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MAINS COURSE

GENERAL

STUDIES NOTES

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Major crops cropping patterns in various

parts of the country, different types of

GENERAL STUDIES -3

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CROPPING PATTERN AND CROPPING SYSTEM

Traditionally, increased food production has come from putting more land under cultivation. However, in large areas of

the world, especially in Asia, all the land that can be economically cultivated is already in use. In future, most of the extra

food needs must come from higher production from land already being farmed. A major share of this increase is likely to

come from increasing the number of crops produced per year on a given land using improved crop cultivars. Such

multiple cropping offers potential not only to increase food production but also decrease land degradation.

A system is defined as a set of components that are interrelated and interact among themselves. A cropping system

refers to a set of crop systems, making up the cropping activities of a farm system.

The cropping system comprises all components required for the production of a particular crop and the

interrelationships between them and an environment

In other words, a cropping system usually refers to a combination of crops in time and space. The combination in time

occurs when crops occupy different growing period and combinations in space occur when crops are inter planted.

When annual crops are considered, a cropping system usually means the combination of crops within a given year

In India, the cropping pattern follows two distinct seasons; Kharif season from July to October and Rabi season from

October to March. The crops grown between March to June called Zaid. The crops are grown solo or mixed (mixed-

cropping) or in a definite sequence (rotational cropping). The land may be occupied by one crop during one session

(mono-cropping) or by two crops during one season (double- cropping) which may be grown in a year in a sequence.

Cropping pattern

1. The yearly sequence and spatial arrangement of crops or of crops and fallow on a given area.

2. The cropping pattern indicates the proportion of area under different crops at a point of time. Cropping activities

go on all the year round in India provided water is availed for the crops

Cropping system

1. The cropping patterns used on a farm and their interaction with farm resources, other farm enterprises, and

available technology which determine their make up.

INTENSIVE CROPPING

Principles

1. Growing number of crops on the same piece of land during the given period of time. The turnaround period

between one crop and another is minimised through modified land preparation.

2. It is possible when the resources are available in plenty. Ex. Garden land cultivation.

3. Cropping intensity is higher in intensive cropping system.

4. Crop intensification technique includes intercropping, relay cropping, sequential cropping, ratoon cropping, etc.

All such systems come under the general term multiple cropping.



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Need for intensive cropping

1. Cropping systems has to be evolved based on climate, soil and water availability for efficient use of available

natural resources.

2. The increase in population has put pressure on land to increase productivity per unit area, unit time and for unit

resource used.

3. This cropping system should provide enough food for the family, fodder for cattle and generate sufficient cash

income for domestic and cultivation expenses.

Cropping intensity: Number of crops cultivated in a piece of land per annum is cropping intensity. In Punjab and Tamil

Nadu, the cropping intensity is more than 100% (i.e. around 140-150%). In Rajasthan, the cropping intensity is less.

TYPES OF CROPPING SYSTEMS

Mono-Cropping:

1. Mono-cropping or monoculture refers to growing of only one crop on a piece of land year after year.

2. It may be due to climatological and socio-economic conditions or due to specialisation of a farmer in growing a

particular crop, e.g., under rained conditions, groundnut or cotton or sorghum are grown year after year due to

limitation of rainfall. In canal irrigated areas, under a waterlogged condition, rice crop is grown as it is not

possible to grow any other crop.

Multiple-cropping:

1. Growing two or more crops on the same piece of land in one calendar year is known as multiple-cropping.

2. It is the intensification of cropping in time and space dimensions, i.e., more number of crops within year and

more number of crops on same piece of land any give period.

3. It includes inter-cropping, mixed-cropping and sequence cropping.

4. Double-cropping is a case where the land is occupied by two crops, which are grown in a year in sequence.

Inter-cropping:

1. Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field.

2. Crop intensification is in both time and space dimensions.

3. There is intercrop competition during all or part of crop growth.

4. Inter-cropping was originally practiced as an insurance against crop failure under rained conditions. At present

main objective of inter-cropping is higher productivity per unit area in addition to stability in production. Inter-

cropping system utilizes resources efficiently and their productivity is increased.



