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Odisha CHSE +2 Vocational Horticulture study materials
Odisha CHSE +2 Vocational Horticulture study resources

Odisha CHSE +2 Vocational Horticulture practice questions

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Question 1Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which branch of horticulture deals specifically with the cultivation of fruit crops such as mango and guava?

  1. Olericulture
  2. Floriculture
  3. Arboriculture
  4. Pomology Correct answer.

Explanation

Pomology is the division of horticulture concerned with the science and practice of growing fruit crops, including tropical fruits like mango, guava and banana. Olericulture covers vegetables, floriculture covers flowers, and arboriculture covers tree care, so only pomology matches the fruit crops named in the stem.

Question 2Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

A grower wants to raise planting material that is genetically identical to a superior mango tree. Which propagation method should be chosen?

  1. Raising from open-pollinated seed
  2. Raising from hybrid seed
  3. Seed sowing
  4. Vegetative propagation by grafting Correct answer.

Explanation

Vegetative propagation, such as grafting, produces clonal plants that retain the exact genotype of the parent tree, which is why commercial mango orchards use grafted planting material. Seed-based methods involve recombination and segregation, so the seedlings will differ from the parent and cannot be relied upon for identical fruit quality.

Question 3Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which soil texture is generally best suited for most horticultural crops because it balances drainage, aeration and water-holding capacity?

  1. Heavy clay
  2. Pure sand
  3. Loam Correct answer.
  4. Coarse gravel

Explanation

Loam contains a balanced mixture of sand, silt and clay, giving good aeration, drainage and moisture retention along with adequate nutrient-holding capacity. Pure sand drains too fast and dries out, heavy clay is poorly aerated and sticky, and gravel has almost no water or nutrient retention.

Question 4Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

In a nursery, seeds of a hard-coated species germinate poorly. Which pre-sowing treatment is most appropriate to overcome the hard seed coat?

  1. Soaking in a sugar solution
  2. Treating with a fungicide
  3. Storing in a refrigerator
  4. Scarifying the seed coat Correct answer.

Explanation

Scarification, whether mechanical or acid-based, breaks or thins the impermeable seed coat so that water and oxygen can enter and the embryo can resume growth. Fungicides control pathogens, cold storage is used for other dormancy types, and sugar solutions do not alter the seed coat barrier.

Question 5Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which practice is an example of asexual propagation in horticulture?

  1. Raising plants from true seed
  2. Raising brinjal from seed
  3. Growing plants from stem cuttings Correct answer.
  4. Raising plants from spores

Explanation

Stem cuttings are detached vegetative parts that regenerate roots and shoots, so the resulting plants are clones of the parent and no fertilisation occurs. Seed and spore-based propagation are sexual or reproductive processes involving recombination or meiosis, not asexual multiplication.

Question 6Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which element is classified as a primary macronutrient in plant nutrition?

  1. Nitrogen Correct answer.
  2. Molybdenum
  3. Zinc
  4. Boron

Explanation

Nitrogen is one of the three primary macronutrients, along with phosphorus and potassium, required in large amounts for vegetative growth and protein synthesis. Zinc, boron and molybdenum are micronutrients needed only in trace quantities, so they do not belong in the primary macronutrient group.

Question 7Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

A crop shows interveinal chlorosis on older leaves while the veins remain green, and the condition spreads upward. Which nutrient deficiency is most likely?

  1. Iron
  2. Calcium
  3. Boron
  4. Magnesium Correct answer.

Explanation

Magnesium is the central atom of chlorophyll and is mobile within the plant, so deficiency appears first on older leaves as interveinal chlorosis while veins stay green. Iron and calcium are relatively immobile, so their symptoms typically start on young leaves, and boron deficiency causes distorted growth rather than classic interveinal yellowing.

Question 8Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which type of pruning is carried out mainly to remove dead, diseased or crossing branches without altering the overall shape of the plant?

  1. Thinning out
  2. Cleaning or sanitation pruning Correct answer.
  3. Heading back
  4. Pollarding

Explanation

Sanitation or cleaning pruning removes dead, diseased and interfering branches to keep the plant healthy while preserving its natural form. Heading back shortens shoots to stimulate branching, thinning out removes whole branches to open the canopy, and pollarding is a severe form of cutting back that changes plant structure.

Question 9Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which type of grafting joins a scion and rootstock of the same diameter, with both cut to a matching slant so the cambial layers align?

