Class 8 Geography Chapter 4 Agriculture Extra Questions
Class 8 Geography Chapter 4 Agriculture Extra Questions and Answers are provided here. These Extra Questions with solution are prepared by our team of expert teachers who are teaching in CBSE schools for years. Extra questions for Class 8 Geography Chapter 4 will help you to properly understand a particular concept of the chapter.
Agriculture Class 8 Geography Extra Questions and Answers
Very Short Answer Type Question
1. Which crop is known as golden fibre?
Answer: Jute is known as the ‘Golden Fibre’.
2. What do you mean by viticulture?
Answer: Viticulture is the cultivation of grapes.
3. In what season is wheat grown in India?
Answer: In India it is grown in winter.
4. What are fibre crops?
Answer: Jute and cotton are fibre crops.
5. Which two countries lead in the production of jute?
Answer: India and Bangladesh are the leading producers of jute.
6. Name the staple diet of the tropical and sub-tropical regions.
Answer: Rice is the staple diet of the tropical and sub-tropical regions.
7. What is sericulture?
Answer: Sericulture is the commercial rearing of silk worms.
8. What is the main characteristic of plantation agriculture?
Answer: In plantation agriculture only a single crop is grown.
9. What is arable land?
Answer: The land on which the crops are grown is known as arable land.
10. Which country is the leading producer of coffee?
Answer: Brazil is the leading producer followed by Columbia and India.
11. What is pisciculture?
Answer: Pisciculture involves breeding of fish in specially constructed tanks and ponds.
12. What is the aim of agricultural development?
Answer: The ultimate aim of agricultural development is to increase food security.
13. Which country produces the best quality tea in the world?
Answer: Kenya, India, China, Sri Lanka produce the best quality tea in the world.
14. Name the factors influencing agriculture.
Answer: Factors influencing agriculture include favourable topography of soil and climate.
15. What are 3 types of economic activities?
Answer: The 3 types of economic activities are primary, secondary and tertiary activities.
16. Who are the leading producers of cotton?
Answer: China, USA, India, Pakistan, Brazil and Egypt are the leading producers of cotton.
17. Which country leads the world in production of rice?
Answer: China leads in the production of rice followed by India, Japan, Sri Lanka and Egypt.
18. What is horticulture?
Answer: Horticulture is the growing vegetables, flowers and fruits for commercial use.
19. What are the two main types of farming?
Answer: Farming can be classified into two main types: subsistence farming and commercial farming.
20. How is subsistence farming classified?
Answer: Subsistence farming can be further classified as intensive subsistence and primitive subsistence farming.
Short Type Answer Questions
1. Name some animals reared by nomadic herders.
Answer: Sheep, camel, yak and goats are most commonly reared animals by nomadic herders.
2. What is mixed farming?
Answer: In mixed farming the land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock.
3. What type of climate is required for growing rice?
Answer: Rice needs high temperature, high humidity and rainfall. It grows best in alluvial clayey soil, which can retain water.
4. Why is mixed farming called so?
Answer: Mixed farming is called so because the land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock.
5. What is agriculture?
Answer: Agriculture is a primary activity. It includes growing crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and rearing of livestock.
6. Where is commercial grain farming practised?
Answer: Major areas where commercial grain farming is practised are temperate grasslands of North America, Europe and Asia.
7. Where is mixed farming practised?
Answer: It is practised in Europe, eastern USA, Argentina, southeast Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
8. Where is wheat grown extensively?
Answer: Wheat is grown extensively in USA, Canada, Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, Australia and India.
9. Why is agriculture a primary activity in India?
Or
In India agriculture is a primary activity. Give reason.
Answer: Two-thirds of India’s population is still dependent on agriculture. Hence, agriculture is a primary activity in India.
10. Where are agricultural activities concentrated?
Answer: Agricultural activities are concentrated in those regions of the world where suitable factors for the growing of crops exist.
11. Where did the word ‘agriculture’ derive from?
Answer: The word agriculture is derived from Latin words ager or agri meaning soil and culture meaning, cultivation or tilling of soil.
