INDIAN BANKING RADAR (IBR) - IBPS AFO MAINS — AGRICULTURE INTELLIGENCE MOCK  

🔥 PLATINUM SERIES 2.0 | VOL. 211

 📅 MONDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2026

 🎯 TARGET: IBPS AFO MAINS | PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE

 🌱 AGRONOMY • SOIL SCIENCE • GENETICS • PLANT PROTECTION • AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS • ANIMAL HUSBANDRY • AGRICULTURAL BANKING

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 SECTION 1: AGRICULTURE INTELLIGENCE MOCK

Q1. A soil test reveals that an agricultural field has strongly acidic soil and elevated exchangeable aluminium. Which intervention is most appropriate to correct the underlying soil constraint:

A. Apply additional urea without modifying soil pH

B. Increase irrigation until all exchangeable aluminium is permanently removed

C. Apply an appropriate quantity of agricultural lime based on soil-test recommendations

D. Apply gypsum as a universal substitute for liming in all acidic soils

E. Increase the application of sodium-containing fertilisers

Q2. A farmer cultivates maize in a hot, sunny environment. Compared with a typical C₃ crop, maize has an advantage in reducing photorespiration under these conditions because it:

A. Uses only stored atmospheric nitrogen for photosynthesis

B. Does not require chlorophyll for carbon assimilation

C. Fixes atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules

D. Performs photosynthesis without using carbon dioxide

E. Concentrates carbon dioxide around Rubisco through the C₄ photosynthetic pathway

Q3. A rice field shows patchy stunting, reduced tillering and characteristic bronzing or brown blotching on affected leaves. Soil and plant analysis indicates inadequate zinc availability. Which deficiency best explains the condition:

A. Zinc deficiency

B. Molybdenum deficiency

C. Boron deficiency

D. Calcium deficiency

E. Chlorine deficiency

Q4. A farmer repeatedly applies the same fungicide mode of action against a fungal disease. Disease control declines over successive seasons. Which approach best supports resistance management:

A. Double the recommended dose without consulting the label

B. Continue applying the same fungicide at shorter intervals regardless of disease severity

C. Mix any two fungicides without checking compatibility or registration

D. Rotate effective modes of action as recommended and integrate cultural, biological and other suitable control measures

E. Stop disease monitoring once the first spray is completed

Q5. A seed producer wants to establish 200,000 plants per hectare. The thousand-seed weight is 40 g, germination is 80%, physical purity is 90%, and expected field establishment of viable pure seed is 80%. Assuming these percentages act independently, what approximate seed rate is required:

A. 8.00 kg/ha

B. 13.89 kg/ha

C. 10.00 kg/ha

D. 11.11 kg/ha

E. 16.00 kg/ha

Q6. A farmer irrigates a crop frequently with poor-quality water in a poorly drained field. Soil salinity progressively increases, reducing crop growth. Which management approach is most appropriate:

A. Increase fertiliser application without testing soil or irrigation water

B. Stop all drainage to retain water in the root zone

C. Assess water and soil salinity, improve drainage where feasible and apply suitable leaching practices when water quality and conditions permit

D. Apply additional saline water to dilute salts in the soil

E. Cultivate salt-sensitive crops without modifying the irrigation system

Q7. A breeder evaluates a crop trait across several environments. The observed phenotypic variation arises from both genetic and environmental influences. Which statement about broad-sense heritability is correct:

A. It measures only the environmental contribution to phenotypic variance

B. It is always zero when a crop is grown in multiple locations

C. It is the percentage of plants that survive after harvesting

D. It directly measures the yield advantage of every F₁ hybrid over its parents

E. It expresses the proportion of phenotypic variance attributable to total genetic variance in the population and environments studied

Q8. A farmer observes increasing weed infestation in a cereal field after repeatedly using the same herbicide mode of action. Which strategy is most appropriate to reduce the risk of herbicide resistance:

A. Integrate crop rotation, cultural and mechanical weed control, and appropriate herbicide modes of action

B. Increase the herbicide dose beyond label recommendations

C. Apply the same herbicide more frequently without monitoring weed response

D. Stop controlling weeds until the crop reaches maturity

E. Use a herbicide irrespective of the weed species and crop label

Q9. A horticultural crop develops excessive vegetative growth, proliferation of shoots and abnormal floral structures resembling leaves. Laboratory diagnosis identifies a phytoplasma infection. Which statement is correct:

A. Phytoplasmas are nitrogen-fixing bacteria deliberately introduced into roots

B. The symptoms conclusively indicate a potassium deficiency

C. The disease can always be cured by applying a foliar micronutrient mixture

D. Phytoplasmas are wall-less, bacteria-like organisms associated with several plant diseases and are commonly transmitted by insect vectors

E. Phytoplasmas are fungal pathogens controlled universally by fungicides

Q10. A bank evaluates an application for seasonal crop-production credit. The applicant has a viable cropping plan but an existing overdue loan that may affect eligibility under the applicable lending policy. What should the Agricultural Field Officer do:

A. Recommend automatic sanction because all crop loans are exempt from credit appraisal

B. Verify the applicant's credit history, eligibility, cultivation requirements and applicable lending norms before recommending a decision

C. Treat the Kisan Credit Card as an automatic waiver of existing agricultural debt

D. Approve the loan solely on the basis of landholding size

E. Replace all credit appraisal with an oral assurance from the applicant

Q11. A farmer must choose between two crop enterprises. Enterprise X generates a gross return of ₹1,20,000 with variable costs of ₹70,000, while Enterprise Y generates a gross return of ₹1,05,000 with variable costs of ₹50,000. Based on gross margin alone, which enterprise performs better:

A. Enterprise X, because its gross return is higher

B. Both enterprises have identical gross margins

C. Enterprise X, because variable costs do not affect gross margin

D. Neither enterprise, because gross margin cannot be calculated without land value

E. Enterprise Y, because its gross margin is ₹55,000 compared with ₹50,000 for X

Q12. A farmer is reclaiming a sodic soil with high exchangeable sodium. Which amendment is commonly used to supply calcium that can replace exchangeable sodium, subject to appropriate soil assessment and reclamation practices:

A. Urea

B. Muriate of potash

C. Gypsum

D. Ammonium nitrate

E. Zinc sulphate

Q13. An agricultural officer is asked to collect a representative soil sample from a reasonably uniform field for fertility analysis. Which procedure is most appropriate:

A. Collect subsamples from several representative locations, avoid unusual spots, mix thoroughly and submit a composite sample according to laboratory instructions

B. Collect soil only from the field boundary

C. Collect soil exclusively from the visibly most fertile patch

D. Mix soil from unrelated fields with different cropping histories

E. Collect only loose surface litter without sampling soil

Q14. A poultry farm records 3.0 kg of feed consumed for every 1.5 kg of live-weight gain during a specified production period. What is the feed conversion ratio (FCR):

A. 0.5

B. 1.0

C. 3.0

D. 2.0

E. 4.5

Q15. A farmer insured an eligible crop under a notified crop-insurance scheme. The crop suffers damage following an event that may be covered. Which factor is most important in determining the claim:

A. The farmer's expected profit before sowing

B. The applicable policy or scheme conditions, insured event, eligibility, reporting requirements and prescribed loss-assessment procedure

C. The mere fact that the crop was planted

D. The prevailing market price alone, regardless of the insured event

E. An automatic guarantee of compensation for every production loss

Q16. A district has a net sown area of 80,000 hectares and a gross cropped area of 1,20,000 hectares. What is the cropping intensity:

A. 40%

B. 66.67%

C. 150%

D. 120%

E. 200%

Q17. An extension officer demonstrates a recommended method of seed treatment to a group of farmers and asks each participant to practise the procedure. Which extension method is being used most directly:

A. Farm publication distribution alone

B. Mass-media broadcasting without interaction

C. A general lecture without practical participation

D. A national-level exhibition without a practical demonstration

E. Method demonstration, which teaches how to perform a particular operation

Q18. A farmer joins an electronic agricultural marketing platform to explore buyers beyond the local market. Which statement best describes the potential role of an electronic national agricultural market:

A. It can facilitate electronic trading and market integration, but does not automatically guarantee a particular price or eliminate all market costs

