Current set IAS · 2021 Q81

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Q81 (IAS/2021) Economy › Agriculture & Rural Economy › Sustainable farming practices Official Key

How is permaculture farming different from conventional chemical farming? 1. Permaculture farming discourages monocultural practices but in conventional chemical farming, monoculture practices are predominant. 2. Conventional chemical farming can cause increase in soil salinity but the occurrence of such phenomenon is not observed in permaculture farming. 3. Conventional chemical farming is easily possible in semi-arid regions but permaculture farming is not so easily possible in such regions. 4. Practice of mulching is very important in permaculture farming but not necessarily so in conventional chemical farming. Select the correct answer using the code given below ..

Result

Your answer: — · Correct: B

Explanation

The correct answer is Option 2 (1, 2, and 4). This selection accurately distinguishes the ecological principles of permaculture from the industrial approach of conventional farming.

Statement 1 is correct: Permaculture promotes polyculture and biodiversity to create self-sustaining ecosystems, whereas conventional farming relies on monocultures for industrial efficiency.
Statement 2 is correct: Conventional farming often leads to soil salinity due to excessive use of synthetic fertilizers and intensive irrigation. Permaculture improves soil structure and water retention through organic methods, preventing such degradation.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Permaculture is specifically designed for resilience in diverse climates, including semi-arid regions, through techniques like water harvesting. Conventional farming often struggles in these areas without massive external inputs.
Statement 4 is correct: Mulching is a core pillar of permaculture to conserve moisture and build humus. In conventional farming, the use of herbicides and tilling often makes mulching less common or unnecessary for their specific chemical-based weed control.

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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. How is permaculture farming different from conventional chemical farming? 1. Permaculture farming discourages monocultural practices but…

At a glance

Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 5/10 · 5/10

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This is a classic 'Comparative Analysis' question. It moves beyond defining terms to testing the functional consequences of two opposing systems (Industrial vs. Ecological). The source is standard (NCERT/Shankar), but the answer requires applying 'Green Revolution' drawbacks (salinity, water intensity) as a contrast to Permaculture principles.

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: Do permaculture farming principles discourage monocultural practices?
Statement 2: Is monoculture predominant in conventional chemical farming practices?
Statement 3: Can conventional chemical farming practices lead to increased soil salinity?
Statement 4: Is increased soil salinity observed under permaculture farming practices?
Statement 5: Can conventional chemical farming be easily implemented in semi-arid regions?
Statement 6: Is permaculture farming difficult to implement in semi-arid regions?
Statement 7: Is mulching considered a very important practice in permaculture farming?
Statement 8: Is mulching not generally considered essential in conventional chemical farming?

Statement 1

Do permaculture farming principles discourage monocultural practices?

Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable

From standard books

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 11: Agriculture - Part II > 11.15 Permaculture > p. 356

Presence: 5/5

“"Permaculture, originally 'Permanent Agriculture', is often viewed as a set of gardening techniques, but it has in fact developed into a whole design philosophy and for some people a philosophy for life. Its central theme is the creation of human systems which provide for human needs, but using many natural elements and drawing inspiration from natural ecosystems. Its goals and priorities coincide with what many people see as the core requirements for sustainability." Following are some important points related to permaculture: • Permaculture is an innovative framework for creating sustainable ways of living.• It is a practical method of developing ecologically harmonious, efficient and productive systems that can be used by anyone, anywhere.”

Why this source?

Defines permaculture as a design philosophy that creates human systems using many natural elements and drawing inspiration from natural ecosystems.
Emphasis on ecologically harmonious systems implies preference for diverse, integrated practices rather than single-crop monocultures.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 25: Agriculture > 25.9. PERMACULTURE > p. 362

Presence: 4/5

“• Bill Mollison, an Australian ecologist, and one of his students, David Holmg, coined the word "permaculture" in 1978. It is a contraction of "permanent agriculture" or "permanent culture." It is defined as a design system for creating sustainable human environments. It uses ecology as the basis for designing integrated systems of food production, housing, appropriate technology, and community development.”

Why this source?

Describes permaculture as a design system using ecology to create integrated systems of food production and community development.
Focus on integrated systems supports diversified, multi-functional land use instead of monocultural cropping.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 12: How Nature Works in Harmony > Activity 12.10: Let us survey > p. 206

Presence: 4/5

“Some pests may develop resistance to pesticides, making them difficult to control. Growing the same crop repeatedly, known as monoculture, can reduce crop diversity and affect pollinators, which are crucial for food production. To make farming more sustainable, some farmers are exploring organic and natural farming methods. These aim to reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers and support sustainable farming, with minimal interference in natural ecosystems. Based on your learning, what practices do you think can help farmers protect the soil, the environment, and our food security for the future?”

Why this source?

Explains that monoculture reduces crop diversity and harms pollinators, creating sustainability problems.
Notes that farmers are exploring organic and natural farming methods to make farming more sustainable, linking natural/organic approaches to avoiding monoculture.

Statement analysis