Question

Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R:
Assertion A: Rice occupies about 40% of the irrigated area in India and mostly grown in clayey soils
Reason R: Kharif crops requires a lot of water to grow and clayey texture of soil has less percolation rate
In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

• A. Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A
• B. Both A and R are correct but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
• C. A is correct but R is not correct
• D. A is not correct but R is correct

Hint:

Remember the crop-soil match:
- Rice (High Water Demand) $\rightarrow$ Clayey Soils (Low Infiltration/Percolation) to retain standing water.
- Root Crops (High Aeration Demand) $\rightarrow$ Sandy/Loamy Soils (High Drainage) to prevent rot.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Soil texture and water-holding capacity are key factors in crop selection.
Clayey soils have high clay content, small pore spaces, and very low water infiltration and percolation rates.
These physical properties make them ideal for crops that require standing water or high soil moisture levels during their growth cycle.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the relationship between the statements:
1. Assertion A: Rice occupies about 40% of the irrigated area in India and mostly grown in clayey soils.
This statement is correct.
Rice is the primary irrigated crop in India, accounting for nearly $40\%$ of the total irrigated agricultural area.
It is predominantly grown in heavy clayey or clay loam soils, particularly in major river basins and deltaic regions.
Therefore, Assertion A is true.
2. Reason R: Kharif crops requires a lot of water to grow and clayey texture of soil has less percolation rate.
This statement is correct.
Rice is a major Kharif (monsoon) crop with a very high water requirement.
It is traditionally cultivated under ponded water conditions.
Clayey soils are highly preferred for rice because their low percolation rate prevents water from draining too quickly into the deeper soil layers.
This low percolation rate makes it easier and cheaper to maintain the required depth of standing water in the paddy fields throughout the season.
Since the low percolation rate of clayey soils (Reason R) is the direct reason why rice is primarily grown in them (Assertion A), Reason R is the correct explanation of Assertion A.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Both Assertion A and Reason R are true, and Reason R is the correct explanation of Assertion A.
Hence, the correct option is (A).