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For successful inter-cropping, there are certain important requirements:

1. The time of peak nutrient demands of component crops should not overlap.

2. Competition for light should be minimum among the component crops.

3. Complementarity should exist between the component crops.

4. The differences in maturity of component crops should be at least 30 days.

Types of Intercropping

The degree of spatial and temporal overlap in the two crops can vary somewhat, but both requirements must be met for

a cropping system to be an intercrop. Numerous types of intercropping, all of which vary the temporal and spatial

mixture to some degree, have been identified.These are some of the more significant types:

Mixed intercropping:

1. Mixed-cropping is growing of two or more crops simultaneously intermingled without an row pattern. It

is a common practice in most of dry land tracts of India. Seeds of different crops are mixed in certain

proportion and are sown. The objective is to meet the family requirement of cereals. pulses and

vegetables.

2. Also referred to as mixed cropping. Ex: Sorghum, pearl millet and cowpea are mixed and broadcasted in

rainfed conditions.

Row intercropping:

1. Growing two or more crops simultaneously where one or more crops are planted in rows. Often simply

referred to as intercropping. Maize + greengram (1:1), Maize + blackgram (1:1), Groundnut + Rredgram

(6:1)

2. Thus, cropping intensity in space dimension is achieved

3. Variations include alley cropping, where crops are grown in between rows of trees, and strip cropping,

where multiple rows, or a strip, of one crop are alternated with multiple rows of another crop.

Alley Cropping

1. Alley Cropping is planting rows of trees at wide spacings with a companion crop grown in the alleyways

between the rows.

2. Alley cropping can diversify farm income, improve crop production and provide protection and

conservation benefits to crops.

3. Common examples of alley cropping plantings include wheat, corn, soybeans or hay planted in between

rows of black walnut or pecan trees.

Strip intercropping:

1. Growing two or more crops simultaneously in strips wide enough to permit independent cultivation but

narrow enough for the crops to interact agronomically. Ex. Groundnut + redgram (6:4) strip.



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Relay intercropping:

1. Growing two or more crops simultaneously during the part of the life cycle of each.

2. A second crop is planted after the first crop has reached its reproductive stage of growth, but, before it is

ready for harvest. Often simply referred to as relay cropping. Rice- rice fallow pulse.

Advantages of intercropping

1. Better use of growth resources including light, nutrients and water

2. Suppression of weeds

3. Yield stability; even if one crop fails due to unforeseen situations, another crop will yield and gives income

4. Successful intercropping gives higher equivalent yields (yield of base crop + yield of intercrop), higher cropping

intensity

5. Reduced pest and disease incidences

6. Improvement of soil health and agro-eco system

7. Intercropping of compatible plants also encourages biodiversity, by providing a habitat for a variety of insects

and soil organisms that would not be present in a single-crop environment. This in turn can help limit outbreaks

of crop pests by increasing predator biodiversity.

8. Additionally, reducing the homogeneity of the crop increases the barriers against biological dispersal of pest

organisms through the crop.

Sequence cropping :

1. Sequence cropping can be defined as growing of two or more crops in a sequence on same piece of land in a

farming year. The succeeding crop is planted after the preceding crop has been harvested.

2. Crop intensification is only in time dimension. There is no intercrop competition.

3. Double, triple and quadruple cropping: Growing two, three and four crops, respectively, on the same land in a

year in sequence. Ex. Double cropping: Rice: cotton; Triple cropping: Rice: rice: pulses; Quadruple cropping:

Tomato: ridge gourd: Amaranthus greens: baby corn \

The various terms defined above bring out essentially two underlying principles, that of growing crops simultaneously in

mixture, i.e., intercropping; and of growing individual crops in sequence, i.e., sequential cropping. The cropping system

for a region or farm may comprise either or both of these two principles.

In addition to above systems, relay cropping and ratoon cropping are also in existence.

Relay cropping

1. Refers to planting of the succeeding crop before harvesting the preceding one.



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2. Relay intercropping is a kind of intercropping in which two or more crops grow simultaneously during part of the

life cycle of each.

3. A second crop is planted before the first crop matures; in other words, the second crop is planted in the same

field as the first crop after the first has achieved reproductive maturity but before it has reached physiological

maturity. This allows farmers to grow two crops in one season in places where the growing season is not long

enough to accommodate two crops.

