Boost Your Bengal Gram Quiz Quiz

Explore essential facts about Bengal gram fertilization practices with this easy five-question quiz covering nutrients, timing, and common misconceptions. Enhance your agriculture knowledge with beginner-friendly content on one of India's crucial pulse crops.

1. Optimal Basal Fertilizer Application

   Which fertilizer is commonly recommended as a basal dose at sowing time for Bengal gram cultivation?

   1. Urea
   2. Calcium Sulfate
   3. Potash only
   4. DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate)

   Explanation: DAP provides both nitrogen and phosphorus, which are essential at sowing for early growth and root development. Calcium sulfate is not a standard basal fertilizer for Bengal gram. Urea is a nitrogen fertilizer but is seldom recommended alone at sowing due to possible losses. Potash alone does not suffice as it lacks nitrogen and phosphorus.

2. Role of Rhizobium in Bengal Gram

   Why is seed inoculation with Rhizobium bacteria often practiced before sowing Bengal gram?

   1. It delays seed germination
   2. It enhances nitrogen fixation in the soil
   3. It protects seeds from fungal diseases
   4. It acts as a growth hormone

   Explanation: Rhizobium bacteria help Bengal gram fix atmospheric nitrogen, reducing the need for external nitrogen fertilizers. While some seed treatments do protect from diseases or act as growth hormones, Rhizobium primarily aids nitrogen fixation. It does not delay germination.

3. Micronutrient Management

   A deficiency of which micronutrient is commonly observed in Bengal gram fields and corrected by a foliar spray?

   1. Boron
   2. Manganese
   3. Iron
   4. Zinc

   Explanation: Zinc deficiency is relatively common in Bengal gram and is often corrected through foliar sprays of zinc sulfate. While deficiencies of manganese, iron, and boron can occur, they are less typical and not standardly addressed in Bengal gram fertilization.

4. Nitrogen Requirement in Bengal Gram

   Compared to some other crops, why does Bengal gram usually require less nitrogen fertilizer application?

   1. It grows slower
   2. It fixes nitrogen through root nodules
   3. It has shallow roots
   4. It prefers sandy soils

   Explanation: Bengal gram is a legume that forms root nodules with Rhizobium bacteria, allowing it to fix its own nitrogen. Its growth speed, root depth, or soil preference do not primarily influence nitrogen requirements as much as biological nitrogen fixation does.

5. Phosphorus Importance

   Why is phosphorus considered crucial for Bengal gram fertilization?

   1. It stimulates root and nodule development
   2. It increases pod color intensity
   3. It provides disease resistance
   4. It increases leaf size significantly

   Explanation: Phosphorus supports healthy root and nodule growth, vital for nitrogen fixation and yield. While good nutrition can support plant health and disease resistance, phosphorus's main benefit in Bengal gram is its impact on root and nodule development, not leaf size or pod color.