Question map
Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked
Loading…
Q1 (IAS/2020) Economy › Agriculture & Rural Economy › Irrigation and watershed Official Key

What are the advantages of fertigation in agriculture ? 1. Controlling the alkalinity of irrigation water is possible. 2. Efficient application of Rock Phosphate and all other phosphatic fertilizers is possible. 3. Increased availability of nutrients to plants is possible. 4. Reduction in the leaching of chemical nutrients is possible. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 3 (1, 3 and 4 only). Fertigation is the technique of supplying dissolved fertilizers through irrigation systems, offering several agronomic advantages:

  • Statement 1 is correct: Fertigation allows for the injection of acids (like phosphoric or sulfuric acid) into the system to lower the pH, effectively controlling the alkalinity of irrigation water and preventing emitter clogging.
  • Statement 3 is correct: Since nutrients are delivered in a soluble form directly to the active root zone, there is increased availability and higher nutrient uptake efficiency compared to traditional soil application.
  • Statement 4 is correct: By providing nutrients in small, frequent doses that match plant requirements, it significantly reduces the leaching of chemical nutrients into groundwater.

Statement 2 is incorrect because Rock Phosphate is insoluble in water and cannot be used in fertigation. Only fully water-soluble fertilizers are compatible with this system; otherwise, the irrigation lines would face severe blockages.

How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
Community Performance
Out of everyone who attempted this question.
60%
got it right
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest preview
Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. What are the advantages of fertigation in agriculture ? 1. Controlling the alkalinity of irrigation water is possible. 2. Efficient appli…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 8/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This question masquerades as a technical agriculture query but is actually a 'Common Sense Science' test. It hinges entirely on one physical property: Solubility. If you understood that fertigation requires dissolving inputs in water, Statement 2 (Rock Phosphate = Stone = Insoluble) becomes an obvious eliminator.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Can fertigation in agriculture be used to control the alkalinity of irrigation water?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"**Improved system efficiency:** By establishing a specific pH level, fertigation enhances nutrient assimilation and prevents the precipitation of fertilisers or dissolved salts in irrigation water."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states fertigation can establish a specific pH level, which is directly related to controlling water acidity/alkalinity.
  • Connects pH adjustment via fertigation to preventing precipitation of fertilizers or dissolved salts in irrigation water, showing practical control over water chemistry.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"sprinkler irrigation with fertigation (in which soluble fertilizer is added directly to irrigation water)"
Why this source?
  • Defines fertigation as adding soluble fertilizer directly to irrigation water, indicating fertigation is a method capable of modifying irrigation-water chemistry.
  • This definition supports the mechanism by which pH/alkalinity adjustments could be delivered through the irrigation system.
Web source
Presence: 3/5
"problems, two stock tanks should be used, one for calcium nitrate and iron chelate and the other for the remaining fertilizers. * Another way of avoiding precipitation problems is to apply and incorporate all the P before planting."
Why this source?
  • Discusses managing precipitation problems related to fertilizer chemistry (e.g., using separate stock tanks), implying fertigation practices are used to control chemical interactions in irrigation water.
  • This management of fertilizer solubility and precipitation is relevant to controlling water chemistry parameters like pH/alkalinity.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 11: Irrigation in India > 2020 > p. 373
Strength: 5/5
“With reference to micro-irrigation, which of the following statements is/are correct? • 1. Fertiliser/nutrient loss can be reduced. • 2. It is the only means of irrigation in dry land farming. • 3. In some areas of farming, receding of ground water table can be checked. Select the correct answer using the codes given below: • (b) 2 and 3 only • (a) 1 only • (d) 1, 2 and 3 • (c) 1 and 3 only”
Why relevant

Identifies micro‑irrigation (the delivery system used for fertigation) as a means to reduce fertiliser/nutrient loss and to apply nutrients through irrigation.

How to extend

A student could extend this by noting that precise delivery systems allow deliberate addition of chemical inputs to irrigation water, so they could test whether adding specific inputs via fertigation alters water alkalinity.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 11: Irrigation in India > Advantages: > p. 364
Strength: 4/5
“• Reduces the water loss due to evaporation and deep drainage. • Prevents fungal disease by minimising water contact. • Discourages weed growth because water is only delivered where it is needed. • Can eliminate many diseases which spread through drained out irrigation water having • harmful chemicals like fertilisers and pesticides. • Increases WUE.”
Why relevant

States that targeted irrigation can control where fertilisers go and can eliminate spread of harmful chemicals through drainage, implying control over chemical composition of irrigation water on‑farm.

