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

PLATINUM SERIES 2.0 | VOL. 223

MONDAY, 9 NOVEMBER 2026

TARGET EXAMINATION: IBPS AFO Mains – Professional Knowledge

20 QUESTIONS | 40 MARKS | 15 MINUTES

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

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

SECTION 1: AGRICULTURE INTELLIGENCE MOCK

Q1. A farmer plants a crop at a spacing of 60 cm between rows and 20 cm between plants. Approximately how many plants can be accommodated in one hectare, assuming no area is lost for paths or borders:

A. 83,333

B. 75,000

C. 90,000

D. 1,00,000

E. 1,20,000

Q2. A farmer requires 20 kg of pure, viable seed per hectare. The available seed lot has 96% physical purity and 80% germination. What quantity of seed should be used per hectare:

A. 22.50 kg

B. 26.04 kg

C. 24.00 kg

D. 25.00 kg

E. 28.50 kg

Q3. The field capacity and permanent wilting point of a crop root zone correspond to 150 mm and 60 mm of soil water, respectively. What is the available soil water:

A. 60 mm

B. 75 mm

C. 90 mm

D. 120 mm

E. 210 mm

Q4. Khaira disease of rice is primarily associated with the deficiency of:

A. Iron

B. Boron

C. Manganese

D. Zinc

E. Copper

Q5. The major physiological advantage of the C4 photosynthetic pathway under high-temperature conditions is:

A. Complete elimination of transpiration

B. Elimination of the requirement for sunlight

C. Increased photorespiration

D. Complete independence from atmospheric carbon dioxide

E. Concentration of CO₂ around Rubisco, reducing photorespiration

Q6. Which combination best represents the principal practices of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI):

A. Young seedlings, single seedlings per hill, wider spacing and intermittent irrigation

B. Old seedlings, dense planting and continuous flooding

C. Broadcasting seeds under permanent standing water

D. High seedling density and continuous submergence

E. Exclusive use of direct seeding under dryland conditions

Q7. In integrated pest management, pheromone traps are particularly useful for:

A. Increasing soil microbial activity

B. Monitoring pest populations and supporting mass trapping of specific insects

C. Controlling bacterial diseases

D. Improving seed germination

E. Increasing pollination in all crops

Q8. Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (NPV) is primarily used as a biological control agent against:

A. Bacterial wilt pathogens

B. Root-knot nematodes

C. Susceptible caterpillar larvae of insect pests

D. Fungal pathogens of seeds

E. Broad-leaved weeds

Q9. Which of the following is a climacteric fruit that can continue ripening after harvest:

A. Grapes

B. Citrus

C. Pomegranate

D. Banana

E. Litchi

Q10. The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme is primarily designed to provide farmers with:

A. Long-term housing loans only

B. Unsecured finance exclusively for agricultural exports

C. Subsidies for purchasing tractors without credit assessment

D. Crop insurance without premium payment

E. Timely and flexible credit for crop cultivation and eligible allied activities

Q11. Which of the following best describes NABARD's role in agricultural credit:

A. Providing refinance support to eligible financial institutions for agriculture and rural development

B. Directly fixing MSP for all crops

C. Regulating fertiliser prices

D. Conducting all agricultural procurement operations

E. Issuing crop insurance policies directly to farmers

Q12. The principal importance of feeding colostrum to a newborn calf soon after birth is that it:

A. Immediately establishes full rumen fermentation

B. Provides maternal antibodies for passive immunity

C. Eliminates the need for vaccination throughout life

D. Acts only as a mineral supplement

E. Prevents every infectious disease

Q13. In composite fish culture involving Indian major carps, which species is primarily considered a bottom feeder:

A. Catla

B. Silver carp

C. Mrigal

D. Grass carp

E. Rohu

Q14. Contour bunding is most appropriate for:

A. Deep-water paddy fields

B. Permanently waterlogged coastal land

C. Level irrigated plains

D. Sloping agricultural land where runoff and soil erosion need to be controlled

E. Permanently submerged agricultural land

Q15. The ridge-to-valley approach in watershed development involves:

A. Treating only the valley portion first

B. Concentrating all activities around farm ponds

C. Treating downstream areas without addressing upper slopes

D. Undertaking only groundwater extraction measures

E. Beginning treatment in upper catchment areas and progressing downstream

Q16. A farmer produces 4,000 kg of grain using 2,000 m³ of irrigation water. What is the irrigation water productivity:

A. 2 kg/m³

B. 0.5 kg/m³

C. 1 kg/m³

D. 4 kg/m³

E. 8 kg/m³

Q17. Physical scarification is used to improve germination in hard-coated seeds by:

