BSc Agriculture Crop Improvement of Kharif Crops MCQ, one-liner, true/false & fill in the blanks questions for exams

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BSc Agriculture Crop Improvement of Kharif Crops

Author–Kumesh choudhari 

For every agriculture student, understanding the BSc Agriculture Crop Improvement of Kharif Crops is both exciting and challenging. Subjects such as ideotype, germplasm, gene pool, hybridisation, and concepts of centre of origin or isolation distance often appear scattered in books. During exam time, it becomes challenging to revise them all together.

That’s why I created this post, where you will find everything in one place — from the basics of major crops like Maize, Rice, Pearl Millet, and Sorghum (their botanical name, family, first hybrid, and isolation distance) to the hybridization concepts that are most important for exams.

Along with notes, this page also includes MCQs, one-liners, fill-in-the-blanks, true/false, and key terminologies, so that you can practice in every format and prepare with confidence. Whether you are studying for BSc Agriculture semester exams, ICAR-JRF, or any competitive exam, this guide will save your time and make revision easier.

👉 So, if you are searching for a clear and exam-oriented resource on Crop Improvement of Kharif Crops, this post will be your perfect study companion.

True/False, and One-liners so that you can practice and revise more effectively.

👉 If you are looking for a complete, exam-focused collection of BSc Agriculture Plant Pathology MCQ and related questions, then this post will definitely help you.

Top 40 BSc Agriculture Crop Improvement of Kharif Crops (MCQs)

Section A: Conceptual Topics (Ideotype, Germplasm, Gene pool)

  1. The term “Crop Ideotype” was first proposed by:
    a) Norman Borlaug
    b) Donald (1968)
    c) Swaminathan
    d) Mendel
    Answer: b) Donald (1968)

  2. The purpose of an ideotype breeding programme is:
    a) Increase input requirement
    b) Genetic uniformity
    c) Higher yield with desirable traits
    d) Disease susceptibility
    Answer: c) Higher yield with desirable traits

  3. Germplasm is:
    a) Collection of seeds of only wild plants
    b) Total genetic resources of a crop species
    c) Only hybrids and varieties
    d) Only mutants
    Answer: b) Total genetic resources of a crop species

  4. Narrow gene pool includes:
    a) Only cultivated varieties
    b) Wild relatives only
    c) Exotic material exclusively
    d) All species of a family
    Answer: a) Only cultivated varieties

  5. Primary gene pool refers to:
    a) Interfertile forms with cultivated species
    b) Species with partial fertility
    c) Interspecific crosses with difficulty
    d) Experimental hybrids of unrelated crops
    Answer: a) Interfertile forms with cultivated species

  6. Secondary gene pool includes:
    a) Members that cross freely with crop
    b) Species showing partial fertility with crop
    c) Mutants of the crop
    d) Microbial species
    Answer: b) Species showing partial fertility with crop

  7. Tertiary gene pool members produce:
    a) Fully fertile progeny
    b) Partially fertile progeny
    c) Highly sterile progeny requiring special techniques
    d) Apomictic hybrids
    Answer: c) Highly sterile progeny requiring special techniques

  8. In germplasm conservation, gene banks mainly conserve:
    a) Soil microbes
    b) Seeds, pollen, tissues
    c) Animal embryos
    d) Only exotic species
    Answer: b) Seeds, pollen, tissues

