Cropping activities go on all the year-round in India, provided water is available for crops.
In
northern India, there are two distinct seasons, kharif (July to October), and rabi (October to March).
Crops grown between March and June are known as zaid. In some parts of the country, there are
no such distinct seasons, but there they have their own classification of seasons. The village
revenue officials keep plot-wise record of crops grown in each season. These are annually
compiled district-wise, state-wise and on all-India basis. From these records one could calculate the
relative abundance of a crop or a group of crops in a region. These crops are grown sole or mixed
(mixed-cropping), or in a definite sequence (rotational cropping). The land may be occupied by one
crop during one season (mono-cropping), or by two crops (double-cropping) which may be grown in
a year in sequence. Of late, the trend is even more than two crops (multiple-cropping) in a year.
These intensive croppings may be done either in sequence or even there may be relay-cropping-
one crop undersown in a standing crop. With wide-rowed slow growing cropping patterns,
companion crops may be grown. There are various ways of utilising the land intensively. It is
proposed to give a synoptic view of cropping patterns prevalent in the country. Before dealing with
the cropping patterns, a brief description of the factors that determine the cropping systems of an
individual locality or region are briefly presented here.
In any locality, the prevalent cropping systems are the cumulative results of past and present
decisions by individuals, communities or governments and their agencies. These decisions are
usually based on experience, tradition, expected profit, personal preferences and resources, social
and political pressures and so on. Essentially, they are answers to some of the following questions:
What with the present pest-and-disease control methods are ecologically practicable?
What interactions occur among the ecologically practicable crops, and the chosen crops
and must be combined in a special way (rotations) in the farming systems?
Are any of the ecologically feasible crops ruled out by infrastructural factors?
Which of the crops, now remaining on the list, are most profitable (or yield most food in a
subsistence agriculture)?. In what combinations and at what level of input application would
they make the best use of local land, climate and input resources in short-term and long-
term situations bearing in mind the degree of food and income security required by the
individual farmer and the community?
What operational factors rule out or amend the size and the method of any of the
economically preferable crop combinations thereof?
Finally, are the crop combinations, the farming systems and the input levels suggested by
this process of the individual farmers compatible with his own skills, enterprise preferences,
health, age and capital?
The climatic, edaphic and socio-economic diversity of the Indian crop-production scene is dotted
with many cropping patterns. With a geographic area of 328.048 million hectares, stretching
between 8oN and 36oN latitude and between 68oE and 98oE longitude, its altitude varying from the
mean sea-level to the highest mountain ranges of the world, India presents a range and diversity of
climate, flora and fauna, with a few parallels in the world. The country presents a paradox of
containing in it the station with the highest mean annual rainfall in the world (Cherrapunji in Assam)
and also dry, semi-desert area in Rajasthan. The variability of rainfall is most important in all the
states, but especially where rainfall is low. In parts of Rajasthan and the Deccan, the variability is
more than 100 per cent of the mean. Years of drought account for only too frequent a history of
crop failures, whereas the years of flood also cause very considerable loss of agricultural
production. Temperatures also vary greatly, both geographically and seasonally. Northern and
central parts of India in January have temperature comparable with those in Europe in July, though
with a greater daily range, but in these places in the pre-monsoon months the maximum
temperatures of over 40oC are reached over a large area. Frost may occur in winter in the plains, as
far south as a line drawn through Madhya Pradesh and may be heavy in Kashmir and areas north
of Punjab.
Socio-economically, the peasantry ranges from the relatively affluent Punjabi farmers who operate
with a high input intensity in agriculture to the subsistent farmers of eastern and central India. They
even today, sometimes practice shifting cultivation. Between these two extremes, various
intensities of cultivation are practised. The outstanding fact on the socio-economic is the smallness
of holdings, the average farm-size in most areas being lower than that is in most tropical countries.
Crops production, therefore, presents such an enormous diversity owing to differences in latitude,
altitude and variability of rainfall and edaphic diversity which have presented in detail in the book.
Thus it may not be possible to enumerate and describe here every type of cropping pattern
prevalent in the country. Some broad contours of farming, however, 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.
