Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in traditional systems of medicine MCQs With Answer

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in traditional systems of medicine are essential for ensuring the quality, safety and sustainability of medicinal plants used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and other traditional therapies. For B.Pharm students, understanding GAP/GACP (Good Agricultural and Collection Practices) links cultivation, harvesting, post‑harvest handling, documentation, traceability and contamination control to pharmacognosy and quality assurance. Key concepts include site selection, propagation, soil and water management, integrated pest management, residue limits, drying, storage, authentication and record keeping. Emphasis on sustainable harvesting, conservation and regulatory guidelines (WHO GACP) helps prevent adulteration and ensure reproducible raw material quality. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. What is the primary goal of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for medicinal plants?

• Maximize yield regardless of quality
• Ensure consistent quality, safety and traceability of medicinal plant raw materials
• Promote only wild collection
• Eliminate all microbial life in soil

Correct Answer: Ensure consistent quality, safety and traceability of medicinal plant raw materials

Q2. Which international guideline specifically addresses medicinal plant cultivation and collection practices?

• ICH Q7
• WHO GACP (Good Agricultural and Collection Practices)
• ISO 9001
• OECD GLP

Correct Answer: WHO GACP (Good Agricultural and Collection Practices)

Q3. In GAP, why is selection of planting material (seed/propagule) critical?

• It only affects color of the plant
• It determines genetic purity, active compound levels and disease resistance
• It is irrelevant if pesticides are used
• It only matters for ornamental plants

Correct Answer: It determines genetic purity, active compound levels and disease resistance

Q4. Which practice reduces pesticide residue while managing pests in medicinal crops?

• Indiscriminate chemical spraying
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Burning crop residues daily
• Using banned pesticides

Correct Answer: Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Q5. What is the purpose of traceability in GAP for traditional medicine raw materials?

• To hide source information
• To allow tracking of product origin, cultivation and processing history for quality control
• To increase transportation time
• To reduce documentation

Correct Answer: To allow tracking of product origin, cultivation and processing history for quality control

Q6. Which post‑harvest measure is important to prevent microbial growth in harvested medicinal plant material?

• Immediate storage at high humidity
• Rapid drying to appropriate moisture levels
• Keeping material in closed damp sacks
• Mixing wet and dry batches without records

Correct Answer: Rapid drying to appropriate moisture levels

Q7. Good documentation in GAP should include which of the following?

• Only verbal instructions
• Cultivation records, pesticide applications, harvest dates and processing logs
• No records to reduce paperwork
• Only sales invoices

Correct Answer: Cultivation records, pesticide applications, harvest dates and processing logs

Q8. Which contaminant is a common concern in medicinal plant raw materials requiring monitoring under GAP?

• Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, arsenic
• Only natural plant pigments
• Essential oils that enhance taste
• Plant fiber content

Correct Answer: Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, arsenic

Q9. How does harvesting time affect medicinal plant quality?

• It has no effect on active constituents
• Harvesting at the correct developmental stage maximizes active constituents and potency
• Later harvesting always increases potency
• Only weather matters, not plant stage

Correct Answer: Harvesting at the correct developmental stage maximizes active constituents and potency

Q10. Which identification technique provides genetic-level authentication of a medicinal plant species?

• Organoleptic evaluation
• DNA barcoding
• Drying under sun
• Simple weight measurement

Correct Answer: DNA barcoding

Q11. What is the role of soil testing in GAP?

• Determines only texture without nutrients
• Assesses nutrient status, pH and contamination to guide fertilizer use and site suitability
• Is unnecessary for medicinal plants
• Only checks for earthworms

Correct Answer: Assesses nutrient status, pH and contamination to guide fertilizer use and site suitability

Q12. Which storage condition helps preserve herbal raw material quality?

• High temperature and high humidity
• Cool, dry, well‑ventilated, pest‑free environment
• Open sunlight exposure
• Storage in wet basements

Correct Answer: Cool, dry, well‑ventilated, pest‑free environment

Q13. The term GACP commonly used with GAP stands for:

• Good Agricultural and Chemical Practices
• Good Agricultural and Collection Practices
• General Agricultural Crop Procedures
• Great Agricultural Collection Policy

Correct Answer: Good Agricultural and Collection Practices

Q14. Which practice supports sustainable wild collection of medicinal plants?

• Harvesting entire populations indiscriminately
• Rotational collection, harvesting only part of population and timing to allow regeneration
• Clear‑cutting collection sites
• Ignoring conservation status

Correct Answer: Rotational collection, harvesting only part of population and timing to allow regeneration

Q15. Which record is essential for pesticide management under GAP?