Section B: Maize – Basics, Hybridization, Center of Origin

  1. Scientific name of maize is:
    a) Sorghum bicolor
    b) Oryza sativa
    c) Pennisetum glaucum
    d) Zea mays
    Answer: d) Zea mays
  2. Family of maize is:
    a) Solanaceae
    b) Poaceae
    c) Fabaceae
    d) Cruciferae
    Answer: b) Poaceae
  3. Maize originated in:
    a) India
    b) Mexico and Central America
    c) Africa
    d) Southeast Asia
    Answer: b) Mexico and Central America
  4. First high yielding maize hybrid in India released was:
    a) Ganga-1
    b) Deccan Hybrid
    c) Double cross hybrid – Ganga Safed-2
    d) Ganga-5
    Answer: a) Ganga-1
  5. Isolation distance for maize hybrid seed production is:
    a) 200 m
    b) 300 m
    c) 400 m
    d) 500 m
    Answer: c) 400 m
  6. Maize is a cross-pollinated crop with pollination type:
    a) Cleistogamous
    b) Geitonogamy (mostly wind pollination)
    c) Autogamy
    d) Entomophily
    Answer: b) Geitonogamy
  7. Hybrid seed production in maize is successful due to:
    a) Protogyny
    b) Protandry
    c) Apomixis
    d) Vegetative propagation
    Answer: b) Protandry
  8. Normal hybridization technique used in maize is:
    a) Hand emasculation + pollination
    b) Detasseling and controlled pollination
    c) Emasculation by chemical agents
    d) None
    Answer: b) Detasseling and controlled pollination

Section C: Rice – Basics, Hybridization, Center of Origin

  1. Scientific name of rice is:
    a) Oryza sativa
    b) Zea mays
    c) Triticum aestivum
    d) Sorghum bicolor
    Answer: a) Oryza sativa
  2. Rice belongs to family:
    a) Poaceae
    b) Fabaceae
    c) Cucurbitaceae
    d) Brassicaceae
    Answer: a) Poaceae
  3. Center of origin of rice is considered to be:
    a) Mexico
    b) Indo-Burma and Southeast Asia
    c) Africa
    d) Europe
    Answer: b) Indo-Burma and Southeast Asia
  4. First high yielding rice variety in India was:
    a) Jaya
    b) IR-8
    c) Taichung Native 1
    d) Pusa Basmati
    Answer: b) IR-8
  5. In India, first rice hybrid released was:
    a) APHR-1
    b) KRH-1
    c) Pusa RH-10
    d) IR-64
    Answer: b) KRH-1
  6. Isolation distance for rice hybrid seed production is about:
    a) 100 m
    b) 200 m
    c) 250 m
    d) 400 m
    Answer: b) 200 m
  7. Hybrid seed production in rice is largely based on:
    a) Self-incompatibility
    b) Cytoplasmic genetic male sterility (CMS) system
    c) Apomixis
    d) Protandry
    Answer: b) CMS system

Section D: Pearl Millet – Basics, Hybridization, Center of Origin

  1. Botanical name of pearl millet is:
    a) Pennisetum glaucum
    b) Setaria italica
    c) Sorghum bicolor
    d) Zea mays
    Answer: a) Pennisetum glaucum
  2. Pearl millet belongs to family:
    a) Solanaceae
    b) Poaceae
    c) Fabaceae
    d) Malvaceae
    Answer: b) Poaceae
  3. Center of origin of pearl millet is:
    a) Ethiopia – West Africa region
    b) Mexico
    c) India
    d) Mediterranean
    Answer: a) Ethiopia – West Africa region
  4. First pearl millet hybrid in the world released from India was:
    a) Shakti-1
    b) HB-1
    c) Hybrid Bajra-1 (HB-1)
    d) BJ-104
    Answer: c) HB-1 (1965)
  5. Isolation distance for hybrid seed production in pearl millet:
    a) 200 m
    b) 300 m
    c) 400 m
    d) 500 m
    Answer: a) 200 m
  6. Hybrid seed production in pearl millet exploits:
    a) Self-incompatibility system
    b) Cytoplasmic genetic male sterility system
    c) Protandry
    d) Apomixis
    Answer: b) CMS system

