“The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost-frep davs and 50 to 100 centimeters of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop.” Which one of the following is that crop?

The answer is Cotton. The description matches the standard account of cotton in Indian geography texts: a subtropical crop that a hard frost damages, needing about 210 frost-free days, 50 to 100 cm of rainfall, and a light, well-drained soil that still holds moisture. Black cotton (regur) soil is the familiar example of such soil in India.

• Sugarcane (C): It needs a long, hot growing season and much higher rainfall, typically 150 cm or more, and it is usually grown on heavier loamy soils. Its profile does not fit the 50 to 100 cm range given here.
• Jute (B): It is a hot, humid, tropical fibre crop that needs about 150 cm of rainfall and fine alluvial or clayey soil that holds water. It is not a subtropical crop tolerant of frost.
• Tea (D): It needs high rainfall, around 150 to 250 cm, and acidic, well-drained hill soils. It is a plantation crop of the hills and does not fit the rainfall range or the frost statement.

Mains angle: the crop-climate-soil matching of this kind underlies agro-climatic zones and the cropping-pattern questions in GS-III. Only the three numbers together identify the crop, so check all of them rather than just the soil.

Trap: candidates pick sugarcane because it is the best-known subtropical crop and reflexively recall its rainfall as 'high'. Always test the rainfall figure against the crop, not just the climate label.