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

🔥 PLATINUM SERIES 2.0 | VOL. 220

📅 WEDNESDAY, 4 NOVEMBER 2026

🎯 TARGET EXAMINATION

IBPS AFO Mains – Professional Knowledge

📝 20 QUESTIONS | 40 MARKS | 15 MINUTES

Marking Scheme: +2 for every correct answer | −0.50 for every incorrect answer

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SECTION 1: AGRICULTURE INTELLIGENCE MOCK

Q1. A farmer needs to apply 110 kg of nitrogen per hectare through urea containing 46% nitrogen. Approximately how much urea is required per hectare?

A. 200 kg

B. 220 kg

C. 239 kg

D. 250 kg

E. 275 kg

Q2. In an intercropping system, the yield of crop A is 2.4 tonnes/ha compared with 4 tonnes/ha under sole cropping. The yield of crop B is 1.8 tonnes/ha compared with 3 tonnes/ha under sole cropping. What is the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER)?

A. 1.20

B. 1.00

C. 0.90

D. 1.40

E. 1.50

Q3. The recommended seed rate of a crop is 20 kg/ha of pure, viable seed. If the available seed has 96% physical purity and 80% germination, what quantity of seed should be used per hectare?

A. 22.50 kg

B. 23.50 kg

C. 24.00 kg

D. 26.04 kg

E. 28.00 kg

Q4. A farmer requires 64 kg of P₂O₅ per hectare. If single superphosphate (SSP) contains 16% P₂O₅, the quantity of SSP required is:

A. 300 kg/ha

B. 400 kg/ha

C. 450 kg/ha

D. 500 kg/ha

E. 550 kg/ha

Q5. Rice plants exhibit stunted growth, bronzing and brown rusty spots on leaves, particularly under conditions of zinc deficiency. This disorder is commonly known as:

A. Bacterial leaf blight

B. Tungro disease

C. False smut

D. Blast disease

E. Khaira disease

Q6. In leguminous crops, the pink colour inside an active root nodule is primarily due to the presence of:

A. Chlorophyll

B. Carotene

C. Leghemoglobin

D. Anthocyanin

E. Xanthophyll

Q7. A plant breeder wants to transfer a specific disease-resistance gene from a donor variety into an established high-yielding variety while retaining most of the recipient variety's characteristics. Which breeding method is most suitable?

A. Backcross breeding

B. Mass selection

C. Pure-line selection

D. Mutation breeding

E. Recurrent selection

Q8. Which of the following storage conditions is generally most suitable for maintaining the viability of orthodox seeds over an extended period?

A. High moisture and high temperature

B. High moisture and low temperature

C. High humidity with frequent temperature fluctuations

D. Low seed moisture and low temperature

E. Exposure to direct sunlight

Q9. Trichogramma species are widely used in biological control programmes because they act as:

A. Predators of adult beetles

B. Egg parasitoids of insect pests

C. Pathogens of plant roots

D. Nematode antagonists

E. Weed-feeding insects

Q10. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) formulations are effective against susceptible insect larvae primarily because:

A. They block photosynthesis in weeds

B. They destroy the insect's respiratory system externally

C. They reduce soil salinity

D. They inhibit seed germination

E. Their insecticidal proteins act on the larval gut after ingestion

Q11. In C4 plants, the initial fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide in mesophyll cells is primarily catalysed by:

A. RuBisCO

B. Nitrate reductase

C. PEP carboxylase

D. ATP synthase

E. Nitrogenase

Q12. Litchi fruits are particularly susceptible to cracking during fruit development. Which field-level practice can help reduce this problem?

A. Maintaining uniform soil moisture through appropriate irrigation and mulching

B. Withholding irrigation during fruit development

C. Applying excessive nitrogen during fruit maturity

D. Increasing soil salinity

E. Removing all leaves around developing fruits

Q13. A farmer adopts fertigation in a drip-irrigated vegetable crop. The principal advantage of this practice is:

A. Complete elimination of all plant diseases

B. Permanent improvement in soil texture

C. Elimination of the need for irrigation scheduling

D. Application of soluble nutrients through irrigation water in a controlled manner

E. Prevention of all nutrient losses under every soil condition

Q14. In India, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) primarily performs which function?