Section E: Sorghum – Basics, Hybridization, Center of Origin

  1. Scientific name of sorghum is:
    a) Sorghum bicolor
    b) Sorghum vulgare
    c) Both (a) and (b)
    d) Oryza sativa
    Answer: a) Sorghum bicolor
  2. Family of sorghum is:
    a) Malvaceae
    b) Poaceae
    c) Fabaceae
    d) Euphorbiaceae
    Answer: b) Poaceae
  3. Sorghum center of origin is:
    a) India
    b) Africa (Ethiopia–Sudan)
    c) China
    d) Mexico
    Answer: b) Africa (Ethiopia–Sudan)
  4. Sorghum is predominantly ________ pollinated.
    a) Cross
    b) Self
    Answer: b) Self-pollinated (though ~5-10% cross pollination occurs)
  5. First sorghum hybrid released in India:
    a) CSH-1
    b) CSH-5
    c) CSH-9
    d) PC-1
    Answer: a) CSH-1 (1964)
  6. Isolation distance for sorghum hybrid seed production is:
    a) 100 m
    b) 200 m
    c) 300 m
    d) 400 m
    Answer: b) 200 m
  7. Hybridization technique used in sorghum is based on:
    a) Genetic male sterility
    b) Cytoplasmic genetic male sterility
    c) Hand emasculation
    d) Chemical sterile agents
    Answer: b) Cytoplasmic genetic male sterility (CMS)

Section F: Mixed Conceptual Questions

  1. The Nobel Prize in agriculture is popularly known as:
    a) Borlaug Award
    b) World Food Prize
    c) Ramon Magsaysay Award
    d) Swaminathan Prize
    Answer: b) World Food Prize
  2. In crop improvement, “heterosis breeding” mainly aims at:
    a) Genetic erosion
    b) Inbreeding depression
    c) Hybrid vigor for yield and fitness
    d) Resistance reduction
    Answer: c) Hybrid vigor for yield and fitness
  3. In maize, double cross hybrid involves crossing of:
    a) Four inbred lines
    b) Two hybrid varieties
    c) Wild x cultivated crosses
    d) None
    Answer: a) Four inbred lines
  4. Germplasm evaluation mainly involves studying:
    a) Weather forecasting
    b) Morphological, agronomic and genetic traits
    c) Only floral biology
    d) Market price of seeds
    Answer: b) Morphological, agronomic and genetic traits

Top 20 BSc Agriculture Crop Improvement of Kharif Crops (Fill in the Blanks)

Part-1

  1. The scientist who proposed the concept of ideotype breeding is ________.
    Answer: Donald

  2. Germplasm refers to the total collection of ________ resources of a crop.
    Answer: Genetic

  3. The crop improvement technique that exploits hybrid vigor is called ________.
    Answer: Heterosis breeding

  4. The primary gene pool consists of species that are ________ with the cultivated crop.
    Answer: Interfertile

  5. Cytoplasmic genetic male sterility (CMS) system is widely used in hybrid seed production of ________.
    Answer: Rice and pearl millet

  6. The botanical name of maize is ________.
    Answer: Zea mays

  7. Maize is mostly pollinated by ________ (type of pollination).
    Answer: Wind (anemophily)

  8. The first high yielding maize hybrid released in India was called ________.
    Answer: Ganga-1

  9. The isolation distance recommended for maize hybrid seed production is ________ meters.
    Answer: 400

  10. Rice belongs to the botanical family ________.
    Answer: Poaceae

Part-2

  1. The first high yielding rice variety released in India was ________.
    Answer: IR-8

  2. Hybrid seed production in rice mainly depends on ________ system.
    Answer: Cytoplasmic genetic male sterility (CMS)

  3. The botanical name of pearl millet is ________.
    Answer: Pennisetum glaucum

  4. Pearl millet originated in ________ region.
    Answer: Ethiopia-West Africa

  5. First pearl millet hybrid in India was named ________.
    Answer: HB-1

  6. Sorghum belongs to the family ________.
    Answer: Poaceae

  7. Sorghum’s center of origin is mainly the ________ continent.
    Answer: Africa

  8. Sorghum hybrid seed production uses ________ system for male sterility.
    Answer: Cytoplasmic genetic male sterility (CMS)

  9. Hybrid maize seed production is made easier because of ________ (fertility characteristic).
    Answer: Protandry

  10. Double cross hybrids in maize involve crossing ________ inbred lines.
    Answer: Four

Top 20 BSc Agriculture Crop Improvement of Kharif Crops (True/False Questions )