  1. Budding
  2. Inarching
  3. Whip grafting Correct answer.
  4. Approach grafting

Explanation

Whip grafting, also called splice grafting, uses a single slanting cut on both scion and rootstock of similar diameter so the two cambium layers match along the cut surface. Budding uses a single bud rather than a shoot, while approach grafting and inarching keep both plants on their own roots until union occurs.

Question 10Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which plant growth regulator is applied to induce rooting in stem cuttings?

  1. Maleic hydrazide
  2. Indole-3-butyric acid Correct answer.
  3. Ethephon
  4. Gibberellic acid

Explanation

Indole-3-butyric acid, a synthetic auxin, is the standard rooting hormone used on cuttings because it promotes adventitious root initiation. Gibberellic acid promotes elongation, ethephon releases ethylene to hasten ripening, and maleic hydrazide suppresses growth, so none of these induce rooting.

Question 11Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

In a polyhouse nursery, seedlings are crowded and light is poor. Which response should the grower expect?

  1. Early flowering and uniform fruiting
  2. Sturdy, compact seedlings with thick stems
  3. Increased root-to-shoot ratio
  4. Etiolated seedlings with elongated, weak stems Correct answer.

Explanation

When seedlings are crowded and light is limiting, auxin-driven cell elongation causes etiolation, producing long, thin, pale and weak stems as the plant stretches towards light. Light stress reduces carbohydrate production, so seedlings become spindly rather than sturdy, and flowering and root growth are not promoted under these conditions.

Question 12Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which type of plant is best described as one that completes its life cycle within a single growing season?

  1. Biennial
  2. Perennial
  3. Annual Correct answer.
  4. Epiphyte

Explanation

An annual germinates, grows, flowers and dies within one growing season, with crops such as tomato and marigold treated as annuals in many systems. Biennials need two seasons, perennials persist for several years, and epiphyte describes a growth habit rather than life-cycle duration.

Question 13Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which method of irrigation delivers water directly to the root zone through emitters and is known for high water-use efficiency?

  1. Furrow irrigation
  2. Flood irrigation
  3. Drip irrigation Correct answer.
  4. Sprinkler irrigation

Explanation

Drip irrigation applies water slowly through emitters placed at the root zone, minimising evaporation, runoff and deep percolation, which gives high water-use efficiency. Flood and furrow systems wet large areas and lose much water to evaporation and drainage, and sprinklers wet the whole canopy and are less efficient in hot, windy conditions.

Question 14Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

A horticultural crop is described as having a high water requirement during fruit development. Which irrigation practice best matches this need?

  1. Irrigating only after visible wilting
  2. Increasing irrigation frequency and quantity during fruit enlargement Correct answer.
  3. Applying a single heavy irrigation at planting only
  4. Withholding water completely until harvest

Explanation

Fruit enlargement is a stage of high water demand, so irrigation frequency and quantity should be increased to sustain cell expansion and prevent fruit cracking or drop. Withholding water, irrigating only once at planting, or waiting for wilting all cause moisture stress during the critical stage and reduce yield and quality.

Question 15Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which practice is most effective for controlling the spread of soil-borne pathogens in a nursery?

  1. Using sterilised potting medium and clean tools Correct answer.
  2. Reusing soil from infected beds
  3. Frequent overhead watering of beds
  4. Dense sowing to save space

Explanation

Sterilised potting medium and disinfected tools remove or exclude inoculum, which is the most direct way to prevent soil-borne pathogens from establishing in nursery stock. Overhead watering, reuse of infected soil and dense sowing all favour pathogen spread by splashing, contaminated substrate and crowding.

Question 16Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which insect is a common sucking pest that causes curling and distortion of tender horticultural shoots?

  1. Cutworm
  2. Snail
  3. Aphid Correct answer.
  4. Termite

Explanation

Aphids are piercing-sucking insects that feed on phloem in tender shoots and leaves, causing curling, distortion and honeydew deposits. Cutworms cut seedlings at the base, termites damage stems and roots below ground, and snails rasp foliage, so none of these produce sucking-type distortion of growing tips.

Question 17Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which cropping practice involves growing two or more compatible crops together on the same field in the same season?

  1. Fallow cropping
  2. Sole cropping
  3. Monocropping
  4. Intercropping Correct answer.

Explanation

Intercropping grows two or more compatible crops together in the same field and season, often improving land use and reducing pest build-up. Monocropping and sole cropping both involve a single crop, while fallow cropping leaves land without a crop for a period.

Question 18Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

A farmer wishes to reduce soil erosion and improve organic matter in an orchard on sloping land. Which practice is most suitable?

