Question

UPSC Prelims 2021 Question:

Among the following, which one is the least water efficient crop?

1. Sugarcane
2. Sunflower
3. Pearl millet
4. Red gram

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 1: Sugarcane

Detailed Solution

Explanation:

Water requirement for different crops:

Crop	Duration (In Days)	Water Requirement (In mm) (Least to most)
Pulses (Red Gram)	65	350
Ragi (Finger Millet)	100	350
Bajra (Pearl Millet)	100	350
Groundnut	105	550
Maize	110	500
Cotton	165	550
Sunflower	100	800
Rice	135	1250
Sugarcane	365	2000

From above table, the sequence of crops from most water efficient to least water efficient can be written as: Pulses > Millets > Cotton > Groundnut > Sunflower > Rice > Sugarcane

Therefore, option (1) is the correct answer.

Subject: Geography | Agriculture and Allied Sectors(geo)

Latest UPSC Exam 2027 Updates

Last updated on Sep, 2026

→ UPSC 2027 Notification will be released on 13 January 2027 at upsconline.nic.in.

→ Asian Games 2026 are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October.

→ Check out the latest UPSC Syllabus here.

→ Download UPSC Model Answers for Mains 2026

→ UPSC Mains Question Paper 2026 is out now for Essay & GS Paper 1, 2, 3 & 4.

→ UPSC Calendar 2027 has been released.

→ Enroll in Vajiram & Ravi’s UPSC Mains Test Series 2027 for structured answer writing practice, expert evaluation, and exam-oriented feedback.

→ Join Vajiram & Ravi’s UPSC Mentorship Program 2027 for personalized guidance, strategy planning, and one-to-one support from experienced mentors.

→ Go through the UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers to enhance your preparation.

→ UPSC has released UPSC Toppers List 2025 with the Civil Services final result on its official website.

→ Also check Best UPSC Coaching in India

Tags: factual UPSC Prelims 2021 UPSC Prelims 2021 Question

Abhishek Singh

Abhishek Singh is an SEO Specialist and content strategist with over 4.5 years of experience in driving organic growth across education and service-based industries. He specializes in on-page SEO, technical SEO, content optimization, and data-driven strategies that improve search visibility and organic traffic. His work focuses on creating accurate, well-researched, and search-optimized content that helps students, professionals, and online audiences find reliable information. By combining SEO expertise with a strong understanding of search intent and evolving search technologies, he works to build content that delivers visibility, engagement, and long-term trust.