“The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost-free days and 50 to 100 centimeters of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop.” Which one of the following is that crop?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) Cotton
The clue that decides it is '210 frost-free days': NCERT gives this requirement for cotton, a kharif crop that needs high temperature, light rainfall and bright sunshine and dislikes frost.
- ✓ (a) Cotton needs high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost-free days and bright sunshine, and takes 6 to 8 months to mature.
- ✗ (b) Jute needs high temperature and well-drained fertile flood-plain soil renewed every year, and is grown in West Bengal, Bihar and Assam; there is no 210-day frost-free rule.
- ✗ (c) Sugarcane wants hot, humid weather at 21°C to 27°C with 75 to 100 cm of rainfall, and needs irrigation where rainfall is low.
- ✗ (d) Tea needs warm, moist, frost-free weather and deep, humus-rich, well-drained soil, and is a plantation crop of humid hill and plain areas.
Remember · '210 frost-free days' is cotton's signature requirement; also high temperature, light rain and bright sunshine.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 10 Contemporary India – II, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 10 Contemporary India – II, Ch 4 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 10 · Contemporary India – II, Chapter 4 “It requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost-free days and bright sun-shine for its growth. It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.”
- NCERT Class 10 · Contemporary India – II, Chapter 4 “It grows well in hot and humid climate with a temperature of 21°C to 27°C and an annual rainfall between 75cm. and 100cm. Irrigation is required in the regions of low rainfall.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2020, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·