Regenerative agriculture: rebuilding soil to secure future harvests

Sources

• Press Information Bureau, Government of India · Rebuilding Farming Systems: Regenerative Agriculture for a Resilient India (backgrounder) · 23 August 2026

Syllabus

Topics

Related previous-year questions

Asked in earlier UPSC Prelims papers on this topic. Answer, then check.

1. UPSC Prelims 2011 · Environment and Ecology · Agriculture and Environment

   Salinization occurs when the irrigation water accumulated in the soil evaporates, leaving behind salts and minerals. What are the effects of salinization on the irrigated land?

   1. It greatly increases the crop production
   2. It makes some soils impermeable
   3. It raises the water table
   4. It fills the air spaces in the soil with water
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Salinization leads to the accumulation of salts in the soil, reducing permeability and harming agricultural productivity.

   Difficulty: medium · direct

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2. UPSC Prelims 2012 · Environment and Ecology · Agriculture and Environment

   Consider the following agricultural practices: 1. Contour bunding 2. Relay cropping 3. Zero tillage In the context of global climate change, which of the above helps/help in carbon sequestration/storage in the soil?

   1. 1 and 2 only
   2. 3 only
   3. 1, 2 and 3
   4. None of them
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Correct Answer: 1, 2 and 3 Carbon sequestration means capturing and storing carbon, especially in soil and vegetation. Agricultural practices that reduce soil disturbance, prevent erosion and increase biomass help store more carbon in the soil. Statement-wise Explanation 1. Contour bunding — Correct Contour bunding involves making bunds along the contour lines of a slope. It reduces soil erosion and prevents loss of topsoil, which is rich in soil organic carbon. It also improves water infiltration and supports vegetation growth, helping carbon storage. 2. Relay cropping — Correct Relay cropping means sowing a second crop before the first crop is harvested. It keeps the soil covered for a longer period and reduces soil degradation. It also increases total biomass, root residues and organic matter addition to the soil. 3. Zero tillage — Correct Zero tillage means growing crops without ploughing or with minimum soil disturbance. Ploughing exposes soil organic matter to oxygen, increasing carbon loss as carbon dioxide. Zero tillage keeps carbon stored in the soil and allows crop residues to decompose slowly. Extra UPSC Info * Soil Organic Carbon is the carbon component of soil organic matter and is important for soil fertility. * Soil and forests act as carbon sinks when they absorb more carbon than they release. * Zero tillage is a key practice under conservation agriculture. * Conservation agriculture is based on minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotation. * Climate-smart agriculture aims at productivity, resilience and emission reduction. * Do not confuse carbon sequestration only with forests; agricultural soils can also store significant carbon. Final Takeaway All three practices help carbon sequestration by reducing soil erosion, maintaining soil cover, increasing biomass and preventing carbon loss from soil.

   Difficulty: hard · statement

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3. UPSC Prelims 2016 · Indian Economy · Agriculture Economy

   Which of the following is/are the advantage/advantages of practising drip irrigation? 1. Reduction in weed 2. Reduction in soil salinity 3. Reduction in soil erosion Select the correct answer using the code given below.

   1. 1 and 2 only
   2. 3 only
   3. 1 and 3 only
   4. None of the above is an advantage of practising drip irrigation
   Show answer

   Answer: C. VERDICT: The answer is 1 and 3 only. Drip irrigation reduces weeds and soil erosion, but it does not reduce soil salinity. ANALYSIS: Statement 1 is CORRECT. Water is delivered to the root zone of the crop alone, so the inter row area stays dry and weed germination is suppressed. Statement 3 is CORRECT. There is no flooding and no runoff, so the detachment and transport of soil particles that surface irrigation causes does not occur. Statement 2 is INCORRECT, and it inverts a known limitation. Because drip applies small volumes without leaching, salts accumulate at the wetting front, and salinity hazard is listed among the disadvantages of the method rather than the advantages. SOURCE: Agricultural extension material on drip irrigation. Source type RR. HOW TO CRACK IT: Reason from the single defining feature, that drip delivers small quantities of water precisely to the root zone with no excess. Weeds and erosion both depend on water reaching where it is not wanted, so both are reduced. Salt removal, by contrast, requires surplus water to flush salts downward, which drip deliberately avoids. One mechanism therefore explains all three statements, and the third follows as a cost of the same design that produces the first two.

   Difficulty: medium · statement

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4. UPSC Prelims 2017 · Indian Economy · Agriculture Economy

   Consider the following statements: The nation-wide ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ aims at 1. expanding the cultivable area under irrigation. 2. enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality. 3. checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

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

   Answer: B. VERDICT: The answer is 3 only. The Soil Health Card Scheme aims at checking the overuse of fertilisers, not at expanding irrigation or guiding bank lending. ANALYSIS: Statement 3 is CORRECT. Launched in February 2015, the scheme issues a card carrying crop wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilisers required for each individual holding, so that farmers apply what the soil actually needs and stop over applying urea. Statement 1 is INCORRECT. Expanding area under irrigation is the objective of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, a different programme. Statement 2 is INCORRECT. The card carries no function in credit appraisal and banks do not size loans from soil quality. SOURCE: Press Information Bureau release and press reporting on the scheme. Source type EN. HOW TO CRACK IT: Read the instrument to find the objective, since a card that reports soil nutrient status can only act on what farmers apply to the soil, which is fertiliser. It cannot create water and it is not a financial document. Asking what the scheme physically delivers, and then asking what that deliverable can possibly change, filters out plausible sounding objectives borrowed from neighbouring schemes, which is how these distractors are built.

