The Lower Gangetic Plain experiences a humid climate with high temperatures throughout the year and substantial annual rainfall. This agro-climatic zone is ideal for crops that require warm, moist conditions.
Correct Option (c)
Paddy and Jute
Paddy (rice) is a kharif crop that requires high temperatures (above 25°C), high humidity, and significant rainfall (over 100 cm), often needing standing water during its growth period. The Lower Gangetic Plain's climate perfectly meets these requirements.
Jute also thrives in hot, humid conditions with ample rainfall, particularly in well-drained alluvial soils found in deltaic regions. Its cultivation is highly suited to the waterlogged and moist environment characteristic of this plain.
Incorrect Options
(a) Paddy and Cotton: While paddy is suitable, cotton requires a warm, dry climate with moderate rainfall and bright sunshine, along with well-drained black soils. The high humidity and excessive rainfall of the Lower Gangetic Plain are generally unsuitable for cotton cultivation.
(b) Wheat and Jute: Wheat is a rabi crop that requires cooler temperatures (10-15°C) during its growing season and moderate rainfall. The year-round high temperatures and humidity of the Lower Gangetic Plain are not conducive to optimal wheat growth.
(d) Wheat and Cotton: Both wheat and cotton are unsuitable for the prevailing climatic conditions of the Lower Gangetic Plain. Wheat needs cooler, drier winters, and cotton prefers semi-arid environments, neither of which aligns with the hot, humid, and high-rainfall characteristics of this region.