A. Increasing seed moisture indefinitely

B. Weakening or breaking the impermeable seed coat

C. Removing the embryo

D. Exposing seeds to continuous flooding

E. Increasing the seed's oil content

Q18. Bt cotton derives its insecticidal property from genes obtained from:

A. Rhizobium leguminosarum

B. Azotobacter chroococcum

C. Bacillus thuringiensis

D. Pseudomonas fluorescens

E. Trichoderma harzianum

Q19. A farmer observes that the pest population in a crop field is approaching the level at which economic damage may occur. Under IPM, the appropriate action threshold for initiating control measures is called:

A. Economic Injury Level

B. Biological Control Level

C. Carrying Capacity

D. Economic Threshold Level

E. Critical Moisture Level

Q20. A farmer wants to improve soil health while maintaining crop productivity and reducing dependence on any single nutrient source. Which approach is most appropriate:

A. Applying chemical fertilisers alone

B. Replacing all fertilisers with farmyard manure

C. Using only biofertilisers

D. Applying nutrients without soil or crop assessment

E. Integrated use of organic manures, chemical fertilisers and biofertilisers

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

SECTION 2: ANSWER KEY

Q1.A

Q2.B

Q3.C

Q4.D

Q5.E

Q6.A

Q7.B

Q8.C

Q9.D

Q10.E

Q11.A

Q12.B

Q13.C

Q14.D

Q15.E

Q16.A

Q17.B

Q18.C

Q19.D

Q20.E

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

YOUR TURN – TAKE THE CHALLENGE!

Attempt all 20 questions.

Calculate your score out of 40.

Complete the mock within 15 minutes.

Target: 36+ marks.

Comment your score and challenge fellow AFO aspirants!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

SECTION 3: DETAILED EXPLANATIONS

Q1. Answer: A – 83,333 plants

Spacing = 60 cm × 20 cm

= 0.60 m × 0.20 m

Area occupied by one plant = 0.12 m².

Plant population per hectare:

= 10,000 ÷ 0.12

= 83,333 plants approximately.

Q2. Answer: B – 26.04 kg

Required pure, viable seed = 20 kg.

Physical purity = 96%.

Germination = 80%.

Adjusted seed rate:

= Required pure viable seed × 10,000 ÷ (Purity % × Germination %)

= 20 × 10,000 ÷ (96 × 80)

= 26.04 kg approximately.

Q3. Answer: C – 90 mm

Available soil water:

= Water at field capacity − Water at permanent wilting point

= 150 − 60

= 90 mm.

Available soil water represents the water held between field capacity and permanent wilting point.

Q4. Answer: D – Zinc

Khaira disease of rice is associated with zinc deficiency.

Typical symptoms include bronzing, brown spots and stunted plant growth. Zinc application based on soil and crop diagnosis is an important corrective measure.

Q5. Answer: E – Reduced photorespiration

C4 plants possess a carbon-concentrating mechanism that increases CO₂ concentration around the enzyme Rubisco.

This reduces photorespiration and improves photosynthetic efficiency, particularly under high-temperature and high-light conditions.

Examples include maize, sugarcane, sorghum and pearl millet.

Q6. Answer: A – SRI practices

The System of Rice Intensification generally involves:

- Transplanting young seedlings.

- Planting single seedlings per hill.

- Wider spacing.

- Intermittent irrigation rather than continuous flooding.

- Mechanical weeding and appropriate soil management.

Practices may be adapted to local agro-climatic conditions.

Q7. Answer: B – Pest monitoring and trapping

Pheromone traps use chemical signals to attract specific insects.

They are useful for:

- Monitoring pest incidence.

- Understanding pest population trends.

- Mass trapping where appropriate.

- Supporting timely pest-management decisions.

Q8. Answer: C – Caterpillar larvae

Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus is a viral biopesticide used against susceptible insect larvae, particularly certain lepidopteran caterpillars.

It is relatively target-specific and forms part of biological pest management programmes.

Q9. Answer: D – Banana

Banana is a climacteric fruit.

Climacteric fruits exhibit increased respiration and ethylene production during ripening and can continue ripening after harvest.

Examples include mango, banana, papaya and apple.

Q10. Answer: E – Kisan Credit Card

The KCC scheme provides timely and flexible credit to farmers for agricultural operations and eligible allied activities.

Its credit coverage includes cultivation requirements, post-harvest expenses, produce marketing and specified working-capital requirements.

The scheme aims to reduce dependence on informal sources of credit.

Q11. Answer: A – Refinance support

NABARD plays an important role in strengthening institutional agricultural credit.

It provides refinance support to eligible financial institutions, including cooperative banks and Regional Rural Banks, for agriculture and rural development.

NABARD also undertakes development, supervisory and institutional-strengthening functions.