A. Procures all agricultural commodities directly from farmers

B. Recommends Minimum Support Prices to the Government

C. Fixes retail prices of agricultural produce

D. Provides crop insurance to farmers

E. Distributes fertiliser subsidies directly to farmers

Q15. A farm machine costs ₹5,00,000, has an estimated salvage value of ₹50,000 and an expected useful life of 10 years. Under the straight-line method, its annual depreciation is:

A. ₹35,000

B. ₹40,000

C. ₹42,500

D. ₹50,000

E. ₹45,000

Q16. Urea treatment of cereal crop residues such as paddy straw is primarily intended to:

A. Reduce the fibre content to zero

B. Convert straw into a complete concentrate feed

C. Improve digestibility and nitrogen content through ammonia treatment

D. Eliminate the need for balanced animal nutrition

E. Increase the moisture content permanently

Q17. LaSota is a commonly used vaccine strain for controlling which poultry disease?

A. Newcastle disease (Ranikhet disease)

B. Fowl pox

C. Marek's disease

D. Infectious bursal disease

E. Avian influenza

Q18. In induced breeding of Indian major carps, the administration of pituitary extract or suitable inducing hormones is intended to:

A. Increase pond alkalinity

B. Improve feed conversion ratio

C. Prevent external parasitic infections

D. Stimulate final maturation, ovulation and spawning

E. Increase the dissolved oxygen content of water

Q19. A farmer-producer organisation wants to reduce post-harvest losses in perishable horticultural produce during transportation and storage. Which intervention is most appropriate?

A. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight

B. Maintaining an uninterrupted cold chain

C. Delaying sorting and grading

D. Storing produce at uncontrolled ambient temperatures

E. Increasing handling and loading operations

Q20. According to the commonly used adoption process in agricultural extension, which sequence correctly represents the stages through which an individual may progress before adopting an innovation?

A. Trial → Awareness → Adoption → Interest → Evaluation

B. Interest → Adoption → Awareness → Trial → Evaluation

C. Evaluation → Awareness → Trial → Interest → Adoption

D. Awareness → Trial → Interest → Adoption → Evaluation

E. Awareness → Interest → Evaluation → Trial → Adoption

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SECTION 2: ANSWER KEY

Q1.C

Q2.A

Q3.D

Q4.B

Q5.E

Q6.C

Q7.A

Q8.D

Q9.B

Q10.E

Q11.C

Q12.A

Q13.D

Q14.B

Q15.E

Q16.C

Q17.A

Q18.D

Q19.B

Q20.E

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🚀 YOUR TURN – TAKE THE CHALLENGE!

✅ Attempted all 20 questions?

📊 Calculate your score out of 40.

🎯 TARGET: 36+ MARKS IN 15 MINUTES

💬 COMMENT YOUR SCORE!

Challenge yourself and compare your performance with fellow AFO aspirants.

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SECTION 3: DETAILED EXPLANATIONS

Q1. Answer: C – 239 kg

Urea requirement = Nitrogen required ÷ Nitrogen fraction in urea

= 110 ÷ 0.46

= 239.13 kg/ha, approximately 239 kg/ha.

Q2. Answer: A – 1.20

LER = Relative yield of crop A + Relative yield of crop B

= (2.4/4) + (1.8/3)

= 0.60 + 0.60 = 1.20.

An LER greater than 1 indicates a land-use advantage of intercropping over the corresponding sole crops.

Q3. Answer: D – 26.04 kg/ha

Adjusted seed rate:

= Required viable seed rate ÷ (Purity fraction × Germination fraction)

= 20 ÷ (0.96 × 0.80)

= 26.04 kg/ha.

Q4. Answer: B – 400 kg/ha

SSP contains 16% P₂O₅.

Required SSP = 64 ÷ 0.16

= 400 kg/ha.

Q5. Answer: E – Khaira disease

Khaira disease of rice is associated with zinc deficiency. Symptoms include stunted growth, bronzing and rusty-brown spots on leaves.

Q6. Answer: C – Leghemoglobin

Leghemoglobin is a pink-coloured oxygen-binding protein found in active legume root nodules. It helps maintain a suitable oxygen environment for nitrogen fixation by Rhizobium.

Q7. Answer: A – Backcross breeding

Backcross breeding transfers a specific desirable trait from a donor parent into an established recipient variety. Repeated crossing with the recipient parent helps recover its original characteristics.