Part-1

  1. Ideotype breeding focuses on selecting plants with desirable traits rather than only high yield.
    Answer: True

  2. Germplasm includes only cultivated varieties of a crop.
    Answer: False (It includes wild relatives and landraces as well)

  3. Hybrid vigor or heterosis results in superior performance of hybrids compared to parents.
    Answer: True

  4. Primary gene pool contains species that are reproductively isolated from cultivated crops.
    Answer: False (They are interfertile)

  5. Cytoplasmic genetic male sterility (CMS) plays a crucial role in hybrid seed production in rice and pearl millet.
    Answer: True

  6. Maize belongs to the family Solanaceae.
    Answer: False (It belongs to Poaceae)

  7. Maize hybrid seed production relies on protogyny for controlling pollination.
    Answer: False (It relies on protandry)

  8. The isolation distance for maize hybrid seed production is generally 400 meters.
    Answer: True

  9. IR-8 was the first commercial rice hybrid released in India.
    Answer: False (It was the first high-yielding variety; hybrid KRH-1 was the first hybrid)

  10. Hybrid rice seed production mainly depends on manual emasculation techniques.
    Answer: False (Uses CMS system)

Part-2

  1. Pearl millet hybrid HB-1 was India’s first pearl millet hybrid.
    Answer: True

  2. Sorghum is predominantly self-pollinated with some natural cross-pollination.
    Answer: True

  3. Sorghum hybrid seed production largely depends on chemical male sterility systems.
    Answer: False (CMS system)

  4. Isolation distances in sorghum hybrid seed production are shorter than maize.
    Answer: True

  5. Double cross hybrids in maize involve crossing two hybrid parents.
    Answer: False (Involve four inbred lines)

  6. The center of origin for rice is considered to be Mexico.
    Answer: False (It is Indo-Burma and Southeast Asia)

  7. Hybrid vigor in crops typically results in early maturity and higher yield.
    Answer: True

  8. Germplasm conservation helps in the long term improvement of crops.
    Answer: True

  9. CMS systems provide a permanent solution for hybrid seed production without emasculation.
    Answer: True

  10. Hybridization in pearl millet has not resulted in any yield improvement.
    Answer: False

Top 20 BSc Agriculture Crop Improvement of Kharif Crops (One‑liners Questions)

  1. Who articulated “physiological traits should be built into plant type” in ideotype thinking?
    Answer: C.R. Austin (for wheat ideotype refinement).

  2. What is the immediate practical purpose of germplasm introduction?
    Answer: To broaden the genetic base and supply new alleles for breeding.

  3. Which gene pool class requires bridge crosses or embryo rescue for gene transfer?
    Answer: Tertiary gene pool.

  4. What is the core operation after germplasm collection in a gene bank workflow?
    Answer: Characterisation and preliminary evaluation.

  5. Which floral trait of maize aids controlled crossing without emasculation?
    Answer: Spatial separation of tassel and ear (monoecy) with protandry.

  6. What is the standard field practice to prevent selfing in maize hybrid seed production?
    Answer: Detasseling of female parent rows.

  7. Which type of hybrid shows the highest heterosis expression in maize breeding history?
    Answer: Single cross hybrid.

  8. In rice, which three‑line system components constitute the CMS approach?
    Answer: A line (CMS), B line (maintainer), R line (restorer).

  9. What is the genetic basis enabling hybrid seed production in rice without emasculation?
    Answer: Cytoplasmic–nuclear male sterility with fertility restorer genes.

  10. Name a key floral biology feature that makes manual emasculation difficult in rice.
    Answer: Small, cleistogamous flowers with synchronous anthesis.

  11. Which pollination type predominates in pearl millet, enabling large‑scale hybridisation?
    Answer: High natural outcrossing by wind.