12. Where is intensive subsistence agriculture prevalent?
Answer: Intensive subsistence agriculture is prevalent in the thickly populated areas of the monsoon regions of south, southeast and east Asia.
13. What do you understand by agricultural development?
Answer: Agricultural Development refers to efforts made to increase farm production in order to meet the growing demand of increasing population.
14. What type of agriculture is practiced in developing countries?
Answer: Developing countries with large populations usually practise intensive agriculture where crops are grown on small holdings mostly for subsistence.
15. Mention the areas where nomadic herding is practised.
Or
In what sort of areas is nomadic herding practised?
Answer: Nomadic herding is practised in the semi-arid and arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and some parts of India, like Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.
16. What is organic farming?
Answer: In organic farming, organic manure and natural pesticides are used instead of chemicals. No genetic modification is done to increase the yield of the crop.
17. What are tertiary activities?
Answer: Tertiary activities provide support to the primary and secondary sectors through services. Transport, trade, banking, insurance and advertising are examples of tertiary activities.
18. What are primary activities?
Answer: Primary activities include all those connected with extraction and production of natural resources. Agriculture, fishing and gathering are good examples.
19. What are secondary activities?
Answer: Secondary activities are concerned with the processing of natural resources. Example: manufacturing of steel, baking of bread and weaving of cloth etc.
20. What are the climatic conditions required for growing cotton?
Answer: Cotton requires high temperature, light rainfall, two hundred and ten frost-free days and bright sunshine for its growth. It grows best on black and alluvial soils.
21. What weather conditions are required for wheat?
Answer: Wheat requires moderate temperature and rainfall during growing season and bright sunshine at the time of harvest. It thrives best in well drained loamy soil.
22. When does food security exist?
Answer: Food security exists when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
23. Where is shifting cultivation practised?
Answer: Shifting cultivation is practised in the thickly forested areas of Amazon basin, tropical Africa, parts of southeast Asia and Northeast India. These are the areas of heavy rainfall and quick regeneration of vegetation.
24. Which type of farming is also known as ‘slash and burn’ agriculture? Why?
Answer: Shifting cultivation is also known as ‘slash and burn’ agriculture. It is called ‘slash and burn’ agriculture because in this type of agriculture land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them.
25. What are the climatic conditions required for growing coffee? Who are the leading producers of coffee?
Answer: Coffee requires warm and wet climate and well drained loamy soil. Hill slopes are more suitable for growth of this crop. Brazil is the leading producer followed by Columbia and India.
26. What are the climatic conditions required for growing maize? Where maize is grown?
Answer: Maize requires moderate temperature, rainfall and lots of sunshine. It needs well-drained fertile soils. Maize is grown in North America, Brazil, China, Russia, Canada, India, and Mexico.
27. What are the major crops grown in India?
Answer: The major crops in India
Food crops – wheat, rice, maize and millets
Fibre crops – Jute and cotton
Important beverage crops – tea and coffee
Long Type Answer Questions
1. Write a short note on millets.
Answer: They are also known as coarse grains and can be grown on less fertile and sandy soils. It is a hardy crop that needs low rainfall and high to moderate temperature and adequate rainfall. Jowar, bajra and ragi are grown in India. Other countries are Nigeria, China and Niger.
2. What are the climatic conditions required for growing tea?
Answer: Tea is a beverage crop grown on plantations. This requires cool climate and well distributed high rainfall throughout the year for the growth of its tender leaves. It needs well-drained loamy soils and gentle slopes. Labour in large number is required to pick the leaves.
3. Mention the important inputs and outputs of agriculture along with the operations involved.
Answer: The important inputs are seeds, fertilisers, machinery and labour. Some of the operations involved are ploughing, sowing, irrigation, weeding and harvesting. The outputs from the system include crops, wool, dairy and poultry products.
4. Why different types of crops are grown in different regions?
Or
Different crops are grown in different regions. Give reasons.
Answer: Different crops are grown in different regions because growing crops depends upon the geographical conditions, demand of produce, labour and level of technology. Favourable topography of soil and climate are vital for agricultural activity.