  1. Removing all plant residue from the surface
  2. Growing a cover crop between orchard rows Correct answer.
  3. Clean cultivation with complete weed removal
  4. Deep ploughing along the slope

Explanation

A cover crop protects the soil surface from raindrop impact and runoff while adding organic matter through its roots and residues, which is well suited to sloping orchards. Clean cultivation, ploughing along the slope and residue removal all expose soil and accelerate erosion.

Question 19Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which type of propagation structure provides a warm, humid and shaded environment for rooting cuttings and germinating delicate seeds?

  1. Field seedbed without cover
  2. Open nursery bed
  3. Dry storage shed
  4. Shade net house with misting Correct answer.

Explanation

A shade net house with misting reduces light intensity and maintains high humidity around cuttings and germinating seed, limiting transpiration until roots form. Open beds, uncovered seedbeds and dry storage sheds cannot maintain the humid microclimate required, so propagation success is poor.

Question 20Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which physiological process is directly responsible for the loss of water as vapour from leaf surfaces through stomata?

  1. Photosynthesis
  2. Transpiration Correct answer.
  3. Guttation
  4. Respiration

Explanation

Transpiration is the evaporation of water from leaf surfaces through stomatal pores and is the main driver of water movement through the plant. Respiration releases energy from sugars, photosynthesis fixes carbon, and guttation is the exudation of liquid water droplets from leaf margins rather than vapour loss.

Question 21Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

A mango orchard shows poor fruit set despite profuse flowering. Which factor is most likely to reduce fruit set under field conditions?

  1. High humidity and rain during flowering Correct answer.
  2. Timely irrigation during fruit development
  3. Adequate pollination by insects
  4. Balanced nutrition with adequate boron

Explanation

Rain and very high humidity during flowering wash away pollen, hinder pollinator activity and favour flower drop, so fruit set falls even when flowering is profuse. Good pollination, balanced nutrition and timely irrigation all support rather than reduce fruit set.

Question 22Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which factor best explains why grafted fruit plants begin bearing earlier than seedling plants of the same species?

  1. Grafted plants have a larger root system from the start
  2. Grafted plants always receive more fertiliser
  3. The scion is taken from mature tissue that has already passed the juvenile phase Correct answer.
  4. Seedlings lack the ability to flower at all

Explanation

The scion in a graft is taken from mature wood that has already passed juvenility, so the grafted plant can flower and fruit within a few years. A larger root system, extra fertiliser or an inability of seedlings to flower do not explain precocity, because seedling plants do flower eventually but only after a long juvenile period.

Question 23Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

In a protected cultivation unit, carbon dioxide enrichment is practised mainly because it affects which process?

  1. Photosynthetic rate Correct answer.
  2. Stomatal closure at night
  3. Root hair formation
  4. Seed dormancy

Explanation

Carbon dioxide is the substrate for the Calvin cycle, so raising its concentration in a closed greenhouse increases the photosynthetic rate when light and other factors are adequate. It does not primarily control night stomatal closure, root hair initiation or seed dormancy, which depend on other environmental and hormonal signals.

Question 24Fundamentals of Horticulture and Plant Science

Which of the following is a key advantage of using certified disease-free planting material in horticulture?

  1. It eliminates the need for any fertiliser application
  2. It reduces the carry-over of pathogens to the field Correct answer.
  3. It guarantees higher market price for the produce
  4. It removes the requirement for irrigation

Explanation

Certified disease-free planting material is tested and produced under controlled conditions, so it lowers the chance of introducing or carrying pathogens into the field. It does not by itself guarantee a higher price, nor does it replace the need for fertiliser or irrigation, which remain essential for crop growth.

Question 25Fruit Production and Orchard Management

In mango, the recommended practice of removing the panicle's central axis to encourage lateral flower-bearing branches is known as:

  1. Staking
  2. De-blossoming Correct answer.
  3. Ring barking
  4. Pruning of roots

Explanation

De-blossoming or panicle thinning removes the main axis of the mango panicle so that lateral branches develop, giving better fruit set and larger fruits. It is a recognised orchard operation in mango cultivation. Root pruning and ring barking serve different purposes such as vigour control.

Question 26Fruit Production and Orchard Management

The most suitable planting distance for a standard mango orchard on fertile soil is approximately:

  1. 1 m × 1 m
  2. 10 m × 10 m Correct answer.
  3. 0.5 m × 0.5 m
  4. 3 m × 3 m

Explanation

Mango trees develop a large canopy, so a spacing of about 10 m × 10 m is standard for conventional orchards. Closer spacings are used only in high-density systems with dwarfing or pruning management. Very close spacings suit short-lived vegetables or papaya, not mango.

