Farm land tends to erode most rapidly when planted with

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Q: 118 (IAS/1994)
Farm land tends to erode most rapidly when planted with

question_subject: 

Geography

question_exam: 

IAS

stats: 

0,58,224,78,86,60,58

keywords: 

{'farm land': [0, 1, 0, 0], 'sorghum': [0, 0, 1, 1], 'wheat': [4, 1, 2, 2], 'clover': [0, 1, 0, 1], 'potato': [4, 0, 1, 0]}

Farm land is most likely to erode when planted with sorghum, as highlighted in option 1. Sorghum plants have a shallow root system compared to other crops. This means they do less to hold the soil together and shield it against the eroding forces of wind and rain. Option 2, potato, and option 3, wheat, also can cause erosion, but their root systems are generally deeper and more robust than those of sorghum. They provide better reinforcement to the soil. Clover, the crop in option 4, is a cover crop that helps reduce erosion because it grows densely and keeps the soil in place, also it enriches the soil with nutrients. Therefore, planting sorghum has the greatest potential for quickening soil erosion.