Which of the following is/are the chief characteristics of commercial grain farming of the middle latitude grasslands? 1. The size of farms are generally large. 2. Culti vation is highly mechanized. 3. It is a type of extensive farming. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Commercial grain farming in the middle latitude (temperate) grasslands, such as the Prairies, Steppes, and Pampas, is characterized by its extensive nature. The size of farm holdings is generally very large, often spanning hundreds of hectares [c4, t2]. Because of the vast scale and the level terrain of these regions, cultivation is highly mechanized; operations from ploughing to harvesting are performed using heavy machinery like combine harvesters [c1, c2, c4]. This type of agriculture is classified as extensive farming because it involves low labor and capital input per unit area compared to intensive systems, resulting in low yields per hectare but high productivity per worker [c1, c4, t2]. Consequently, all three statements—large farm size, high mechanization, and extensive nature—are defining characteristics of this agricultural pattern [c2, c4, t3].

Sources

1. [1] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 20: The Temperate Continental (Steppe) Climate > Economic Development > p. 194
2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 30: Climatic Regions > Extensive Mechanised Wheat Cultivation > p. 447
3. [3] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 10: Locational Factors of Economic Activities > Extensive agriculture > p. 19