Question 27Fruit Production and Orchard Management

Which rootstock propagation method is commonly used to multiply true-to-type guava planting material?

  1. Spore culture
  2. Seed sowing of open-pollinated fruit
  3. Air layering (gootee) Correct answer.
  4. Leaf cutting in sand

Explanation

Guava is easily propagated vegetatively by air layering, which produces plants identical to the parent and bears fruit earlier. Seed propagation gives variable progeny because guava is cross-pollinated. Leaf cuttings and spore culture are not practical propagation methods for guava.

Question 28Fruit Production and Orchard Management

In banana cultivation, the sword sucker is preferred as planting material mainly because it:

  1. Has a broad, well-developed rhizome and grows vigorously Correct answer.
  2. Produces more leaves than the mother plant in the first week
  3. Bears fruit within two months of planting
  4. Is free from all pests and diseases

Explanation

Sword suckers have a narrow base with well-formed rhizome and are robust, giving uniform, vigorous establishment. Water suckers have a broad base and weaker attachment, so they establish poorly. No planting material is completely pest-free, and no sucker fruits within two months.

Question 29Fruit Production and Orchard Management

The process of removing young fruit that are malformed, diseased or overcrowded from a tree is called:

  1. Thinning Correct answer.
  2. Earthing up
  3. Mulching
  4. Girdling

Explanation

Thinning removes excess or defective fruits so that the remaining fruits receive more assimilates and develop better size and quality. Girdling, earthing up and mulching are separate cultural operations with different objectives. Thinning also reduces alternate bearing in many fruit crops.

Question 30Fruit Production and Orchard Management

Which of the following is a climacteric fruit that continues to ripen after harvest?

  1. Mango Correct answer.
  2. Litchi
  3. Lemon
  4. Grape

Explanation

Mango shows a climacteric rise in respiration and ethylene production at ripening, so it can be harvested mature-green and ripened afterwards. Grape, lemon and litchi are non-climacteric and do not ripen further once detached. This distinction guides harvest timing and storage.

Question 31Fruit Production and Orchard Management

Papaya is best described botanically as:

  1. An annual cereal
  2. A large herbaceous perennial Correct answer.
  3. A woody climber
  4. A tree with a woody trunk

Explanation

Papaya has a soft, non-woody, hollow stem and is therefore classified as a large herbaceous perennial rather than a true tree. It grows rapidly and is short-lived compared with woody orchard trees. Papaya is neither a climber nor a cereal.

Question 32Fruit Production and Orchard Management

The main purpose of mulching in a fruit orchard is to:

  1. Increase soil temperature to damaging levels
  2. Promote deep ploughing of the root zone
  3. Conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds Correct answer.
  4. Eliminate the need for irrigation permanently

Explanation

Mulch covers the soil surface, reducing evaporation, moderating soil temperature and suppressing weed growth. It supplements but never replaces irrigation completely. Mulching also improves soil organic matter as it decomposes.

Question 33Fruit Production and Orchard Management

In a mango orchard, alternate bearing refers to:

  1. Flowering in alternate months of the year
  2. A heavy crop year followed by a light or nil crop year Correct answer.
  3. Producing fruit on alternate branches
  4. Bearing fruit twice in the same season

Explanation

Alternate or biennial bearing is the tendency of some mango cultivars to produce a heavy 'on' year crop followed by a poor 'off' year. It results from depletion of carbohydrate reserves and hormonal imbalance after a heavy crop. Management includes de-blossoming, thinning and balanced nutrition.

Question 34Fruit Production and Orchard Management

A grower wants to reduce the juvenile period and obtain early bearing in a newly planted mango orchard. The most appropriate practice is to:

  1. Graft on a suitable rootstock and adopt de-blossoming in early years Correct answer.
  2. Flood the basin continuously for the first two years
  3. Remove all leaves after planting
  4. Apply heavy nitrogen to force vegetative growth

Explanation

Grafting onto a compatible rootstock shortens juvenility, and de-blossoming in early years diverts energy into framework development. Heavy nitrogen promotes vegetative growth but delays flowering. Flooding and defoliation stress the young tree.

Question 35Fruit Production and Orchard Management

In banana, the practice of removing unwanted suckers to retain a single stem per plant is called:

  1. Desuckering Correct answer.
  2. Propping
  3. Bunch covering
  4. Denavelling

Explanation

Desuckering removes surplus suckers so that the mother plant receives adequate nutrients and water, giving larger bunches. Propping supports the pseudostem against lodging, denavelling removes the male bud, and bunch covering protects the fruit. These are distinct banana orchard operations.

