Statement I : Virgin soils of newly cleared forests give higher yield of coffee. Statement I : Coffee is a soil nutrient exhaustive crop.

Statement I is true as virgin soils of newly cleared forests are rich in organic matter and accumulated nutrients, which provide an ideal environment for high initial coffee yields. Historically, planters migrated to such virgin lands specifically to exploit this natural fertility. Statement II is also true; coffee is a soil-exhaustive crop that significantly depletes soil nutrients over time [1]. Continuous cultivation, especially in monoculture systems, leads to rapid soil degradation and nutrient loss. This exhaustive nature explains why virgin soils are so prized for coffee cultivation; the high initial nutrient content of forest soils compensates for the heavy nutritional demands of the coffee plant. Once these nutrients are depleted, yields decline, necessitating either heavy fertilization or the clearing of new forest land. Thus, Statement II provides the correct logical explanation for the phenomenon described in Statement I.

Sources

1. [1] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 6: Soils > ii) Declining Soil Fertility > p. 17