   Difficulty: easy · statement

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5. UPSC Prelims 2020 · Environment and Ecology · Agriculture and Environment

   What is/are the advantage/advantages of zero tillage in agriculture? 1. Sowing of wheat is possible without burning the residue of previous crop. 2. Without the need for nursery of rice saplings, direct planting of paddy seeds in the wet soil is possible. 3. Carbon sequestration in the soil is possible. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

   Answer: D. Statement 1 – CORRECT: Zero-till farming is a way of growing wheat crops without tillage or disturbing the soil in harvested fields. Happy Seeder is one of the unique techniques which is used for sowing seed without any burning of crop residue. Hence statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 – CORRECT: Direct seeded rice (DSR) has received much attention because of its low-input demand. It involves sowing pre-germinated seed into a puddled soil surface (wet seeding), standing water (water seeding) or dry seeding into a prepared seedbed (dry seeding). Hence statement 2 is correct. Statement 3 – CORRECT: Adopting no-tillage in agro-ecosystems has been widely recommended as a means of enhancing carbon (C) sequestration in soils. Hence statement 3 is correct. Correct statements: 1, 2 and 3 → Option (d).

   Difficulty: medium · statement

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6. UPSC Prelims 2021 · Environment and Ecology · Agriculture and Environment

   How is the 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 increase in soil salinity but the occurrence of such phenomenon is not observed in permaculture farming. 3. Conventional chemical farming is easily possibly 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 code given below.

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

   Answer: B. Permaculture is, amongst others, an approach to land management that adopts arrangements observed in flourishing natural ecosystems. It includes a set of design principles derived using whole systems thinking. It uses these principles in fields such as regenerative agriculture, rewilding, and community resilience. Statement 1 – CORRECT: Permaculture discourages monoculture and serves to open up the possibility of growing a wide range of food grains, fruits and vegetables and thereby expanding the food basket; thus permaculture also contributes to community health. Hence, statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 – CORRECT: Application of permaculture methods and introducing permaculture techniques like swales, natural mulching, rainfall harvesting, legume cultivation, have a clear role in improving soil properties, increasing soil organic matter content and reducing soil salinity. Hence, statement 2 is correct. Statement 3 – INCORRECT: Due to its focus on water conservation and region specific crops, it is very much suitable for arid and semi arid regions. Hence, statement 3 is not correct. Statement 4 – CORRECT: Mulch is a material placed on the soil surface to maintain moisture, reduce weed growth, mitigate soil erosion and improve soil conditions. Mulching can help to improve crop yield and optimise water use which is an essential component of permaculture. Hence, statement 4 is correct. Correct statements: 1, 2 and 4 → Option (b).

   Difficulty: medium · statement

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Practice questions

1. With reference to regenerative agriculture, consider the following statements: 1. It seeks to actively improve soil health rather than only maintain existing conditions. 2. Minimising soil disturbance and maintaining soil cover are among its principles. 3. It requires the exclusive use of chemical fertilisers to restore soil nutrients. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

   Answer: A. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: limiting chemical inputs is one of the stated principles of regenerative agriculture.

   Difficulty: medium · statement

2. Consider the following scheme and focus pairs: 1. Per Drop More Crop — Micro-irrigation and water-use efficiency 2. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana — Organic farming through financial support and certification 3. Rainfed Area Development Programme — Establishment of agroforestry nurseries How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

   1. Only one
   2. Only two
   3. All three
   4. None
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Pairs 1 and 2 are correct. Pair 3 is wrong: RAD promotes Integrated Farming Systems through a cluster approach. Agroforestry nurseries are supported under the Agroforestry Component of PM-RKVY.

   Difficulty: medium · statement

3. With reference to the Soil Health Card Scheme, consider the following statements: 1. It provides farmers with plot-wise soil test reports generated through scientific testing. 2. The card assesses soil health on 12 key parameters. 3. Soil Health Cards are issued every five years. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

   Answer: A. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: Soil Health Cards are issued every two years, not every five years.

   Difficulty: easy · statement

Mains practice

Answer-writing practice on this article. Attempt it first, then open the hints.

1. GS3 · 250 words

   India's agricultural growth has been strong, yet soil health remains a growing concern. Examine the case for regenerative agriculture and evaluate the government's interventions to promote it. (250 words)

   Show hints

   1. Explain the reported paradox of 4.45% decadal growth alongside concerns about soil responsiveness.
   2. Distinguish sustainable farming, which maintains, from regenerative agriculture, which aims to improve.
   3. Discuss natural farming, micro-irrigation, IFS, agroforestry and soil-health practices.
   4. Assess NMNF, PKVY, PDMC, RAD, the Agroforestry Component and Soil Health Cards.
   5. Consider transition-period risk, input access, extension and outcome measurement.
2. Essay · 250 words

   The health of a nation rests on the health of its soil.

   Show hints

   1. Explain soil's role in food security and rural livelihoods.
   2. Consider how intensive cultivation and chemical dependence can degrade soil.
   3. Discuss the shift from maintaining conditions to actively rebuilding them.
   4. Connect soil health with water retention, biodiversity and climate resilience.
   5. Balance immediate productivity needs with long-term ecological restoration.