Ratoon cropping

1. Ratooning refers to raising a crop with re-growth coming out of roots or stalks after harvest of crops.

2. Ratooning is a method of harvesting a crop which leaves the roots and the lower parts of the plant uncut to give

the ratoon or the stubble crop.

3. The main benefit of ratooning is that the crop matures earlier in the season. Ratooning can also decrease the

cost of preparing the field and planting.

4. This method cannot be used endlessly as the yield of the ratoon crop decreases after each cycle. Ratooning is

most often used with crops which are known to give a steady yield for three years under most conditions.

Why Cropping Systems Differs?

1. Both climatic factors and resources of the farmers determine the cropping pattern on a farm.

2. Though climate plays most vital part in crop selection, the area under crop is also influenced by economic

consideration of farmer,namely irrigation water, cost of inputs and prices of the products.

3. In any locality the prevalent cropping system is the Cumulative results of past and present decisions by

individuals, communities or government or their agencies.

4. A basic requisite for higher cropping intensity is the availability of water either through precipitation or through

irrigation.

5. It is being increasingly realised that the land and water resources are not unlimited and the wise use of the same

is imperative.This is especially so for the countries like India where the population pressure is continuously

increasing.

6. Integrated farming system seems to be the answer to the problem of scarcity of land resources. This will

increases the income level and improve the nutrition standard of small-scale farmers with limited resources.

7. Tropical countries like India are fortunate in that the temperature condition remain favourable practically

throughout the year for growing crops. However, it is crucially dependent upon water supply through natural

precipitation or irrigation facility.

8. Multiple- cropping has been in practice in many parts of India since long. Similarly mixed cropping has been an

ancient art in India. Mixed-cropping systems were adopted as an insurance against failure of crops due to

seasonal conditions or due to attack of pests and diseases. In recent years it has been shown beyond doubt that

there are many other advantages too.

9. Researchers on multiple-cropping system, however, suggest that the resources of the farmers be given major

emphasis so that technologically a mixed-cropping can be adopted.



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The cropping pattern is in influenced by;

1. Traditional social practices and dietary habits.

2. The crops with practicable pest and disease control method and suitability with ecological environment.

3. The crops which are most profitable (or are high-yielding)

4. The combination of crops that result in profit maximization and cost minimization.

FACTORS AFFECTING CROPPING PATTERN IN INDIA

The cropping pattern is highly influenced by climatic, personal, social, cultural and economic factors of

the farmers. The major factors are

i) Size of the Land Holding

In India marginal and small farmers represents the majority of farming community. So the mono crop

paddy has become predominant as it fulfils the household needs and perpetuates the subsistence

agriculture with little scope for commercial Cop husbandry.

ii) Literacy

Majority of the farmers are ignorant of the scientific methods involved in mixed-cropping, mono

cropping and other technological knowhow for practicing better

iii) Disease and pest

The cropping pattern also depends on the possibility of disease and pest infections.

iv) Ecological Suitability

The cropping pattern of a particular region is highly dependent on the ecological condition (temperature,

rainfall, humidity, etc.).

V) Moisture Availability

The source of irrigation greatly determines the type of the cropping pattern to be practiced. For example

, in low rainfall area, dry land farming is best possible way to profit maximisation.

vi) Financial Stability

The economic condition of the farmers also affects the cropping pattern. As the cash crops (for

example, cotton) involve high capital investments, these are practised only in estate farming. The

marginal section of the farms community adopts low cost crops.



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DIVERSIFICATION OF CROPPING PATTERNS IN INDIA

The Cropping Patters in India underwent several changes with the advent of modern agricultural technology, especially

during the period of the Green Revolution in the late sixties and early seventies. There is a continuous surge for

diversified agriculture in terms of crops, primarily on economic considerations.

The crop pattern changes, however, are the outcome of the interactive effect of many factors which can be broadly

categorized into the following five groups:

1. Resource related factors

o covering irrigation, rainfall and soil fertility.

2. Technology related factors

o covering not only seed, fertilizer, and water technologies but also those related to marketing, storage

and processing.

