Theme T138 · Agriculture & Food

Cropping patterns & crop diversification: horticulture, pulses, millets

Share this theme

What UPSC asks

Questions ask what drives farmers to high-value crops, changes in cropping pattern with consumption and markets, challenges of crop diversification, declining rice–wheat yields, allelopathy, the National Horticulture Mission, and pulses and millets.

Prepare these

• Drivers: prices, MSP bias, water, markets, consumption shifts
• Diversification challenges and technology opportunities
• Allelopathy in cropping systems
• NHM / MIDH performance
• Millets and pulses: nutrition, climate resilience

Answer writing

• Use examples of states and crops

Directive words in these PYQs: Explain (2), Assess (1), How far (1), Elaborate (1), Mention (1), Discuss (1).

Linked themes

Comes back later in

Later themes that take this one further.

On the map

Syllabus lines covered

• GS1-L12 — Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
• GS3-L4 — Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers

All 8 PYQs, newest first

1. GS3202510 marks · 150 wordsGS3-AGR-01-M2025-Q03

   Explain the factors influencing the decision of the farmers on the selection of high value crops in India.

   CopyReport a typo
2. GS3202315 marks · 250 wordsGS3-AGR-01-M2023-Q13

   Explain the changes in cropping patterns in India in the context of changes in consumption patterns and marketing conditions.

   CopyReport a typo
3. GS32021GS3-AGR-01-M2021-S02

   What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification?

   CopyReport a typo
4. GS32018GS3-AGR-01-M2018-S01

   Assess the role of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers?

   CopyReport a typo
5. GS32018GS3-AGR-01-M2018-S02

   How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping patterns in recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millets production and consumption.

   CopyReport a typo
6. GS12017GS1-GEO-07-M2017-S01

   Mention the advantages of the cultivation of pulses because of which the year 2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by United Nations.

   CopyReport a typo
7. GS32017GS3-AGR-01-M2017-S02

   What are the major reasons for declining rice and wheat yield in the cropping system? How crop diversification is helpful to stabilise the yield of the crops in the system?

   CopyReport a typo
8. GS32016GS3-AGR-01-M2016-S02

   What is allelopathy? Discuss its role in major cropping systems of irrigated agriculture.

   CopyReport a typo