UPSC Mains 2018 Agriculture Optional Paper II questions

28 questions from the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2018. Official UPSC paper (PDF) · All Agriculture Optional PYQs

1. What is protoplasm? Briefly discuss its chemical composition and physical properties.

2. Define mass selection. Explain its applications in self-pollinated crops.

3. What do you mean by heterosis? Describe the physiological bases of heterosis.

4. Explain seed enhancement with its merits. Describe in brief about the various practices used for seed enhancement.

5. Define enzyme. Give a note on the factors affecting the rate of enzymic activities in planta.

6. What do you mean by hybrid seed production? Describe the different types of sterility systems to facilitate hybrid seed production.

   20 marks

7. What do you understand by chromosomal aberration? Discuss in brief, the major types of chromosomal aberrations.

   15 marks

8. Enlist Mendel's different laws. Describe in detail about the law of segregation with suitable examples.

   5 marks

9. Enumerate the various types of seeds. Give a stepwise account of techniques associated with seed production.

   20 marks

10. What do you mean by self-incompatibility? Discuss ways and means to overcome self-incompatibility.

    5 marks

11. Define Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). Discuss IPRs' relevance to agriculture.

    5 marks

12. Differentiate between aneuploid, euploid and polyploid. Explain in detail the applications of allopolyploidy in crop improvement.

    20 marks

13. Give justification that "DNA fingerprinting is a vital tool for identification of the cultivars".

14. What do you mean by Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum (SPAC)? Describe the different soil moisture constants.

15. What are the different methods of diagnosis of mineral nutrient deficiency? Describe the role and deficiency symptoms of zinc in rice and sulphur in oilseed crops.

16. Explain 03, and CAM mechanism in plants and their importance in changing climatic conditions.

    10 marks

17. Enlist factors affecting the post-harvest life of flowers. How can it be controlled by growth regulators?

18. Describe symptoms and management of leaf curl and mosaic diseases in tomato.

19. Give a brief account of food security in India before and after the green revolution. Suggest sustainable solutions to strengthen food security in the country.

20. Define auxins and explain their role in crop life cycles. Also, discuss the uses of auxins in agriculture.

    20 marks

21. Discuss the effects of water stress on plant growth and development. Describe plant borne mechanisms to escape from drought and stress situations.

22. What do you understand by seed dormancy? Discuss the reasons for seed dormancy. Also, describe the various methods for breaking seed dormancy.

23. Give package of cultivation of pomegranate with reference to planting materials and methods, irrigation, nutrition, plant protection and post-harvest management.

    20 marks

24. Enlist different vegetative propagation methods for fruit plants. Describe the different layering techniques ployed for fruit plant propagation.

    5 marks

25. Deseribe the post-harvest management and value-added products of black pepper.

26. What do you mean by Integrated Pest Management (IPM)? Discuss the constraints in successful implementation of IPM.

    20 marks

27. Deseribe the importance of micro-nutrients in human health. Justify with suitable examples.

    5 marks

28. What do you understand by e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) 7? Discuss the prospects and constraints of e-NAM in the context of Indian farmers.