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

🔥 PLATINUM SERIES 2.0 | VOL. 217

📅 SUNDAY, 1 NOVEMBER 2026

🎯 TARGET: IBPS AFO Mains — Professional Knowledge

📝 20 QUESTIONS | 20 MARKS | 15 MINUTES

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🌱 AGRICULTURE INTELLIGENCE MOCK

Q1. A farmer targets 2,00,000 plants/ha. Seeds contain 4,000 seeds/kg, with 80% germination and 90% field establishment among germinated seeds. The approximate seed rate is:

A. 62.5 kg/ha

B. 66.7 kg/ha

C. 69.4 kg/ha

D. 72.5 kg/ha

E. 75.0 kg/ha

Q2. A crop requires 120 kg nitrogen/ha. If urea contains 46% nitrogen, the quantity required is approximately:

A. 260.9 kg/ha

B. 240 kg/ha

C. 276 kg/ha

D. 300 kg/ha

E. 320 kg/ha

Q3. Crop evapotranspiration is 42 mm, effective rainfall is 12 mm, and irrigation application efficiency is 90%. Assuming no other water contributions or losses, the gross irrigation depth required is:

A. 30.0 mm

B. 32.0 mm

C. 33.0 mm

D. 30.3 mm

E. 33.3 mm

Q4. A soil test confirms sodicity and recommends gypsum. Which reclamation approach is most appropriate?

A. Apply gypsum without considering drainage

B. Apply the recommended gypsum and provide adequate drainage and leaching

C. Apply only nitrogenous fertilisers

D. Increase irrigation regardless of water quality

E. Apply lime indiscriminately

Q5. An agro-processing unit has fixed costs of ₹90,000, a selling price of ₹2,500/quintal and variable costs of ₹1,000/quintal. Its break-even output is:

A. 45 quintals

B. 50 quintals

C. 55 quintals

D. 60 quintals

E. 75 quintals

Q6. A pest population remains below the established ETL, while beneficial insects are abundant. Under IPM, the best decision is to:

A. Apply a broad-spectrum insecticide immediately

B. Spray at fixed intervals regardless of pest density

C. Monitor pest levels, conserve natural enemies and intervene when the applicable threshold is reached

D. Eliminate all insects

E. Increase fertiliser application to suppress pests

Q7. A farmer cultivates 3 hectares of an eligible crop with a stipulated scale of finance of ₹42,000/ha. The area-based production-credit component is:

A. ₹1,26,000

B. ₹1,08,000

C. ₹1,32,000

D. ₹1,38,000

E. ₹1,50,000

Q8. Two parental lines yield 40 and 50 quintals/ha. Their F₁ hybrid yields 60 quintals/ha. Mid-parent heterosis is approximately:

A. 20.00%

B. 25.00%

C. 30.00%

D. 32.50%

E. 33.33%

Q9. During seed production, plants differing visibly from the desired variety are identified before flowering. To maintain genetic purity, the farmer should:

A. Retain vigorous off-types

B. Rogue out off-types before they contribute pollen or seed

C. Mix their seed with the main lot

D. Increase irrigation to change their appearance

E. Remove them only after harvesting

Q10. Nutrient uptake is 80 kg/ha in a fertilised plot and 50 kg/ha in the control. If 100 kg/ha of nutrient was applied, apparent nutrient-recovery efficiency is:

A. 20%

B. 25%

C. 35%

D. 30%

E. 40%

Q11. A soil is saline but not significantly sodic. Drainage is adequate and suitable irrigation water is available. The most appropriate management is to:

A. Apply gypsum automatically

B. Stop irrigation permanently

C. Leach soluble salts using suitable water and adequate drainage

D. Use sodium-rich irrigation water

E. Increase fertiliser concentration

Q12. Insecticide resistance develops following repeated applications of products with the same mode of action. The best resistance-management strategy is to:

A. Rotate effective products with different modes of action and integrate non-chemical methods

B. Exceed the registered label rate

C. Increase the frequency of the same insecticide

D. Mix products indiscriminately

E. Stop pest monitoring

Q13. Potato plants in cool, wet conditions develop expanding water-soaked lesions with characteristic whitish sporulation on the lower leaf surface. The likely disease is:

A. Common scab

B. Black scurf

C. Early blight

D. Leaf roll

E. Late blight

Q14. Under an IW/CPE-based irrigation schedule, irrigation water depth (IW) is 5 cm and cumulative pan evaporation (CPE) is 10 cm. The ratio is:

A. 0.25

B. 0.50

C. 1.00

D. 2.00

E. 5.00

Q15. An agricultural enterprise records gross returns of ₹2.40 lakh and total costs of ₹1.60 lakh. Using gross returns divided by total costs, the benefit-cost ratio is:

A. 0.67

B. 1.25

C. 1.40

D. 1.50

E. 2.00

Q16. A drip system has 500 emitters, each discharging 4 litres/hour. If operated uniformly for 3 hours, the total water delivered is:

A. 3,000 litres

B. 4,000 litres

C. 6,000 litres

D. 7,500 litres

E. 8,000 litres

Q17. A cow shows standing oestrus at 6 a.m. Assuming the conventional AM–PM rule and a suitable breeding protocol, the usual artificial-insemination timing is:

A. Around 6 p.m. the same day

B. Regardless of oestrus, after the next morning's milking

C. Only after 48 hours

D. Seven days later

E. Only at the next heat cycle

Q18. Fish gasp at the surface shortly before sunrise in a pond with a dense algal bloom. Low dissolved oxygen is suspected. The immediate response should be to:

A. Increase feeding

B. Add fertiliser to stimulate more algal growth

C. Increase stocking density

D. Stop monitoring until afternoon

E. Initiate emergency aeration and assess water quality

Q19. A farmer wants to reduce runoff and erosion on sloping land. Where site conditions are suitable, the appropriate practice is:

A. Cultivate up and down the slope

B. Establish contour-aligned bunds or suitable contour conservation measures

C. Remove all vegetative cover before the rainy season

D. Concentrate runoff into unrestricted channels

E. Remove field boundaries to lengthen the slope

Q20. A crop-protection formulation contains 25% active ingredient by weight. The quantity required to provide 2 kg of active ingredient is:

A. 4 kg

B. 6 kg

C. 7 kg

D. 8 kg

E. 10 kg

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

✅ ANSWER KEY

Q1.C

Q2.A

Q3.E

Q4.B

Q5.D

Q6.C

Q7.A

Q8.E

Q9.B

Q10.D

Q11.C

Q12.A

Q13.E

Q14.B

Q15.D

Q16.C

Q17.A

Q18.E

Q19.B

Q20.D

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

📚 ANSWERS & QUICK EXPLANATIONS

Q1. C — 69.4 kg/ha:

Required seed quantity = 2,00,000 ÷ (4,000 × 0.80 × 0.90) = 69.44 kg/ha.

Q2. A — 260.9 kg/ha:

Urea = 120 ÷ 0.46 = 260.87 kg/ha.

Q3. E — 33.3 mm:

Net requirement = 42 − 12 = 30 mm. Gross requirement = 30 ÷ 0.90 = 33.33 mm.

Q4. B — Gypsum with drainage and leaching:

Gypsum supplies calcium to replace exchangeable sodium; drainage and leaching help remove displaced salts.

Q5. D — 60 quintals:

Contribution = ₹2,500 − ₹1,000 = ₹1,500/quintal. Break-even output = ₹90,000 ÷ ₹1,500 = 60 quintals.

Q6. C — Threshold-based IPM:

Monitor pest density, conserve natural enemies and intervene when the applicable threshold is reached.

Q7. A — ₹1,26,000:

3 ha × ₹42,000/ha = ₹1,26,000. This covers only the stipulated area-based component.

Q8. E — 33.33%:

Mid-parent yield = (40 + 50) ÷ 2 = 45. Heterosis = [(60 − 45) ÷ 45] × 100 = 33.33%.

Q9. B — Rogue out off-types:

Timely removal helps maintain varietal identity and genetic purity.

Q10. D — 30%:

Apparent recovery = [(80 − 50) ÷ 100] × 100 = 30%.

Q11. C — Leaching with drainage:

Suitable-quality water and adequate drainage help remove soluble salts from saline soil.

Q12. A — Rotate modes of action:

Rotation and integrated control measures help delay resistance development.

Q13. E — Late blight:

Caused by Phytophthora infestans; cool, wet conditions favour disease development.

Q14. B — 0.50:

IW/CPE = 5 ÷ 10 = 0.50.

Q15. D — 1.50:

Benefit-cost ratio = ₹2.40 lakh ÷ ₹1.60 lakh = 1.50.

Q16. C — 6,000 litres:

500 × 4 litres/hour × 3 hours = 6,000 litres.

Q17. A — Around 6 p.m. the same day:

This follows the conventional AM–PM rule, subject to the applicable breeding protocol.

Q18. E — Emergency aeration:

Pre-dawn oxygen depletion can cause fish to gasp at the surface; aeration is an immediate response.

Q19. B — Contour conservation:

Suitable contour-aligned measures reduce runoff velocity and soil erosion.

Q20. D — 8 kg:

Formulation quantity = 2 ÷ 0.25 = 8 kg. Actual pesticide use must follow registered label directions.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

⚡ QUICK REVISION CAPSULE

🌱 Seed rate, germination and genetic purity

🧪 Salinity, sodicity and soil reclamation

🌾 Irrigation scheduling and water-use efficiency

🧬 Heterosis and plant breeding

🐛 IPM, ETL and insecticide resistance

🍅 Plant pathology and disease diagnosis

🐄 Dairy reproduction and heat stress

🐟 Aquaculture oxygen management

🏦 Agricultural credit and KCC calculations

📊 Break-even analysis and benefit-cost ratio

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🎯 SELF-ASSESSMENT

18–20: Excellent

15–17: Very good

11–14: Good; revise weak areas

Below 11: Revisit fundamentals and practise again

📌 Attempt within 15 minutes. Review every incorrect answer and identify your three weakest topics.

📲 Follow INDIAN BANKING RADAR (IBR) for banking intelligence, agricultural professional-knowledge practice and competitive-examination preparation.

LEARN • PRACTISE • ANALYSE • IMPROVE

Disclaimer: Independent educational practice material; not an official IBPS paper or an indication of actual examination difficulty.