3. Household related factors

o covering food and fodder self-sufficiency requirement as well as investment capacity.

4. Price related factors

o covering output and input prices as well as trade policies and other economic policies that affect these

prices either directly or indirectly.

5. Institutional and infrastructure related factors

o covering farm size and tenancy arrangements, research, extension and marketing systems and

government regulatory policies.

These factors are not watertight but inter-related.

CHANGES IN THE CROPPING PATTERNS

1. The trend in the land use pattern and cropping pattern over last 50 years in India has shown increasing use of

land for the purpose of cultivation with slight variations.

2. The change in land use pattern and cropping pattern is vastly affected by rapid urbanization. The higher

cultivable area has been achieved by bringing large acreage of uncultivable land into cultivation.

3. Indian agriculture is increasingly getting influenced more and more by economic factors.

1. This need not be surprising because irrigation expansion, infrastructure development, penetration of

rural markets, development and spread of short duration and drought resistant crop technologies have

all contributed to minimizing the role of non-economic factors in crop choice of even small farmers.



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2. The reform initiatives undertaken in the context of the ongoing agricultural liberalization and

globalization policies are also going to further strengthen the role of price related economic incentives in

determining crop composition both at the micro and macro levels.

3. Such a changing economic environment will also ensure that government price and trade policies will

become still more powerful instruments for directing area allocation decisions of farmers, aligning

thereby the crop pattern changes in line with the changing demand-supply conditions.

4. In a condition where agricultural growth results more from productivity improvement than from area

expansion, the increasing role that price related economic incentives play in crop choice can also pave

the way for the next stage of agricultural evolution where growth originates more and more from value-

added production.

4. The major change in cropping pattern that have been observed in India is a substantial area shift from cereals to

non-cereals. Although cereals gained a marginal increase in area share in the first decade of the Green

Revolution, their area and share declined gradually thereafter.While cereals and pulses have lost area, the major

gainers of this area shift are the non-food grain crops especially oilseeds.

5. As we consider the share of individual crops within cereals, although the share of cereals as a group has

declined, the area share of rice has increased continuously over all the four periods. Wheat, although having a

declining area share until 1986/87, also gained in its share when the entire period is considered.

6. Thus, the area loss of cereals can be attributed entirely to the declining area share of coarse cereals, especially

sorghum, pearl millet, barely and small millets. It can be noted that even within coarse cereals, the area share of

maize shows a marginal improvement over the years.

7. Within oilseeds, the crops showing steady improvement in their area share are: rapeseed and mustard, soybean

and sunflower. Among these three oilseeds gaining in area share, rapeseed and mustard are substantially grown

as intercrops with wheat.

8. But, the declining area share of crops – especially those with only a marginal change in their area share – need

not necessarily imply a decline in the actual area under these crops. Since the Gross Cropped Area (GCA) is

constantly increasing over time, partly through an expansion of net sown areas as in the initial stages of the

Green Revolution and partly through increasing intensity of cropping mainly by irrigation expansion, the

declining area share can coincide with an increase in absolute increase in the area under crops.

Emerging Problems in Cropping Patterns

Over the years the emerging scenario in the cropping patted points to the following observations.

1. The dominance of cereal crops in the foodgrains points to the poverty of people. It meets the demand of the low-

income people, in whose case a large proportion of income is spent on cereals. Even pulses which are the

source of protein for this class of people is not grown on a significant scale. Most of the farmers being marginal

and small are the net purchaser of foodgrains and hardly can afford the high input cost for raising a successful

non-food cashcrop.

2. The predominance of foodgrains group together with the fact that a significant proportion of agricultural

production is concentrated in small farms, leads one to conclude that much of the cultivation is for self

consumption.



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3. The fact that large areas remains under foodgrains shows that land productivity has not increased at par with

technological possibilities,

4. Despite significant changes in cropping pattern, the shift towards high valued commercial crops has been very

small. The result is an insignificant impact on the growth of the crop output.

LONG-RUN EFFECTS OF CURRENT TREND

Cropping pattern presently in vogue in India is cereal biased and fails in assuring balanced food security. The

cropping pattern does not depict a picture of diversified agriculture despite some commercialization and

technological progress.