Question 36Fruit Production and Orchard Management

A papaya field shows a high proportion of male plants that bear no fruit. The best practical solution is to:

  1. Apply growth regulators to convert males into females
  2. Stop irrigation to induce sex change
  3. Plant only male plants for better pollination
  4. Remove male plants and retain hermaphrodite or female plants at the recommended ratio Correct answer.

Explanation

Papaya sex expression is genetically determined, so male plants cannot be converted by regulators. Removing excess males and maintaining the recommended ratio of female or hermaphrodite plants ensures good fruit set. Male plants are retained only as pollinators at a low proportion.

Question 37Fruit Production and Orchard Management

The chief advantage of using a dwarf rootstock in a fruit orchard is that it:

  1. Makes the fruit seedless in all crops
  2. Allows high-density planting and easier canopy management Correct answer.
  3. Increases the height of the tree for easy ladder harvesting
  4. Eliminates the need for pruning entirely

Explanation

Dwarfing rootstocks restrict tree size, permitting closer spacing, higher plant density and easier pruning, spraying and harvesting. They do not eliminate pruning and do not by themselves make fruit seedless. Taller trees are less convenient for orchard operations.

Question 38Fruit Production and Orchard Management

In litchi, the recommended method of propagation to obtain true-to-type plants is:

  1. Stem cutting in water
  2. Root division
  3. Sowing fresh seed
  4. Air layering Correct answer.

Explanation

Litchi is commercially propagated by air layering, which produces clonal plants that bear true-to-type fruit. Seedlings are variable and take many years to bear. Stem cuttings in water and root division are not practical for litchi.

Question 39Fruit Production and Orchard Management

A farmer observes that citrus fruits on his trees are small and the trees show mottled leaves with poor growth. Which orchard practice is most directly aimed at correcting such nutrient-related fruit size problems?

  1. Deep ploughing between rows
  2. Removing all shade trees
  3. Balanced fertilizer application based on soil and leaf analysis Correct answer.
  4. Increasing the planting distance

Explanation

Balanced fertilization guided by soil and leaf analysis corrects deficiencies that limit fruit size and tree vigour. Planting distance and ploughing do not correct nutrient imbalance. Removing shade may increase light but does not address the mottled-leaf deficiency symptom.

Question 40Fruit Production and Orchard Management

The term 'fruit drop' in mango is best managed by:

  1. Increasing the spacing after fruit set
  2. Removing all flowers at the bud stage
  3. Spraying growth regulators such as NAA at the appropriate stage and ensuring timely irrigation Correct answer.
  4. Applying lime to the foliage

Explanation

Mango fruit drop occurs in waves and can be reduced by auxin sprays such as NAA at the pea stage along with adequate irrigation and nutrition. Removing all flowers prevents any crop. Lime sprays and changing spacing after fruit set do not address the physiological causes of drop.

Question 41Fruit Production and Orchard Management

Which of the following best explains why grafted fruit plants are preferred over seedlings in commercial orchards?

  1. Grafted plants retain the cultivar characters and bear earlier Correct answer.
  2. Grafted plants always yield larger fruit than any seedling
  3. Grafted plants need no irrigation
  4. Seedlings are always more disease resistant

Explanation

Grafting combines a selected scion with a rootstock, so the trees are genetically identical to the cultivar and come into bearing earlier than seedlings. Yield and fruit size depend on many factors, and grafted plants still need irrigation. Seedlings are not universally more disease resistant.

Question 42Fruit Production and Orchard Management

In guava, the practice of bending or pruning branches to induce flowering is based on the principle that guava flowers on:

  1. Leaves after they senesce
  2. Roots exposed to light
  3. Old dormant wood only
  4. Current season's new growth Correct answer.

Explanation

Guava bears flowers on new growth arising from current-season shoots, so pruning and branch bending stimulate fresh growth and flowering. This allows growers to regulate the cropping season. Old dormant wood, roots and senescent leaves are not the flowering sites.

Question 43Fruit Production and Orchard Management

A grower plants papaya in a field that is waterlogged for several days. The most likely outcome is:

  1. Earlier flowering due to stress
  2. Improved fruit set due to high moisture
  3. Root rot and plant death because papaya is sensitive to waterlogging Correct answer.
  4. Increased sugar content in fruit

Explanation

Papaya is highly sensitive to waterlogging; saturated soil causes root rot and rapid decline. Good drainage and raised beds are recommended. Excess moisture does not improve fruit set or sugar content and stress does not reliably hasten flowering.

