UPSC Agriculture Optional Previous Year Question Papers: Free Download PDF

UPSC Agriculture Optional Previous Year Papers will help candidates prepare for the subject in a clear and defined path. Solving the previous year’s papers will help them learn about speed, accuracy, and time management and the topics they need to focus on for their UPSC IAS Exam. UPSC IAS Agriculture Optional Subject has Paper 1 and Paper 2 in UPSC Mains. Each paper is 250 marks with a total of 500 marks. The time allotted is 3 Hours. We have compiled UPSC Agriculture Optional Previous year papers PDF of 13 years from 2009 to 2021, which will help aspirants ace the subject preparations and get familiar with the paper pattern.

Candidates can also improvise their preparation strategy by enrolling in Testbook’s Flagship UPSC Online Coaching classes.

Download UPSC Previous Years Question Papers for Agriculture Optional from for 14 years

Aspirants can find below the official PDF of the Previous year’s Papers for UPSC Agriculture Optional Previous Year Papers.

Year	Question paper	UPSC Agriculture optional previous year question paper
2022	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2022 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2022	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2022 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2021	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2021 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2021	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2021 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2020	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2020 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2020	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2020 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2019	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2019 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2019	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2019 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2018	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2018 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2018	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2018 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2017	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2017 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2017	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2017 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2016	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2016 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2016	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2016 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2015	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2015 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2015	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2015 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2014	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2014 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2014	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2014 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2013	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2013 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2013	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2013 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2012	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2012 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2012	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2012 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2011	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2011 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2011	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2011 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2010	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2010 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2010	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2010 Mains Agriculture Paper 2
2009	Agriculture Paper I	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2009 Mains Agriculture Paper 1
2009	Agriculture Paper II	UPSC IAS Previous Year Paper 2009 Mains Agriculture Paper 2

• Candidates must solve the previous year’s papers as they are a must to help the candidates know what type of questions the candidates will be asked in the examination.
• A minimum of 10 previous year paper sets should be solved by the candidates before they appear for the UPSC main examination.
• Practicing the UPSC Agriculture optional previous year question paper specially designed by the panel of experts will substantially improve the growth of the candidate.

Agriculture Optional Previous Year Questions

The UPSC Agriculture mains optional questions are discussed below in chronological sequence from 2022 to 2020 to help you understand the pattern of the IAS Agriculture exam paper.

Agriculture Optional 2022 Questions

• Discuss various steps for the long-term conservation of flora or fauna.
• What is polyploidy? Give a brief account of the classification of polyploids.
• Define seed quality. Describe the characteristics of the seed which decide its quality.
• Discuss the structure of plant chromosomes and its role in genetic diversity.
• What is precision farming? Write its different aspects for resource conservation.

Agriculture Optional 2021 Questions

• Biofertilizers and the major constraints in the popularization of biofertilizers 2021
• Define ‘Pests’ and ‘Pesticides’ in relation to pest management. Give a brief account of types and need for pesticide formulations. 10 marks 2021
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of mass selection, simple recurrent selection, and clonal selection. 10 marks 2021
• Describe self-pollination, cross-pollination, and often cross-pollination. Discuss different mechanisms for facilitating self-pollination and cross-pollination. 20 marks 2021
• What is DNA fingerprinting? Discuss its applied aspects in modern agriculture.

Agriculture Optional 2020 Questions

• What is tillage? Why zero tillage is getting important in Indian Agriculture. 2020
• Indian farmers usually choose crops and their varieties based on their socioeconomic aspects and the resources at their disposal. Critically comment. 10 marks 2020
• Define synthetic variety. Discuss the operations involved in the production of synthetic varieties. 10 marks 2020
• Describe the applications of mutation breeding. Also, discuss the limitations of this approach to plant breeding. 2020
• Enlist and explain the effects of the farmers’ (Empowerment and protection) agreement on price assurance and term service Act-2020) on small and medium farmers in India.

Agriculture Previous Year Prelims Questions

The UPSC Agriculture Prelims questions are discussed below to help you understand the pattern of Agriculture-related questions asked in the Prelims examination.

Agriculture 2022 Prelims Questions

1) Among the following crops, which one is the most important anthropogenic source of both methane and nitrous oxide?

1. Cotton
2. Rice
3. Sugarcane
4. Wheat

2) “System of Rice Intensification” of cultivation, in which alternate wetting and drying of rice fields is practised, results in :

1. Reduced seed requirement
2. Reduced methane production
3. Reduced electricity consumption

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

3) Consider the following statements in respect of probiotics :

1. Probiotics are made of both bacteria and yeast.
2. The organisms in probiotics are found in foods we ingest but they do not “naturally occur in our gut.
3. Probiotics help in the digestion of milk sugars.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3
4. 2 and 3

4) Which of the following are nitrogen-fixing plants ?