B. It guarantees that every commodity will be purchased at a fixed minimum price

C. It replaces the need for quality assessment and assaying

D. It eliminates all transportation and logistics costs

E. It automatically removes every state-level regulatory requirement

Q19. A bank is assessing a term loan proposal for a small dairy unit. Which combination provides the soundest basis for evaluating the proposal's financial viability:

A. The borrower's age alone

B. The number of animals proposed, without assessing productivity or costs

C. The expected milk price alone, without estimating expenses

D. Projected milk yield, realistic sale price, feed and operating costs, repayment capacity and applicable lending norms

E. The value of the borrower's household assets alone, without assessing project cash flows

Q20. Freshly harvested vegetables are intended for a distant market. The farmer wants to reduce deterioration before transport. Which post-harvest intervention is generally appropriate for suitable produce:

A. Keep the produce under direct sunlight to increase surface temperature

B. Remove field heat promptly using a suitable pre-cooling method and maintain appropriate storage and transport conditions

C. Seal all produce in moisture-proof packaging without considering respiration or temperature

D. Delay sorting and handling until visible deterioration begins

E. Expose the produce to high temperatures to prevent all microbial growth

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SECTION 2: ANSWER KEY

Q1. C

Q2. E

Q3. A

Q4. D

Q5. B

Q6. C

Q7. E

Q8. A

Q9. D

Q10. B

Q11. E

Q12. C

Q13. A

Q14. D

Q15. B

Q16. C

Q17. E

Q18. A

Q19. D

Q20. B

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SECTION 3: EXPLANATIONS

Q1. Liming can raise soil pH and reduce aluminium toxicity in acidic soils. The quantity should be based on soil testing and the soil's lime requirement.

Q2. Maize uses the C₄ pathway to concentrate carbon dioxide around Rubisco, reducing photorespiration under favourable high-temperature, high-light conditions.

Q3. Zinc deficiency can cause stunting and reduced tillering in rice. Laboratory and field assessment help distinguish it from other disorders.

Q4. Resistance management combines appropriate fungicide rotation with cultural, biological and other suitable measures. Label directions must be followed.

Q5. Required seed rate = 8 kg ÷ (0.80 × 0.90 × 0.80) = 13.89 kg/ha.

Q6. Salinity management requires assessment of soil and irrigation-water quality, adequate drainage and suitable leaching where feasible. The choice of intervention depends on field conditions.

Q7. Broad-sense heritability = total genetic variance ÷ phenotypic variance. Its value is specific to the population and environments studied.

Q8. Integrated weed management reduces dependence on a single herbicide mode of action and helps delay resistance development.

Q9. Phytoplasmas are wall-less bacteria-like pathogens associated with abnormal plant growth and several crop diseases. Insect vectors commonly spread them.

Q10. Agricultural credit appraisal must consider the borrower's eligibility, existing liabilities, repayment capacity and applicable lending policy.

Q11. Gross margin for X = ₹1,20,000 − ₹70,000 = ₹50,000. Gross margin for Y = ₹1,05,000 − ₹50,000 = ₹55,000. Therefore, Enterprise Y performs better on gross margin.

Q12. Gypsum supplies calcium that can displace exchangeable sodium in sodic soils. Effective reclamation also requires suitable drainage and management.

Q13. A representative composite sample reduces the risk of basing a fertiliser recommendation on an unrepresentative patch.

Q14. FCR = Feed consumed ÷ Live-weight gain = 3.0 ÷ 1.5 = 2.0.

Q15. A claim depends on the notified scheme, covered event, eligibility, timely reporting where required and the prescribed assessment process.

Q16. Cropping intensity = Gross cropped area ÷ Net sown area × 100 = 1,20,000 ÷ 80,000 × 100 = 150%.

Q17. A method demonstration teaches participants how to carry out a particular practice or operation.

Q18. Electronic agricultural marketing can improve market access and trading integration. It does not guarantee a particular price or remove every transaction and logistics cost.

Q19. A dairy project's viability depends on realistic revenue projections, feed and operating expenses, productivity assumptions and the borrower's ability to service the loan.

Q20. Appropriate pre-cooling removes field heat and can slow deterioration. The method and subsequent temperature management must suit the commodity.

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