Read the given passage carefully and answer the following questions.
On the basis of the main source of moisture for crops, the farming can be classified as irrigated and rainfed (barani). There is a difference in the 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 the 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 the cropping season into dry-land and wetland farming. In India, dry-land 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 practise various measures of soil moisture conservation and rain water harvesting. In wetland farming, the rainfall is in excess of the soil moisture requirement of plants during the 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 practise aquaculture in the fresh water bodies.
Which of the following is NOT the characteristic of irrigated farming?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Irrigated farming is further divided into Dryland and Wetland farming.
The passage states: “Rainfed farming is further classified on the basis of adequacy of soil moisture during the cropping season into dry-land and wetland farming.”
Farming is first divided by its main source of moisture into irrigated and rainfed (barani). Irrigated farming is divided by the aim of irrigation into protective and productive.
Option (1) Irrigated farming is further divided into Dryland and Wetland farming. — Not a characteristic of irrigated farming. Dryland and wetland are the two kinds of rainfed farming, not of irrigated farming.
Option (2) Its objective is to protect crops from soil moisture deficiency. — A characteristic of irrigated farming. This is the objective of protective irrigation, one kind of irrigated farming.
Option (3) Irrigation acts as a supplementary source of water over and above the rainfall. — A characteristic of irrigated farming. In protective irrigation the water is added to what the rain already gives.
Option (4) The objective of irrigated farming is to increase productivity by supplementing the water demand of crops. — A characteristic of irrigated farming. This is the aim of productive irrigation, which gives enough soil moisture in the cropping season to achieve high productivity.