1. Alfalfa
2. Amaranth
3. Chickpea
4. Clover
5. Purslane (Kulfa)
6. Spinach

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1. 1, 3 and 4 only
2. 1, 3, 5 and 6 only
3. 2, 4, 5 and 6 only
4. 1, 2, 4,5 and 6

Agriculture 2021 Prelims Questions

1) The black cotton soil of India has been formed due to the weathering of

1. brown forest soil
2. fissure volcanic rock
3. granite and schist
4. shale and limestone

2) In the context of India’s preparation for Climate-smart Agriculture, consider the following statements:

1. The ‘Climate-Smart Village’ approach in India is a part of a project led by the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), an international research programme.
2. The project of CCAFS is carried out under Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) headquartered in France.
3. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India is one of the CGIAR’s research centres.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. 1 and 2 Only
2. 2 and 3 Only
3. 1 and 3 Only
4. 1, 2 and 3

3) 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 an 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 codes given below.

1. 1 and 3
2. 1, 2 and 4
3. 4 Only
4. 2 and 3

4) Bollgard I and Bollgard II technologies are mentioned in the context of

1. clonal propagation of crop plants
2. developing genetically modified crop plants
3. production of plant growth substances
4. production of biofertilizers

5) Consider the following statements:

1. Moringa (drumstick tree) is a leguminous evergreen tree.
2. Tamarind tree is endemic to South Asia.
3. In India, most of the tamarind is collected as minor forest produce.
4. India exports tamarind and seeds of moringa.
5. Seeds of moringa and tamarind can be used in the production of biofuels.

Which of the statements given above is correct?

1. 1, 2, 4 and 5
2. 3, 4 and 5
3. 1, 3 and 4
4. 1, 2, 3 and 5

Agriculture 2020 Prelims Questions

1) 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:

1. 1, 2, and 3 only
2. 1, 2, and 4 only
3. 1, 3, and 4 only
4. 2, 3, and 4 only

2) With reference to chemical fertilizers in India, consider the following statements :

1. At present, the retail price of chemical fertilizers is market-driven and not administered by the Government.
2. Ammonia, which is an input of urea, is produced from natural gas.
3. Sulphur, which is a raw material for phosphoric acid fertilizer is a by-product of oil refineries.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 2 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

3) With reference to pulse production in India, consider the following sentences:

1. Black gram (Urad) can be cultivated as both Kharif and rabi crop.
2. Green gram (Moong) alone accounts for nearly half of pulse production.
3. In the last three decades, while the production of kharif pulses has increased, the production of rabi pulses has decreased.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 2 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

4) “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 the crop?

1. Cotton
2. Jute
3. Sugarcane
4. Tea

5) With reference to the current trends in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, consider the following statements:

1. A substantial saving in seed material is when ‘bud chip settings’ are raised in a nursery and transplanted in the main field.
2. When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with single-budded setts as compared to setts with many buds.
3. If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts.
4. Sugarcane can be cultivated using settings prepared from tissue culture.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 only
3. 1 and 4
4. 2, 3, and 4 only

UPSC Exam pattern 2022 – Agriculture Optional Paper

The UPSC agriculture paper is an optional paper in the main exam. Candidates can appear for the main exam only if they qualify the prelim paper. Here’s the exam pattern for the main exam.

Paper	Topic	Total marks
Paper 1	Essay writing	250 marks
Paper 2	General studies I	250 marks
Paper 3	General studies II	250 marks
Paper 4	General studies III	250 marks
Paper 5	General studies IV	250 marks
Paper 6	Optional paper 1	250 marks
Paper 7	Optional paper 2	250 marks
Total		1750 marks

• The main exam will be an objective type paper
• It will consist of an essay writing assessment, four general studies, and two optional papers
• The questions will be subjective in nature
• The paper will be available in both Hindi and English
• There will be a total of 3 hours allotted to the candidates for solving the paper

Check out IAS NCERT Books for UPSC here.

Importance of UPSC Agriculture Optional Previous Year Question Paper

• UPSC Agriculture Optional Previous Year Question Paper will help the candidates know how much they have prepared and how much more preparation is needed
• The question sets are specially designed by the panel of experts which will help the candidates know the type of questions, difficulty level, and much more about the actual paper
• To score better than others, candidates must also know how to work under pressure along with time management which can be tested by solving these papers

UPSC Optional Subject Question Papers
Economics previous year question paper UPSC	UPSC Geology optional question paper
UPSC Geography optional question paper	UPSC Physics optional question paper
Psychology previous year question paper UPSC	Philosophy previous year question paper UPSC
Anthropology previous year question papers	UPSC Chemistry optional paper
UPSC Commerce optional paper	UPSC optional Civil engineering paper
UPSC Sociology previous year question papers	UPSC History optional solved papers
UPSC Maths optional question paper

During these hard times there should be no hindrance in the preparation of the candidates so as to help them with the preparation, we have provided previous years’ papers with detailed solutions to it. Hope these UPSC Agriculture Optional Previous Year Question Papers prove helpful in the preparation. For more information about test series, live classes, detailed notes and to know about several other government exam candidates can download the Testbook App.

Check out UPSC CSE Coaching For Prelims and Mains Exam:
NCERT Course For UPSC	UPSC Science and Tech Coaching	Environment and Ecology Coaching For UPSC
Essay Course For UPSC	UPSC Anthropology Optional Coaching	CSAT Coaching For UPSC
UPSC History Optional Coaching	UPSC Public Administration Optional Coaching	UPSC PSIR Optional Coaching