Question

Match List I with List II

List I (Crop) & List II (Effective root zone depth (cm))
A. Rice & I. 40
B. Maize & II. 90
C. Safflower & III. 120
D. Wheat & IV. 180

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. A - III, B - IV, C - II, D - I
• B. A - IV, B - II, C - III, D - I
• C. A - I, B - III, C - IV, D - II
• D. A - II, B - IV, C - III, D - I

Hint:

To easily order effective root depths: Safflower is extremely deep-rooted (\(180\text{ cm}\)), Maize is deep (\(120\text{ cm}\)), Wheat is moderately deep (\(90\text{ cm}\)), and Rice is shallow (\(40\text{ cm}\)).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The effective root zone depth is the soil depth from which a crop extracts the majority of its water and nutrients.
This depth varies by crop species, growth stage, soil type, and management practices, and is a key parameter for designing irrigation systems.
Detailed Explanation:
Let us correlate each crop with its typical effective root zone depth:
- A. Rice: Has a shallow, fibrous root system. Since lowland rice is cultivated under flooded or puddled conditions, root growth is restricted to the upper oxidized layer, resulting in a shallow effective root depth of approximately I. 40 cm.
- B. Maize: A deep-rooted cereal crop with a vigorous root system that can extract water down to III. 120 cm under favorable soil conditions.
- C. Safflower: An extremely deep-rooted, drought-tolerant oilseed crop. Its taproot system can penetrate deep into the soil profile to access subsoil moisture, reaching depths of IV. 180 cm.
- D. Wheat: A moderately deep-rooted winter cereal. Its primary and adventitious root systems extract most of their water from the upper II. 90 cm of the soil profile.
This gives the matches: A - I, B - III, C - IV, D - II.

Step 2: Final Answer:
The correct matches correspond to Option (C).