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 :
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Answer: C. Conservation Agriculture, as defined by the FAO, rests on three principles: minimum soil disturbance (minimum tillage), permanent soil cover (using crop residues) and crop diversification through rotations and sequencing. So 2, 4 and 5. Avoiding plantation crops is not part of it, and 'avoiding monoculture' is not listed as a separate principle.
Watch for: Avoiding monoculture overlaps with crop rotation, which pulls students toward options with statement 1.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because avoiding plantation crops is not a principle and minimum tillage is missing.
- B. Wrong because avoiding plantation crops is not a principle.
- D. Wrong because avoiding plantation crops is not a principle and residue cover is missing.
Source to check: FAO website (fao.org/conservation-agriculture), 'Conservation Agriculture: Principles'
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.