Question 44Fruit Production and Orchard Management

The main reason for practising crop rotation and clean cultivation in a fruit nursery is to:

  1. Shorten the grafting union
  2. Increase the size of planting material
  3. Reduce build-up of soil-borne pathogens and nematodes Correct answer.
  4. Improve the colour of mature fruits

Explanation

Repeated raising of the same nursery crop builds up soil-borne pathogens and nematodes, so rotation and clean cultivation reduce inoculum. These practices support healthy nursery stock but do not directly determine plant size, fruit colour or graft union formation.

Question 45Fruit Production and Orchard Management

In a mango orchard, the recommended time for pruning to avoid excessive vegetative growth and to coincide with the post-harvest period is:

  1. During the coldest frost period
  2. At the time of fruit ripening
  3. During peak flowering
  4. Immediately after harvest Correct answer.

Explanation

Pruning immediately after harvest allows the tree to recover and produce new shoots well before the next flowering season. Pruning during flowering or ripening removes productive parts, and frost periods risk injury to fresh cuts. Timing is therefore critical in orchard management.

Question 46Fruit Production and Orchard Management

A banana grower wants to improve bunch weight and fruit quality. Which combination of practices is most appropriate?

  1. Planting at very close spacing without any sucker removal
  2. Removing the bunch cover and stopping irrigation at flowering
  3. Allowing all suckers to grow and withholding fertilizer
  4. Desuckering, timely irrigation, balanced nutrition and denavelling Correct answer.

Explanation

Desuckering directs resources to the mother plant, while irrigation, balanced nutrition and removal of the male bud improve bunch weight and fruit quality. Retaining all suckers causes competition, and withholding water or fertilizer at flowering reduces yield. Close spacing without desuckering increases competition further.

Question 47Fruit Production and Orchard Management

An orchardist notices that his litchi trees flower profusely but set very few fruits. Which factor is most likely responsible?

  1. Poor pollination due to inadequate pollinator activity and dry weather during bloom Correct answer.
  2. Use of air-layered planting material
  3. Excess soil moisture during fruit development
  4. Application of mulch around the basin

Explanation

Litchi has separate male and female flowers and depends on insect pollinators; dry, hot weather during bloom reduces pollination and fruit set. Excess moisture during fruit development affects fruit cracking rather than initial set. Mulching and air layering are beneficial practices, not causes of poor set.

Question 48Fruit Production and Orchard Management

In a high-density mango planting system, the most important reason for regular canopy pruning is to:

  1. Prevent the formation of any flowers
  2. Maintain light penetration and airflow within the canopy Correct answer.
  3. Eliminate the need for fertilizer
  4. Increase trunk girth for timber production

Explanation

High-density orchards close their canopy quickly, so regular pruning maintains light penetration, airflow and efficient spraying, which reduces disease and improves fruit colour. Pruning does not replace fertilizer, is not aimed at timber, and should not prevent flowering.

Question 49Fruit Production and Orchard Management

A grower wants to extend the availability of fresh guava fruit over a longer period. Which approach is most consistent with guava's bearing behaviour?

  1. Harvesting all fruit at one time and storing it for months
  2. Planting only male plants in alternate rows
  3. Flooding the orchard to delay ripening
  4. Staggered pruning of different blocks to induce new growth at different times Correct answer.

Explanation

Because guava flowers on new growth, staggered pruning of blocks induces successive flushes of flowering and spreads harvest over a longer period. Guava is perishable and cannot be stored for months, and flooding or male plants do not extend availability.

Question 50Fruit Production and Orchard Management

In commercial banana cultivation, the practice of covering the bunch with a perforated polythene sleeve after the last hand has emerged is mainly done to:

  1. Increase the number of hands per bunch by stimulating the apical meristem
  2. Reduce the size of the peduncle so that the bunch hangs lower
  3. Induce uniform suckering from the corm for the next ratoon crop
  4. Improve bunch weight and fruit appearance by modifying the micro-climate around the bunch Correct answer.

Explanation

Bunch sleeving modifies temperature, humidity and light around the developing bunch, which reduces sunburn and blemishes, encourages even filling of fingers and gives cleaner, better-graded fruit. It does not create new hands, since the number of hands is fixed once the inflorescence has emerged, nor does it act on the corm or peduncle.