Chapter Overview & Weightage
- Marks in Boards: 4–8 marks (usually 1–2 questions)
- Repeated Topics: Plant breeding (conventional & modern), tissue culture, single cell protein, biofortification, animal husbandry (dairy, poultry, fisheries), bee-keeping.
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate • Mostly theory, methods & advantages, less numerical.
- Trend (2021–2025): 1 short answer (3 marks) on tissue culture/biofortification + 1 MCQ/assertion on SCP/animal husbandry + case-based on food production.
Most Important & Repeated Questions (2021–2025)
- Repeated 4–5 times: What is plant breeding? Explain conventional methods of plant breeding for disease resistance. (3–5 marks)
- Repeated 4 times: Explain tissue culture technique. Give advantages & applications in plant breeding. (5 marks)
- Repeated 3–4 times: What is biofortification? Give examples of biofortified crops & their benefits. (3 marks)
- Repeated 3 times: Explain single cell protein (SCP). Name sources & advantages. (3 marks)
- Repeated 3 times: Describe animal husbandry practices for dairy & poultry improvement. (5 marks)
- Repeated 2–3 times: What is bee-keeping (apiculture)? Explain its economic importance. (3 marks)
- Repeated 2 times: Differentiate between out-breeding, out-crossing & cross-breeding in animal husbandry. (3 marks)
- Assertion-Reason (2023–2025): Assertion: Tissue culture produces disease-free plants. Reason: Meristem is virus-free. (Both true, reason explains – repeated 2x)
Important Keywords & Concepts to Memorize
- Plant breeding, hybridization, conventional breeding, mutation breeding, tissue culture (micropropagation, somaclonal variation, embryo culture), biofortification, single cell protein (SCP), Spirulina, mushroom, animal husbandry, dairy farming, poultry farming, fisheries (inland & marine), bee-keeping (apiculture), out-breeding, out-crossing, cross-breeding, artificial insemination, embryo transfer, MOET (Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer), superovulation, biofortified crops (golden rice, iron-rich pearl millet), disease resistance (e.g., wheat rust resistance), Pusa varieties.
Exam Strategy for Chapter 9 (2026 Boards)
- Focus: Tissue culture advantages & steps – practice 3 daily
- High-scoring: Biofortification examples (2–3 marks) + SCP sources & benefits
- Time: 5–7 minutes per 3-mark question
- Tip: Use tabular format for plant breeding methods – neatness = full marks
- Repeated: Animal husbandry techniques (artificial insemination, MOET) – 3–5 marks
This is Chapter 9 complete PYQ analysis.
If you want Chapter 10 or any other chapter, just say the chapter number or name.