Other associated aspects of the present cropping pattern are increased use of chemical fertilizers and

pesticides, increase in water demand, and duplication of forest areas which are discussed below.

1. Increase in Use of Fertilizers and Pesticide

Higher production of foodgrains has resulted from inorganic fertiliser and pesticides application. The higher

chemical fertiliser and pesticide application has led to toxicity in feeds.

Area where pesticides use has been increasing vigorously has seen insurgency among the insects and pests, led

to disturbance in bio-system.

2. Increase in Water Demand

In the last fifty years, the net sown area has been increased from 118 to 142 million ha. The increase in net sown

area and increase in cropping intensity in turn increased the demand for water sources for irrigation. This

increased demand is causing depletion of water resources. Competing sectors are being deprived of required

water as agriculture consumes as high as 70% of total water use. The intensive cropping pattern is always in

need of higher irrigation supply. This in turn pushes for development of sources of irrigation. The higher

requirement of water deplete the ground water level. Increased demand for irrigation in turn requires major,

medium and minor irrigation projects, which are highly expensive. The construction of irrigation projects many

times faces bureaucratic hurdles and opposition from local residents because irrigation projects cause various

social and environmental problems.

3. Depletion of Forest Areas

The present cropping pattern emphasised on bringing more and more land under agriculture thereby depleting

the forestland. There has been an increase in the agricultural area through deforestation during the thirty year

period 1950-81. The area under field crops rose from 118.7 mha to 142.9 mha by bringing an additional 24 mha

under crop through deforestation of private and rural forests or older fruit orchards. The land use pattern has

moved towards higher food production leaving the forestry neglected.

4. Use of Hybrid & High Yielding Varieties

Increased use of hybrid & high yielding varieties have resulted in the extinction of local varieties which were

known for higher nutritional levels. This has led to awareness on the importance of adopting natural and organic

farming techniques. However, the scale in which such practice are operated needs to be enhanced in order to



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make a real dent into system. It must be noted that these very methods were also the ones which contributed to

realisation of GR benefits. A balance between traditional practices and modern methods need to be established.

CURRENT CROPPING PATTERNS

Gradually new concepts on multiple-cropping have started coming in and now there has been some

accumulation of useful scientific information. The information is based on analytical work on different crop

combinations and sequential growth of the crops. In this respect, cultivated areas in the country can be broadly

classified into three categories based on rainfall pattern:

1. Area where annual rainfall is above 1150 mm

Most of the areas in Assam, Kerala, Orissa and West Bengal can be included in the first category. Basic

problems in these areas pertain to limited irrigation and poor drainage. Most of the farmers are engaged in rice

cultivation.

2. Area where rainfall ranges from 750-1150 mm

Large parts of Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh fall in the second category and occupy about one

third of the total cultivated area in the country. In these areas there is large potential for creating minor irrigation

facilities.

3. Area where rainfall is below 750 mm

The third category also occupies nearly one third of the cultivated area, comprising parts of Andhra Pradesh,

Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In these areas, unless major and medium irrigation facilities are

provided, there is little hope for raising cropping intensity to a substantial extent.

It is clear that there are innumerable micro variations in the cropping patterns, which cannot be described in this

note, some broad contours of farming emerge. The most important element of farming in India is the production

of grains and the dominant food-chain is grain-man.

On this basis, the country may be divided broadly into five agricultural regions.

1. The rice region extending from the eastern part to include a very large part of the northeastern and the south-

eastern India, with another strip along the western coast.

2. The wheat region, occupying most of the northern, western and central India.

3. The millet-sorghum region, comprising Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the Deccan Plateau in the centre of the

Indian Peninsula.

4. The temperate Himalayan region of Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and some adjoining areas.

Here potatoes are as important as cereal crops (which are mainly maize and rice), and the tree-fruits form a

large part of agricultural production.

5. The plantation crops region of Assam and the hills of southern India where good quality tea is produced.



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There is an important production of high-quality coffee in the hills of the western peninsular India. Rubber is mostly

grown in Kerala and parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. There are some large estates, but most of the growers would

come under the category of small holders. Sugarcane, which in many countries is a plantation crop, is almost entirely

grown by small holders in India.

