Study the picture given below and answer the following questions:

(a) Name the crop which is being planted. Give one benefit of this method of planting this crop.

(b) Name the other method of planting the crop. In which area is this method practised?

(c) Give a geographical reason for each of the following:

(i) Rice is not the main crop in the Deccan Plateau.

(ii) Punjab is the largest producer of rice despite deficient rainfall.

(iii) Wheat grows well in loamy soil.

(d) Mention the climatic conditions which favour the cultivation of the crop being planted.

(a) Rice is being planted. A benefit of this method of plantation is that this method gives higher yield.

(b) Another method of planting the crop is drilling method. It is practised in Peninsular India.

(c)

(i) Rice is not the main crop in the Deccan Plateau because the soil required for rice cultivation is clayey or loamy soil while deccan plateau has black soil. Also, rice requires adequate water for irrigation and this region falls in the rain shadow region of the western ghats.

(ii) Punjab is the largest producer of rice despite deficient rainfall because here, 97% of the rice area is irrigated and due to higher input of High Yielding Variety seeds, fertilisers and mechanisation the per hectare yield is the highest.

(iii) Wheat grows well in loamy soil because loamy soil is a mixture of sand, silt and clay which provides ideal nutrition for wheat. The fertile, well-drained loamy soil allows for rapid absorption of water and air by plant roots, which encourages growth of the wheat plant.

(d) The climatic conditions suitable for the cultivation of rice are-

1. Rice grows best in warm and humid areas. The critical mean temperature for flowering and fertilisation ranges from 16°C to 20°C whereas during ripening, the range is from 18°C to 32°C.
2. Rice requires good rainfall in the range of 150 to 300 cm.