Q12. Answer: B – Passive immunity

Colostrum is the first milk produced after parturition.

It is rich in immunoglobulins, particularly IgG, which provide passive immunity to the newborn calf.

Early feeding is essential because the calf's ability to absorb maternal antibodies declines rapidly after birth.

Q13. Answer: C – Mrigal

In composite fish culture, different species utilise different feeding zones:

- Catla – Surface feeder.

- Rohu – Column feeder.

- Mrigal – Bottom feeder.

This combination reduces competition for food and improves pond productivity.

Q14. Answer: D – Sloping agricultural land

Contour bunding involves constructing bunds along contour lines across slopes.

It helps:

- Reduce surface runoff.

- Control soil erosion.

- Increase water infiltration.

- Conserve soil moisture.

Q15. Answer: E – Ridge-to-valley treatment

Watershed development generally follows the ridge-to-valley approach.

Treatment begins in the upper catchment and progresses towards lower areas. This helps control runoff, reduce soil erosion and improve water conservation.

Q16. Answer: A – 2 kg/m³

Water productivity:

= Crop yield ÷ Irrigation water used

= 4,000 ÷ 2,000

= 2 kg/m³.

Higher water productivity indicates greater crop output per unit of water used.

Q17. Answer: B – Weakening the seed coat

Some seeds possess hard, impermeable seed coats that restrict water absorption and delay germination.

Physical scarification involves mechanically weakening or scratching the seed coat to facilitate water entry.

It is useful for certain hard-seeded legumes.

Q18. Answer: C – Bacillus thuringiensis

Bt cotton contains insecticidal genes derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis.

These genes produce Cry proteins that are toxic to susceptible insect pests, particularly target bollworm species.

Q19. Answer: D – Economic Threshold Level

The Economic Threshold Level is the pest population level at which control measures should be initiated to prevent the population from reaching the Economic Injury Level.

- ETL: Action threshold for initiating control.

- EIL: Lowest pest population density at which economic damage equals the cost of control.

ETL is an important decision-making concept in integrated pest management.

Q20. Answer: E – Integrated Nutrient Management

Integrated Nutrient Management combines different nutrient sources, including:

- Organic manures and compost.

- Chemical fertilisers.

- Biofertilisers.

- Crop residues and other suitable nutrient sources.

Its objective is to maintain soil fertility, improve nutrient-use efficiency and sustain crop productivity.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

SECTION 4: QUICK REVISION CAPSULE

Plant population: Number of plants per hectare = 10,000 ÷ area occupied by one plant in m².

Seed rate adjustment: Required pure viable seed × 10,000 ÷ (purity % × germination %).

Available soil water: Field capacity − Permanent wilting point.

Khaira disease: Zinc deficiency in rice.

C4 photosynthesis: CO₂ concentration mechanism; reduced photorespiration.

SRI: Young seedlings, single seedlings per hill, wider spacing and intermittent irrigation.

Pheromone traps: Pest monitoring and mass trapping.

NPV: Biological control of susceptible insect larvae.

Climacteric fruits: Mango, banana, papaya and apple.

Kisan Credit Card: Timely and flexible agricultural and eligible allied-activity credit.

NABARD: Refinance and institutional development for agriculture and rural credit.

Colostrum: Immunoglobulins and passive immunity.

Composite fish culture: Catla – surface; Rohu – column; Mrigal – bottom.

Contour bunding: Runoff and soil erosion control.

Watershed management: Ridge-to-valley approach.

Water productivity: Crop yield per unit of water used.

Scarification: Weakening or breaking hard seed coats.

Bt cotton: Bacillus thuringiensis-derived Cry genes.

ETL: Pest population level at which control action should begin.

EIL: Pest population level at which economic damage equals control cost.

INM: Integrated use of organic, inorganic and biological nutrient sources.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE!

Like and support Indian Banking Radar.

Share this mock with fellow AFO aspirants and agriculture study groups.

Your one share may help another aspirant prepare better!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

PREPARE SMARTER WITH IBR!

Explore Indian Banking Radar for:

- Daily IBPS AFO Agriculture Intelligence.

- Banking and Financial Awareness.

- IBPS PO and Clerk Practice Mocks.

- Banking and Economy Updates.

- Exam-oriented quizzes and revision material.

FOLLOW | LEARN | PRACTISE | SUCCEED

Visit the IBR website.

Join the IBR WhatsApp community.

Subscribe to the IBR Telegram channel.

Explore premium learning resources.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

INDIAN BANKING RADAR (IBR)

Learn Today. Lead Tomorrow.

Disclaimer: Independently prepared practice material. Not an official IBPS question paper or a prediction of examination questions.