There had been substantial investments in major irrigation works in the colonial days. The post-Independence era saw

many multi-purpose irrigation works. Lately, interest in the medium and minor irrigation works has increased, especially

after the drought of 1966. Thus, at present, an all-India irrigation potential of 59 mha has been created and is expected

to increase up 110 m ha by 2025. Irrigation, especially the minor works, has provided a base for multiple-cropping.

The All-India Coordinated Crops-Improvement Projects run cooperatively by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research

and the agricultural universities have generated short-season, photo-period-insensitive high-yielding varieties of

various crops suitable for a high intensity of cropping. The adaptability of these varieties on the farmer’s fields has been demonstrated in the National Demonstration Programme spread all over the country.

The various developmental and the educative programmes, especially the High Yielding Varieties Programme, have also

resulted in newer cropping patterns involving intensive cropping. The area of rice has increased in Punjab and Haryana.

Similarly, wheat is now grown in West Bengal and to some extent in the southern states of the country. All these factors

have led to the present cropping patterns, which are getting more and more intensive both in respect of the number of

crops grown per year and in respect of the intensity of inputs utilized in the production of these crops.

Three important features of cropping pattern of India

1. Predominance of food grains crops,

2. Slight shift towards commercial crops, and

3. Noticeable increase in some individual crops.

Taking the major crops into consideration we can present a broad picture in the Cropping pattern in India. The major

pattern follows two distinct groups: Kharif (monsoon crops) and Rabi (post-monsoon crops). The kharif crop includes

rice, sorghum, bajra, maize, ragi, groundnut, cotton, etc.

Concept of Base Crop

The crop occupying the highest percentage of the sown area of the region is taken as the base crop. All other possible

alternative crops which are sown in the region either as substitute for the base crop in the same season or as the crop

which fit in with the rotation in the subsequent seasons, are considered as the pattern.

THE KHARIF SEASON CROPPING PATTERNS

The kharif season cropping patted comprises mainly rice and non-rice-based crops.

a) Rice based cropping pattern

Rice is the best crop in this category and 9% of the area in India comes under rice-based cropping pattern.

Nearly 45% of the total rice area in India receives 30 cm per month of rainfall during at least two months (July-

August) of the south western monsoon and much less during other months. In contrast to these parts, the



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easter and southern regions, comprising Assam, West Bengal, Coastal Orissa, Coastal Andhra Pradesh,

Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala which receive 10-20 cm per month, also come under this cropping pattern. On

the all India basis, about 30 rice-based cropping pattern have been identified in different states.

b) Kharif cereals other than the rice-based cropping pattern-

Maize, jowar, bajra form the main kharif cereals. Ragi and small millets come next, these are grown in limited

area. Maize is grown in high rainfall areas, jowar in medium rainfall areas and Bajra in low rainfall areas. The

extent of the area under these crops during south westem monsoon season is: maize(5.6 ha), jowar (11 ha) and

bajra 12.4 ha. Ragi is a kharif cereal (2.4mha) and is mainly concentrated in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andha

Pradesh. These states account for more than 60% of the total area under this crop.

c) Maize-based cropping pattern

The largest areas under kharif maize are : Uttar Pradesh(14 mha), Madhya Pradesh (0.58 mha) and Punjab (0.57

mha). In the four states namely Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and A.P, the area under maize

ranges from 0.24 to 0.28 ha in each, whereas other states have much less area under it. On the all India basis,

about 12 Maize based cropping pattern have been identified.

d) Kharif jowar-based cropping pattern

The area under Kharif jowar in lndia is highest in Maharashtra (7.5 ha) closely followed by Madhya Pradesh 2.3

mha. In each of the states of Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat, the area under this crop is

between 1 and 1.4 ha. Johar is mainly grown in areas having rainfall range from 10 to 20 cm per month, least for

3 to 4 months of the southeastern monsoon. On the all India basis. 17 major cropping patterns have been

identified under this category.

e) Bajra-based cropping pattern

The area under bajra crop is about 12.4 mha. Rajasthan has about two-third of the total area. Maharashtra,

Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh together have over 4.6 mha, constituting the remaining one-third area under the bajra

crop. On all India basis 20 major cropping patterns have been identified with basra as base crop.

f) Groundnut based cropping pattern-

Groundnut is sown over an area of about 7.2 mha mostly in five groundnut producing states: Gujarat (24.4%)

, Andhra Pradesh, (20.2%), Tamil Nadu (35.5%), Maharashtra (12.2%) and Karnataka (12%). Five other states, viz,

Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Orissa together have about 17.3% of the total area under

groundnut as base crop. On the all-India level, about nine major groundnut based Cropping pattern have been

identified.

g) Cotton-based cropping pattern

Cotton is grown over 7.6 mha in India. Maharashtra shares 36%(2.8mha), follows by Gujarat with 21% (1.6 mha),

Karnataka with 13% (1 mha) and Madhya Pradesh with 9%(.6mha) of the area.Together these four states

account for about 80% of area under cotton. The other cotton growing states are Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil

Nadu, Haryana and Rajasthan. On the all India basis about 16 broad cotton-based cropping patterns have been

identified.



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RABI-SEASON CROPPING PATTERNS

The major cropping patterns prevalent in India during the rabi season are: i) Wheat and gram based cropping

pattern, and ii) jowar-based cropping pattern.

a) Wheat and gram based cropping patterns

These two crops are grown under identical climate and can often be substituted for each other. On the all-India

level, about 19 cropping patterns have been identified with wheat and 7 cropping patterns with gram. The core of

the wheat region responsible for 70 per cent of the area and 76 per cent of production comprises Punjab,

Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh flanked by Rajasthan and Gujarat in the Western region and Bihar and

West Bengal in the Eastern region.

b) Rabi-Jowar based cropping patterns

On the all India level about 13 cropping patterns have been identified with the rabi jowar. Maharashtra has the

largest number of these cropping patterns wherein starting with the exclusive rabi jowar, bajra, pulses, oilseeds

and tobacco are grown as alternative crops.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

A farming systems that are “capable of maintaining their productivity and usefulness to society indefinitely and must be resource-conserving, socially supportive, commercially competitive, and environmentally sound.”

Sustainable agriculture means, an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific

application that will, over the long term:

1. satisfy human food and fiber needs;

2. enhance environmental quality and the natural resource based upon which the agricultural economy depends;

3. make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where

appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls;

4. sustain the economic viability of farm operations;

5. enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.

Advantages

1. Production cost is low

2. Over all risk of the farmer is reduced

3. Pollution of water is avoided

4. Very little or no pesticide residue is ensured

5. Ensures both short and long term profitability



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Disadvantages

1. Since sustainable agriculture uses least quantum of inputs, naturally the output (yield) may also be less.

Major components of sustainable agricultural system

1. Soil and water conservation to prevent degradation of soil productivity

2. Efficient use of limited irrigation water without leading to problems of soil salinity, alkalinity and high ground

water table

3. Crop rotations that mitigate weed, disease and insect problems, increase soil productivity and minimise soil

erosion

4. Integrated nutrient management that reduces the need for chemical fertilizers improves the soil health and

minimise environmental pollution by conjunctive use of organics, in-organics and bio-fertilizers.

5. Integrated pest management that reduces the need for agrochemicals by crop rotation, weather monitoring, use

of resistant cultivar, planting time and biological pest control.

6. Management system to control weed by preventive measures, tillage, timely inter cultivation and crop rotation to

improve plant health.

INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM (IFS)

Integrated farming system is a holistic method of combining several enterprises like cropping system, dairying, piggery,

poultry, fishery, bee keeping, etc in a harmonious way as to complement each other.

The objective is efficient resource utilisation and maximisation of profit in such a way so as to cause least damage to

soil and environment.

Benefits of IFS

1. Higher Productivity

2. Profitability

3. Sustainability

4. Balanced food

5. Recycling reduces pollution

6. Money round the year

7. Employment generation

8. Increase input efficiency



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9. Standard of living of the farmer increased

10. Better utilisation of land, labour, time and resources


GENERAL STUDIES -3 · 2019-02-15 · GENERAL STUDIES -3 ... The

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