How to extend

One could infer that if irrigation systems control distribution of chemicals, they might also be used to adjust water chemistry (including alkalinity) locally and then test changes in soil and runoff.

Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 26: Agriculture > Soil Conservation and Sound Farming Techniques > p. 245
Strength: 4/5
“10. Irrigation. Irrigation is one of the oldest farming techniques used by men, not only in supplying additional water in moisture deficient farm lands but also in improving the aeration in the soil. In desert areas likes Egypt, water in the irrigation canals also helps to reduce the salinity of the soil making it possible for many plants to survive the highly alkaline soil. Irrigation may take many forms, depending on the geographical location of the area, the natural drainage pattern, the type of climate and the crops to be raised. The following are some of the more common types of irrigation: (a) Basin irrigation.”
Why relevant

Notes that irrigation water in canals can reduce soil salinity/alkalinity in desert areas, showing irrigation itself affects salt and alkaline conditions.

How to extend

A student could combine this with the idea of adding reagents via fertigation to hypothesize that fertigation might be used to actively modify alkaline conditions rather than just dilute them.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 6: Soils > iv) Saline and Alkaline Soils > p. 19
Strength: 4/5
“(iv) Saline and Alkaline Soils Soil salinity and alkalinity are found in the relatively less rainfall recording areas where the rate of evaporation is generally higher than the rate of precipitation. They also develop in the Khadar lands and the canal irrigated areas. Under such conditions, the ground water level rises and saline and alkaline efflorescence consisting of salts of sodium, calcium, and manganese appear on the surface as a layer of white salt through capillary action. According to one estimate, about 80 lakh hectares (2.4% of the country's reporting area) has been adversely affected by saline and alkaline formations.”
Why relevant

Explains causes of saline and alkaline soils (salt accumulation via groundwater and capillary action), highlighting the chemical nature and sources of alkalinity in agricultural water/soils.

How to extend

Knowing sources and mechanisms of alkalinity, a student could evaluate whether introducing neutralizing or pH‑altering fertiliser solutions through fertigation could counteract those processes.

Economics, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: The Story of Village Palampur > Suggested Activity > p. 5
Strength: 3/5
“• During your field visit talk to some farmers of your region. Find out:• 1. What kind of farming methods modern or traditional or mixed — do the farmers use? Write a note.• 2. What are the sources of irrigation?• 3. How much of the cultivated land is irrigated? (very little/nearly half/ majority/all)• 4. From where do farmers obtain the inputs that they require? • After reading the following reports from newspapers/magazines, write a letter to the Agriculture Minister in your own words telling him how the use of chemical fertilisers can be harmful. ...Chemical fertilisers provide minerals which dissolve in water and are immediately available to plants.”
Why relevant

States that chemical fertilisers dissolve in water and are immediately available to plants, demonstrating that adding soluble chemicals to irrigation water changes its composition.

How to extend

A student might extend this to reason that dissolved additions via fertigation can include substances that influence pH/alkalinity and could be tested for that effect.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

How to study

This tab shows concrete study steps: what to underline in books, how to map current affairs, and how to prepare for similar questions.

Login with Google to unlock study guidance.

Micro-concepts

Discover the small, exam-centric ideas hidden in this question and where they appear in your books and notes.

Login with Google to unlock micro-concepts.

The Vault

Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.

Login with Google to unlock The Vault.

✓ Thank you! We'll review this.

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2016 · Q83 Relevance score: -3.81

Which of the following is/are the advantage/advantages of practising drip irrigation? 1. Reduction in weed 2. Reduction in soil salinity 3. Reduction in soil erosion Select the correct answer using the code given below.

IAS · 2015 · Q11 Relevance score: -4.26

What can be the impact of excessive/inappropriate use of nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture? 1. Proliferation of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in soil can occur. 2. Increase in the acidity of soil can take place. 3. Leaching of nitrate to the groundwater can occur. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

IAS · 2017 · Q71 Relevance score: -4.88

Which of the following practices can help in water conservation in agriculture ? 1. Reduced or zero tillage of the land 2. Applying gypsum before irrigating the field 3. Allowing crop residue to remain in the field Select the correct answer using the code given below :

IAS · 2018 · Q82 Relevance score: -5.30

With reference to agricultural soils, consider the following statements : 1. A high content of organic matter in soil drastically reduces its water holding capacity. 2. Soil does not play any role in the sulphur cycle. 3. Irrigation over a period of time can contribute to the salinization of some agricultural lands. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?