In the year 2020–21, which of the following districts held the first position in the production of cotton in Madhya Pradesh?
- (a)Damoh
- (b)Khargone
- (c)Mandla
- (d)Panna
Correct — B, Khargone. Khargone (the former West Nimar district) lies in MP's Nimar cotton belt, where fertile black (regur) soil supports the state's largest cotton output; in 2020–21 it held the top position among MP's districts for cotton production.
- (a)Damoh — Damoh lies in the Bundelkhand/Sagar tract of MP, an area more associated with foodgrain (wheat/gram) farming than cotton.
- (c)Mandla — Mandla is a forested, tribal-majority district of eastern MP (Maikal hills/Narmada valley), not part of the cotton belt.
- (d)Panna — Panna is known chiefly for diamond mining and its tiger reserve, not for cotton cultivation.
Cotton in Madhya Pradesh is concentrated in the Nimar region (Khargone, Barwani, Khandwa, Burhanpur) and parts of the Malwa Plateau, where black cotton soil (regur), formed from weathered Deccan trap basalt, retains moisture well and suits the crop. Khargone has been MP's leading cotton-producing district.
The trap is picking a district that 'sounds agricultural' or is simply well known for something else (like diamond-famous Panna) rather than recalling the actual black-soil Nimar belt where cotton is concentrated.
- Khargone (West Nimar) — MP's top cotton-producing district in 2020–21
- Cotton belt of MP: Nimar region (Khargone, Barwani, Khandwa, Burhanpur) + parts of Malwa
- Black (regur) soil, from Deccan trap basalt, is ideal for cotton
- Maheshwar, a Narmada-bank town famous for handloom Maheshwari sarees, lies in Khargone district
- Picking a district famous for something else (e.g. Panna for diamonds) instead of the actual crop data
- Confusing Nimar's cotton belt with Bundelkhand or the eastern tribal belt
MPPSC likes 'top producing district for crop X in year Y' questions, drawn straight from state agriculture department data — for cotton, the safe anchor is Khargone/Nimar's black soil.
MPPSC_2022_PRE_PaperI_Q122022Which of the following districts is famous for the production of cotton and banana?
- (a) Mandsaur
- (b) Shahdol
- (c) Satna
- (d) Burhanpur
Answer(d) Burhanpur
Same Nimar cotton-belt concept — tests Burhanpur, the district neighbouring Khargone in MP's black-soil cotton tract.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, known for cotton cultivation, includes which of the following districts?
- (a)Khargone and Burhanpur
- (b)Mandla and Dindori
- (c)Panna and Chhatarpur
- (d)Rewa and Satna
Answer(a) Khargone and Burhanpur — both lie in the Nimar cotton belt; the other pairs are in eastern/tribal and Bundelkhand/Baghelkhand MP respectively.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which type of soil, dominant in Madhya Pradesh's Nimar and Malwa regions, is best suited to cotton cultivation?
- (a)Black (regur) soil
- (b)Laterite soil
- (c)Alluvial soil
- (d)Desert soil
Answer(a) Black (regur) soil — formed from weathered Deccan trap basalt, it retains moisture well, suiting cotton.