  12. What critical trait must the R line possess in pearl millet CMS‑based hybrids?
    Answer: Dominant fertility restorer genes (Rf) compatible with CMS cytoplasm.

  13. Which milestone made India the global pioneer in bajra hybrid technology?
    Answer: Release of HB‑1 (world’s first pearl millet hybrid).

  14. What is a practical seed production layout feature common to maize and pearl millet?
    Answer: Designated male: female row ratios for timely pollen supply.

  15. In sorghum, why are bagging and timely hand‑pollination important during breeding?
    Answer: To avoid natural outcrossing and ensure true crosses.

  16. Which centre is widely accepted as the primary origin of sorghum diversity?
    Answer: Northeastern Africa (Ethiopia–Sudan region).

  17. What is a quick field indicator that isolation distance is inadequate in hybrid seed plots?
    Answer: Elevated offtypes and higher selfed/contaminant seed rates.

  18. Which key step follows F1 confirmation in a maize hybrid development pipeline?
    Answer: Multi‑location yield testing for stability and superiority.

  19. What is the strategic role of exotic germplasm in rice improvement?
    Answer: Introgression of novel alleles for yield, stress tolerance, and quality.

  20. Why is rouging more intensive and frequent in hybrid seed production than in varietal seed?
    Answer: To maintain genetic purity by removing off‑types and pollen shedders.

Top 20 BSc Agriculture Crop Improvement of Kharif Crops (Terminology)

Term

Simple Definition

Example/Details

Crop Focus

Ideotype

Ideal plant model with traits for max yield/adaptation
Erect leaves, sturdy stems in maize/rice
Maize, Rice

Germplasm

Total genetic resource of a crop species
Landraces, wild relatives, improved lines
All crops

Primary Gene Pool

Species fully crossable with crop
Cultivated varieties and closely related types
All crops

Secondary Gene Pool

Species partially crossable
Wild relatives with some fertility
All crops

Tertiary Gene Pool

Distantly related species needing special techniques
Usually requires embryo rescue, mutation
All crops

Heterosis (Hybrid Vigor)

Superior hybrid performance compared to parents
Maize single cross hybrids
Maize, Rice, Pearl Millet

Cytoplasmic Male Sterility

Male sterility due to cytoplasmic+ nuclear genes

CMS system enables hybrid seed without emasculation
Rice, Pearl Millet, Sorghum

Three-line System

CMS line (A), Maintainer line (B), Restorer line (R)
Used in hybrid rice and millet
Rice, Pearl Millet

Protandry

Male flowers mature earlier than female ones
Maize flowers (tassels before ears)
Maize

Isolation Distance

Minimum distance to prevent unwanted pollen contamination
400m for maize hybrid seed
Maize, Rice, Pearl Millet

Detasseling

Removal of tassels in maize female rows
To ensure cross-pollination
Maize

Restorer Gene (Rf)

Nuclear gene that restores fertility in CMS hybrids
Present in R lines in rice and millet
Rice, Pearl Millet, Sorghum

Double Cross Hybrid

Hybrid formed by crossing two single crosses
Earlier maize hybrids
Maize

Center of Origin

Geographic region with maximum genetic diversity
Mexico (maize), Indo-Burma (rice), Ethiopia (pearl millet)
All crops

Inbreeding Depression

Reduction in vigor after repeated selfing in cross-pollinated crops
Common in maize, pearl millet
Maize, Millet

Combining Ability (GCA/SCA)

Ability of a line to pass traits to hybrids (additive/non-additive)
Used in hybrid selection
All crops

Pedigree Method

Breeding method tracking ancestry of selected plants
Used in self-pollinated crops like rice
Rice

Recurrent Selection

Cyclic selection of superior plants and recombination
Used in cross-pollinated crops
Maize, Millet, Sorghum

Open-Pollinated Variety (OPV)

Population variety maintained by open pollination
Maintains genetic variability
Maize, Pearl Millet

Male:Female Row Ratio

Layout design in hybrid seed production
2:4 or 2:6 ratio in seed production plots
Maize, Pearl Millet

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