Read the given passage carefully and answer following question:-
On the basis of main source of moisture for crops, the farming can be classified as irrigated and rainfed (barani). There is difference in nature of irrigated farming, as well as based on the objective of irrigation, i.e., protective or productive.
The objective of protective irrigation is to protect the crops from adverse effects of soil moisture deficiency which often means that irrigation acts as a supplementary source of water over and above the rainfall. The strategy of this kind of irrigation is to provide soil moisture to maximum possible area. Productive irrigation is meant to provide sufficient soil moisture in the cropping season to achieve high productivity. In such irrigation, the water input per unit area of cultivated land is higher than protective irrigation.
Rainfed farming is further classified on the basis of adequacy of soil moisture during cropping season into dryland and wetland farming. In India, the dryland farming is largely confined to the regions having annual rainfall less than 75 cm. These regions grow hardy and drought resistant crops such as ragi, bajra, moong, gram and guar (fodder crops) and practice various measures of soil moisture conservation and rain water harvesting.
In wetland farming, the rainfall is in excess of soil moisture requirement of plants during rainy season. Such regions may face flood and soil erosion hazards. These areas grow various water intensive crops such as rice, jute and sugarcane and practice aquaculture in the fresh water bodies.
Which of the following crops is grown in dry land farming?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Bajra
The passage states: “In India, the dryland farming is largely confined to the regions having annual rainfall less than 75 cm. These regions grow hardy and drought resistant crops such as ragi, bajra, moong, gram and guar (fodder crops) … In wetland farming, the rainfall is in excess of soil moisture requirement of plants during rainy season. Such regions may face flood and soil erosion hazards. These areas grow various water intensive crops such as rice, jute and sugarcane”
Option (1) Rice — Incorrect. Rice needs a lot of water, so it is a crop of wetland farming.
Option (2) Jute — Incorrect. Jute is a water intensive crop of the wetland areas.
Option (3) Sugarcane — Incorrect. Sugarcane also needs plenty of water and is grown in wetland areas.
Option (4) Bajra — Correct. Bajra is a hardy, drought resistant crop. It grows in dry regions that get less than 75 cm of rain in a year.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2026 on 24-05-2026 (Slot 1), and in CUET (UG) 2023 on 08-06-2023 (Slot 3).