For aspirants preparing for competitive exams like Agriculture Supervisor, understanding erosion causes and prevention is essential. Students must focus on erosion impacts on soil health and ways to promote sustainable agriculture through erosion prevention for upcoming agriculture-related competitive exams and Join Soil Erosion Quiz.
Splash erosion is the first stage of water erosion where:
Water flows down the land removing topsoil
Raindrops hit exposed soil and displace soil particles
Deep channels called gullies are formed
Surface runoff detaches and transports soil particles
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Correct Answer: Raindrops hit exposed soil and displace soil particles Splash erosion is defined as the initial process where the impact of raindrops on bare soil dislodges soil particles, making them susceptible to being washed away.
Which of the following is NOT an impact of excessive erosion on agricultural productivity?
Loss of organic matter
Exposure of nutrient-rich topsoil
Increased water infiltration in soil
Breakdown of soil structure
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Correct Answer: Increased water infiltration in soil Excessive erosion degrades soil by removing topsoil, reducing organic matter, and damaging soil structure. This typically leads to decreased water infiltration due to surface sealing and compaction, not increased infiltration. Exposure of subsoil usually means less nutrient-rich soil is available.
The presence of which clay mineral leads to high phosphorus fixing capacity in red soils?
Kaolinite
Montmorillonite
Vermiculite
All of above
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Correct Answer: Kaolinite Red soils often contain kaolinite clay and iron/aluminum oxides. Kaolinite has a high capacity to adsorb or 'fix' phosphorus, binding it and making it less available for plant uptake compared to minerals like montmorillonite.
How is sheet erosion caused?
By surface water runoff
By raindrop splash
By downward cutting of streams
By wind-blowing soil particles
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Correct Answer: By surface water runoff Sheet erosion occurs when a thin, relatively uniform layer of soil is removed from the land surface by shallow overland flow or surface water runoff, rather than concentrated flow in channels.
Which factor does NOT typically cause surface weathering and erosion?
Water
Wind
Pressure
Plants
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Correct Answer: Pressure Water (rain, ice, flow), wind, and plant activities (root wedging, organic acids) are major agents of surface weathering and erosion. While pressure is involved in rock formation and subsurface processes (like pressure-release weathering), it's not a direct agent causing erosion on the Earth's surface like the others.
Gully erosion creates deep channels that:
Can be removed through normal tilling
Are 10-15 cm deep
Are less than 30 cm deep
Cannot be removed through normal tilling
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Correct Answer: Cannot be removed through normal tilling Gully erosion represents an advanced stage of water erosion where concentrated runoff carves deep channels (gullies) into the land. These features are too large and deep to be obliterated by standard farming tillage operations, distinguishing them from smaller rills.
Sedimentation allows separation of:
Soluble particles
Insoluble particles
Organic compounds
Gaseous molecules
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Correct Answer: Insoluble particles Sedimentation is a physical process where heavier, insoluble particles suspended in a fluid (like water) settle out over time due to gravity. Soluble substances remain dissolved.
Rajasthan faces scarcity of water because it has:
Small cultivable area
Low population density
Limited surface and groundwater availability
Excessive precipitation
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Correct Answer: Limited surface and groundwater availability Rajasthan is largely an arid and semi-arid region characterized by low rainfall and high evaporation rates. This climate results in scarce surface water resources (rivers, lakes) and limited replenishment of groundwater, leading to chronic water scarcity.
Which crop is generally NOT suitable for typical red soils?
Cotton
Tea
Pulses
Wheat
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Correct Answer: Tea While red soils can support crops like cotton, pulses, and wheat with proper management, they are often not ideal for tea cultivation. Tea typically requires very acidic, well-drained soils rich in organic matter, often found in specific lateritic or forest soil regions, which differ from general red soil characteristics.
How does lack of vegetation cover increase erosion?
Roots fail to bind the soil
Wind velocity is not reduced near the surface
Raindrop impact on bare soil increases
All of the above
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Correct Answer: All of the above Vegetation provides multiple layers of protection against erosion: roots bind the soil particles, the plant canopy intercepts raindrops reducing their impact energy, and the stems/leaves slow down surface runoff and wind speed near the ground. Removing vegetation eliminates all these protective functions.
Weathering and erosion lead to:
Formation of soil
Build-up of sediments
Joining of rock particles
Cementation of minerals
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Correct Answer: Formation of soil Weathering breaks down rocks into smaller particles (regolith), and erosion transports these particles. Over long periods, the accumulation of this weathered material, mixed with organic matter, leads to the formation of soil.
Water erosion can be minimized by:
Removing vegetation cover
Disturbing soil frequently
Cover cropping
Over-irrigation
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Correct Answer: Cover cropping Cover cropping involves planting specific crops primarily to protect the soil surface from erosion during periods when the main cash crop is not present. This practice reduces raindrop impact, slows runoff, and improves soil health, thereby minimizing water erosion.
Red soils are suitable for which of the following crops?
Rice and wheat
Sugarcane and tea
Cotton and pulses
Jute and coffee
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Correct Answer: Cotton and pulses With appropriate management practices like irrigation and fertilization, red soils can be made suitable for growing moderately drought-tolerant crops like cotton and various pulses (e.g., groundnut, pigeon pea, millets). Other crops listed often have more specific requirements (waterlogging for rice, high water/fertility for sugarcane, specific soil/climate for tea/coffee/jute).
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