The Call of the Soil
Short Questions
1. Who is the author of “The Call of the Soil”?
Answer: Venkat Iyer.
2. What was Venkat Iyer’s profession before farming?
Answer: He was a project manager at IBM.
3. What crop did Venkat Iyer grow first?
Answer: Moong (green gram).
4. Why did Venkat Iyer choose organic farming?
Answer: He wanted a chemical-free lifestyle.
5. What was the name of the traditional rice variety Venkat searched for?
Answer: Kasbai.
6. Where did Venkat Iyer buy moong seeds?
Answer: Surat, Gujarat.
7. What was Moru Dada’s suggestion for moong crops?
Answer: To spray pesticides.
8. Why did Venkat refuse to use pesticides?
Answer: He wanted to grow crops organically.
9. What was the yield of Venkat’s first moong crop?
Answer: 300 kilograms.
10. Why did farmers stop growing Kasbai?
Answer: It was a long-duration crop.
11. Who suggested the Kasbai rice variety to Venkat?
Answer: A businessman neighbor.
12. Where did Venkat finally find Kasbai seeds?
Answer: Boripada village.
13. What was the aroma of Kasbai rice like?
Answer: Mild, alluring aroma.
14. Why did hybrids need more chemicals?
Answer: They had a high appetite for fertilizers and pesticides.
15. What did the old Adivasi woman use to measure rice?
Answer: A basket.
Long Questions
1. Why did Venkat Iyer decide to leave his IT job and start farming?
Answer: Venkat wanted a lifestyle change, not just a career shift. He chose organic farming to live closer to nature and avoid chemicals.
2. What challenges did Venkat face when he refused to use pesticides on his moong crop?
Answer: Moru Dada and others were skeptical, believing crops couldn’t grow without chemicals. Venkat had to convince them, proving nature could work without sprays.
3. Why was Venkat determined to grow the traditional Kasbai rice variety?
Answer: Kasbai was strong, pest-resistant, and needed fewer fertilizers. Venkat believed it suited his organic farming goals better than hybrids.
4. What difficulties did Venkat face while searching for Kasbai seeds?
Answer: Most farmers had switched to hybrids, and the agricultural officer didn’t know Kasbai. Venkat almost gave up until he found seeds in Boripada.
5. How did Devu Handa describe the importance of Kasbai rice in his village?
Answer: Devu Handa said Kasbai’s aroma was so alluring that passersby stopped for meals. He lamented its replacement by insipid hybrid rice.
6. Why did farmers prefer hybrid rice over Kasbai?
Answer: Hybrids were shorter-duration crops, allowing a second crop yearly. Kasbai’s long duration made it less practical for modern farming.
7. What did Venkat learn from the Adivasi woman in Boripada?
Answer: The Adivasi woman preserved Kasbai seeds, living simply without modern farming methods. Venkat admired her connection to India’s biodiversity.
8. How did Venkat’s first moong harvest boost his confidence?
Answer: The 300-kilogram yield proved his land was fertile. It showed organic farming was possible, encouraging him to continue without chemicals.
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