Consider the following statement : There is renewed thrust on production of Millet Crops. Which of the following statement(s) is/are attributable to Ragi Crop?
1. Ragi is rain-fed crop and mostly grows well in black soil.
2. Ragi grows well on red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soil.
3. It is crop of dry regions and rich in iron, calcium and roughage
4. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh are major ragi producing states.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Options
A1 and 3 only
B2 and 3 only
C2, 3 and 4 only
D1, 3 and 4 only
Show AnswerHide Answer
Correct Answer
C2, 3 and 4 only
Model Answer
Official answer key: B. The answer shown above (C) is the academy’s own.
Millets (coarse grains) are a group of small-seeded grasses grown as cereal and fodder crops. They are raised mainly as rain-fed Kharif crops (sowed with the onset of the monsoons) in India.
There are 16 significant millet varieties, including Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi), Minor Millets (Kangani), Proso Millet (Cheena), Kodo Millet (Kodo), Barnyard Millet (Sawa/Sanwa/Jhangora), Little Millet (Kutki), Two Pseudo Millets (Buck Wheat/Kuttu), Amaranthus (Chaulai), Brown Top Millet, etc.
Millets were among the first crops to be domesticated. Evidence shows that the Indus valley people (3,000 BC) consumed millets. They are now grown in more than 130 countries.
Ragi is cultivated on a variety of soils ranging from rich loam to poor shallow upland soils. It prefers porous and well drained loam to light red loam and sandy loam soils of good fertility but reasonable water holding capacity. It can tolerate some water logging. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect and 2 is correct.
They significantly contribute to human and animal diets owing to their high levels of energy, calcium, iron, zinc, lipids, and high-quality proteins. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
The major producers of ragi in India are Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.Other major ragi producing states in India include Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Jharkhand, and Arunachal Pradesh. Hence, statement 4 is correct.
Major Millets of India
Picture of eight labelled millet grains (bajra, jowar, ragi, proso, foxtail, kodo, little and barnyard millet) around the words Millets of India.
