Question

Which one of the following is not a measure to improve agricultural productivity?

• A. Speedy implementation of land reforms.
• B. Special attention to dryland farming.
• C. Propagating scientific agricultural practices.
• D. Decreasing cropping intensity.

Hint:

Understand key agricultural terms. "Cropping intensity" is a measure of land use efficiency. A higher intensity means more crops per year from the same land, which increases total production and productivity.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks to identify which of the actions listed would not lead to an improvement in agricultural productivity. Agricultural productivity is about increasing the output per unit of input (like land or labor).

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{(A) Speedy implementation of land reforms: Land reforms (e.g., giving land to the tiller, consolidating holdings) can provide security and incentive for farmers to invest in their land, thereby improving productivity.} \\ \bullet & \text{(B) Special attention to dryland farming: Developing and promoting techniques for farming in arid and semi-arid regions would improve productivity in these large, traditionally low-yield areas.} \\ \bullet & \text{(C) Propagating scientific agricultural practices: This is a direct method to improve productivity by using better seeds, irrigation, and management techniques.} \\ \bullet & \text{(D) Decreasing cropping intensity: Cropping intensity refers to the number of crops grown on the same piece of land in a single agricultural year. Decreasing it (e.g., from growing two crops a year to only one) would lower the total annual output from that land, thus reducing overall productivity. Increasing cropping intensity is a measure to improve productivity.} \\ \end{array}\]

Step 4: Final Answer:
Decreasing cropping intensity is not a measure to improve agricultural productivity; it would have the opposite effect.