With reference to soil conservation, consider the following practices:

1. Crop rotation

2. Sand fences

3. Terracing

4. Windbreaks

Which of the above are considered appropriate methods for soil conservation in India?

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UPSC Civil Services Exam (Prelims) 2010
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  1. 1, 2 and 3 only
  2. 2 and 4 only
  3. 1, 3 and 4 only
  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 4 : 1, 2, 3 and 4
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Detailed Solution

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The correct answer is 1, 2, 3 and 4.

 Key Points

  • Crop rotation, Sand fences, terracing, and windbreaks all are used for sand conservation in India. Hence all the options are correct.

 Important Points

  • Sand fences are a simple and cheap method of inducing the accretion of sands in arid and sandy areas.
    • Sand fences are barriers made of small, evenly spaced wooden slats or fabric.
  • In crop rotation, crops are changed from year to year according to a planned sequence.
    • Crop rotation is considered to be a key principle of conservation agriculture for, it improves the soil structure and fertility.
    • It also helps to control weeds, pests, and diseases.
  • Terrace farming is the practice of cutting flat areas out of a hilly or mountainous landscape in order to grow crops.
    • It is a practice that has been in use from the rice fields of Asia to the steep slopes of the Andes in South America.
  • A windbreak (shelterbelt) is a planting usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion.
    • Farmers sometimes use windbreaks to keep snowdrifts on farmland that will provide water when the snow melts in the spring.

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