5. How can agricultural development be achieved?
Answer: Agricultural development can be achieved in many ways such as increasing the cropped area, the number of crops grown, improving irrigation facilities, use of fertilisers and high yielding variety of seeds. Mechanisation of agriculture is also another aspect of agricultural development.
6. Distinguish between subsistence farming and intensive farming.
Answer: Difference between subsistence farming and intensive farming
| Subsistence farming | Intensive farming |
| This type of farming is practised to meet the needs of the farmer’s family. Traditionally, low levels of technology and household labour are used to produce on small output. | In intensive subsistence agriculture the farmer cultivates a small plot of land using simple tools and more labour. |
7. What is plantation agriculture?
Answer: Plantations are a type of commercial farming where single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton are grown. Large amount of labour and capital are required. The produce may be processed on the farm itself or in nearby factories. The development of a transport network is thus essential for such farming.
8. By what names is shifting cultivation known in different regions of the world?
Answer: Shifting cultivation is known by different names in different parts of the world.
Jhumming – North-East India
Milpa -Mexico
Roca – Brazil.
Ladang – Malaysia
9. Distinguish between primary activities and tertiary activities.
Answer: Difference between primary activities and tertiary activities
| Primary activities | Tertiary activities |
| Primary activities include all those connected with extraction and production of natural resources. | Tertiary activities provide support to the primary and secondary sectors through services. |
| Example: Agriculture, fishing and gathering | Example: Transport, trade, banking, insurance and advertising |
10. What is commercial farming? Mention its major features.
Answer: In commercial farming crops are grown and animals are reared for sale in market.
Features of commercial farming
- The area cultivated and the amount of capital used is large.
- Most of the work is done by machines.
- Commercial farming includes commercial grain farming, mixed farming and plantation agriculture.
11. Name the fibre crops and the climatic conditions required for their growth.
Answer: Jute and cotton are fibre crops. Climatic conditions required for their growth are:
Cotton – Cotton requires high temperature, light rainfall, two hundred and ten frost-free days and bright sunshine for its growth. It grows best on black and alluvial soils.
Jute – It grows well on alluvial soil and requires high temperature, heavy rainfall and humid climate.
12. What is shifting cultivation? What are its disadvantages?
Answer: Shifting cultivation is a type of agriculture in which a plot of land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them. The ashes are then mixed with the soil and crops like maize, yam, potatoes and cassava are grown. After the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a new plot. Shifting cultivation is also known as ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
It is disadvantageous because it involves deforestation and burning of trees. Thus it is not good for environment.
13. What are the types of commercial farming?
Answer: Commercial farming includes commercial grain farming, mixed farming and plantation agriculture.
- In commercial grain farming crops are grown for commercial purpose. Wheat and maize are common commercially grown grains. Major areas where commercial grain farming is pracised are temperate grasslands of North America, Europe and Asia.
- In mixed farming the land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock. It is practised in Europe, eastern USA, Argentina, southeast Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
- Plantations are a type of commercial farming where single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton are grown. Large amount of labour and capital are required. Major plantations are found in the tropical regions of the world.
14. What are the types of subsistence farming?
Answer: Subsistence farming can be further classified as intensive subsistence and primitive subsistence farming.
Intensive subsistence agriculture – In intensive subsistence agriculture the farmer cultivates a small plot of land using simple tools and more labour. Rice is the main crop. Other crops include wheat, maize, pulses and oilseeds. Intensive subsistence agriculture is prevalent in the thickly populated areas of the monsoon regions of south, southeast and east Asia.
Primitive subsistence agriculture – It includes shifting cultivation and nomadic herding.
- Shifting cultivation is practised in the thickly forested areas of Amazon basin, tropical Africa, parts of Southeast Asia and Northeast India. A plot of land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them. The ashes are then mixed with the soil and crops like maize, yam, potatoes and cassava are grown. After the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a new plot.
- Nomadic herding is practised in the semi-arid and arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and some parts of India, like Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir. In this type of farming, herdsmen move from place to place with their animals for fodder and water, along defined routes.