as isolated innovations; ignores scalability constraints or farmer adoption barriers

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