• Pesticide brand only
• Date, product name, active ingredient, dose and pre‑harvest interval
• Only the applicator’s name
• Only the expiry date of packaging

Correct Answer: Date, product name, active ingredient, dose and pre‑harvest interval

Q16. Drying medicinal plants in shade is preferred mainly because:

• It is faster than oven drying
• It preserves heat‑sensitive active constituents and prevents degradation
• It increases microbial load intentionally
• It adds moisture to the product

Correct Answer: It preserves heat‑sensitive active constituents and prevents degradation

Q17. Which analytical test is commonly used to detect aflatoxins in herbal raw materials?

• Thin layer chromatography (TLC) or HPLC with fluorescence detection
• pH paper only
• Simple organoleptic test
• Moisture meter only

Correct Answer: Thin layer chromatography (TLC) or HPLC with fluorescence detection

Q18. Why is worker hygiene important in GAP for medicinal plants?

• Workers do not affect product quality
• Proper hygiene prevents microbial contamination and ensures safe handling
• It primarily improves sales aesthetics
• Only management needs hygiene training

Correct Answer: Proper hygiene prevents microbial contamination and ensures safe handling

Q19. Which measure helps prevent heavy metal contamination in medicinal plants?

• Cultivating near industrial effluents
• Selecting clean sites, testing soils and avoiding contaminated water sources
• Using waste water for irrigation
• Applying metal‑containing fertilizers indiscriminately

Correct Answer: Selecting clean sites, testing soils and avoiding contaminated water sources

Q20. Which documentation element links a harvested batch to downstream processing and testing?

• Generic farm name only
• Batch or lot number with harvest and supplier details
• Only GPS coordinates without dates
• Only verbal confirmation

Correct Answer: Batch or lot number with harvest and supplier details

Q21. Authentication by macroscopic and microscopic evaluation is part of which GAP activity?

• Final product marketing
• Raw material identification and quality control
• Only packaging design
• Soil amendment

Correct Answer: Raw material identification and quality control

Q22. Which practice minimizes cross‑contamination between different medicinal plant batches on farm?

• Keeping mixed harvests together
• Segregation by species, separate containers, and clear labeling
• Using same tools without cleaning
• Storing different species in one pile

Correct Answer: Segregation by species, separate containers, and clear labeling

Q23. Farm sustainability under GAP includes which of the following?

• Exhausting soil nutrients without replenishment
• Crop rotation, organic amendments and conservation practices
• Removing all vegetation permanently
• Relying solely on synthetic inputs

Correct Answer: Crop rotation, organic amendments and conservation practices

Q24. Which parameter is commonly controlled during drying to prevent microbial spoilage?

• Color only
• Moisture content
• Taste only
• Packaging weight only

Correct Answer: Moisture content

Q25. How does GAP link to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in herbal product production?

• GAP and GMP are unrelated
• GAP ensures quality raw materials which is a prerequisite for GMP in processing and manufacturing
• GAP replaces GMP completely
• GMP only deals with farming

Correct Answer: GAP ensures quality raw materials which is a prerequisite for GMP in processing and manufacturing

Q26. Which is an example of a corrective action following detection of excessive pesticide residue?

• Ignoring the result
• Quarantine the batch, investigate source, discard or reprocess and update practices
• Mixing it with other batches without testing
• Changing label information only

Correct Answer: Quarantine the batch, investigate source, discard or reprocess and update practices

Q27. In traditional medicine GAP, what is the importance of conserving genetic resources?

• Genetic diversity is irrelevant
• Maintains chemotypic variation, resilience and long‑term availability of medicinal species
• Only monetary value matters
• It reduces species adaptability

Correct Answer: Maintains chemotypic variation, resilience and long‑term availability of medicinal species

Q28. Which practice can help reduce fungal contamination during storage of herbal material?

• Storing at high relative humidity
• Maintaining low moisture and using clean, dry containers
• Keeping material on damp floors
• Mixing old and new harvests freely

Correct Answer: Maintaining low moisture and using clean, dry containers

Q29. Which is a direct benefit of training farmers in GAP for medicinal plants?

• Increased adulteration
• Improved cultivation practices, quality control awareness and compliance with standards
• Higher contamination levels
• Reduced record keeping

Correct Answer: Improved cultivation practices, quality control awareness and compliance with standards

Q30. What is the first step in implementing GAP for a medicinal plant production unit?

• Start spraying pesticides immediately
• Site assessment including soil, water quality and local contamination risks
• Begin harvesting without records
• Never test soil or water

Correct Answer: Site assessment including soil, water quality and local contamination risks

G S Sachin

I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.

Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com