Q8. Answer: D – Low seed moisture and low temperature

Orthodox seeds tolerate drying and can generally be stored for longer periods under low-moisture and low-temperature conditions. Recalcitrant seeds are sensitive to drying.

Q9. Answer: B – Egg parasitoids

Trichogramma are minute parasitoid wasps that lay their eggs inside the eggs of several insect pests. They are widely used in biological control programmes.

Q10. Answer: E – Insecticidal proteins acting on the larval gut

Bt produces insecticidal crystal proteins. After ingestion by susceptible larvae, these proteins are activated in the gut and damage gut epithelial cells, ultimately causing mortality.

Q11. Answer: C – PEP carboxylase

In C4 plants, PEP carboxylase initially fixes CO₂ in mesophyll cells, forming a four-carbon compound. This mechanism reduces photorespiration.

Q12. Answer: A – Uniform soil moisture

Litchi fruit cracking is associated with factors including irregular water supply, high temperature and low humidity. Maintaining uniform soil moisture through suitable irrigation and mulching can help reduce cracking.

Q13. Answer: D – Controlled nutrient application through irrigation

Fertigation combines fertiliser application with irrigation. It allows soluble nutrients to be supplied in smaller, timely doses near the active root zone.

Q14. Answer: B – Recommends MSP

The CACP recommends Minimum Support Prices for designated agricultural commodities to the Government of India. The Government takes the final decision on MSP.

Q15. Answer: E – ₹45,000

Annual depreciation:

= (Original cost − Salvage value) ÷ Useful life

= (₹5,00,000 − ₹50,000) ÷ 10

= ₹45,000 per year.

Q16. Answer: C – Improved digestibility and nitrogen content

Urea treatment releases ammonia, which helps improve the digestibility and nitrogen content of low-quality crop residues. It does not make straw a complete feed.

Q17. Answer: A – Newcastle disease

LaSota is a live, lentogenic vaccine strain commonly used against Newcastle disease, also known as Ranikhet disease, in poultry.

Q18. Answer: D – Stimulate spawning

Induced breeding uses pituitary extracts or suitable hormonal preparations to stimulate final gonadal maturation, ovulation and spawning.

Q19. Answer: B – Uninterrupted cold chain

A cold chain maintains suitable temperature conditions during post-harvest handling, storage and transportation. It slows deterioration and preserves the quality of perishable produce.

Q20. Answer: E – Awareness → Interest → Evaluation → Trial → Adoption

The commonly taught stages are:

* Awareness – learning about an innovation.

* Interest – seeking further information.

* Evaluation – assessing its suitability.

* Trial – testing it on a limited scale.

* Adoption – deciding to use it regularly.

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SECTION 4: QUICK REVISION CAPSULE

1\. Urea: 46% nitrogen.

2\. LER: Sum of relative yields of component crops.

3\. Seed rate adjustment: Account for purity and germination.

4\. SSP: Commonly contains 16% P₂O₅.

5\. Khaira disease: Zinc deficiency in rice.

6\. Leghemoglobin: Pink protein in active root nodules.

7\. Backcross breeding: Transfer of a specific desirable trait.

8\. Orthodox seeds: Tolerate drying and low-temperature storage.

9\. Trichogramma: Egg parasitoid.

10\. Bt: Insecticidal proteins act on susceptible larvae after ingestion.

11\. C4 pathway: Initial CO₂ fixation by PEP carboxylase.

12\. Litchi cracking: Manage moisture fluctuations.

13\. Fertigation: Nutrient application through irrigation water.

14\. CACP: Recommends MSP to the Government.

15\. Straight-line depreciation: (Cost − Salvage value)/Useful life.

16\. Urea-treated straw: Improved digestibility and nitrogen content.

17\. LaSota: Newcastle disease vaccine strain.

18\. Hypophysation: Induced breeding of fish.

19\. Cold chain: Temperature management for perishable produce.

20\. Adoption process: Awareness → Interest → Evaluation → Trial → Adoption.

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SECTION 5: SELF-ASSESSMENT

MAXIMUM MARKS: 40 | TIME: 15 MINUTES

🏆 36–40: Excellent – Strong examination readiness

🥇 30–35: Very Good – Competitive performance

📘 22–29: Good – Improve application and analytical skills

📖 Below 22: Revise fundamentals and practise more questions

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Disclaimer: This is an independently prepared practice mock for examination preparation. It is not an official IBPS question paper or a prediction of questions in the examination.