The rice region extending from the eastern part to include a very large part of the north-
eastern and the south-eastern India, with another strip along the western coast.
The wheat region, occupying most of the northern, western and central India.
The millet-sorghum region, comprising Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the Deccan
Plateau in the centre of the Indian Peninsula.
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.
The plantation crops region of Assam and the hills of southern India where good quality tea
is produced. 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 irigation works has increased, especially after the drought of 1966. Thus, at present, an all-
India irrigation potential of 38.5m ha 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
Co-ordinated Crops-Improvement Projects run co-operatively by the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research and the agricultural universities have generated short-season, photo-period-insensitive
high-yeilding 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.
Cropping activities go on all the year-round in India, provided water is available for crops. In
northern India, there are two distinct seasons, kharif (July to October), and rabi (October to March).
Crops grown between March and June are known as zaid. In some parts of the country, there are
no such distinct seasons, but there they have their own classification of seasons. The village
revenue officials keep plot-wise record of crops grown in each season. These are annually
compiled district-wise, state-wise and on all-India basis. From these records one could calculate the
relative abundance of a crop or a group of crops in a region. These crops are grown sole or mixed
(mixed-cropping), or in a definite sequence (rotational cropping). The land may be occupied by one
crop during one season (mono-cropping), or by two crops (double-cropping) which may be grown in
a year in sequence. Of late, the trend is even more than two crops (multiple-cropping) in a year.
These intensive croppings may be done either in sequence or even there may be relay-cropping-
one crop undersown in a standing crop. With wide-rowed slow growing cropping patterns,
companion crops may be grown. There are various ways of utilising the land intensively. It is
proposed to give a synoptic view of cropping patterns prevalent in the country. Before dealing with
the cropping patterns, a brief description of the factors that determine the cropping systems of an
individual locality or region are briefly presented here.
In any locality, the prevalent cropping systems are the cumulative results of past and present
decisions by individuals, communities or governments and their agencies. These decisions are
usually based on experience, tradition, expected profit, personal preferences and resources, social
and political pressures and so on. Essentially, they are answers to some of the following questions:
What with the present pest-and-disease control methods are ecologically practicable?
What interactions occur among the ecologically practicable crops, and the chosen crops
and must be combined in a special way (rotations) in the farming systems?
Are any of the ecologically feasible crops ruled out by infrastructural factors?
Which of the crops, now remaining on the list, are most profitable (or yield most food in a
subsistence agriculture)?. In what combinations and at what level of input application would
they make the best use of local land, climate and input resources in short-term and long-
term situations bearing in mind the degree of food and income security required by the
individual farmer and the community?
What operational factors rule out or amend the size and the method of any of the
economically preferable crop combinations thereof?
Finally, are the crop combinations, the farming systems and the input levels suggested by
this process of the individual farmers compatible with his own skills, enterprise preferences,
health, age and capital?
The climatic, edaphic and socio-economic diversity of the Indian crop-production scene is dotted
with many cropping patterns. With a geographic area of 328.048 million hectares, stretching
between 8oN and 36oN latitude and between 68oE and 98oE longitude, its altitude varying from the
mean sea-level to the highest mountain ranges of the world, India presents a range and diversity of
climate, flora and fauna, with a few parallels in the world. The country presents a paradox of
containing in it the station with the highest mean annual rainfall in the world (Cherrapunji in Assam)
and also dry, semi-desert area in Rajasthan. The variability of rainfall is most important in all the
states, but especially where rainfall is low. In parts of Rajasthan and the Deccan, the variability is
more than 100 per cent of the mean. Years of drought account for only too frequent a history of
crop failures, whereas the years of flood also cause very considerable loss of agricultural
production. Temperatures also vary greatly, both geographically and seasonally. Northern and
central parts of India in January have temperature comparable with those in Europe in July, though
with a greater daily range, but in these places in the pre-monsoon months the maximum
temperatures of over 40oC are reached over a large area. Frost may occur in winter in the plains, as
far south as a line drawn through Madhya Pradesh and may be heavy in Kashmir and areas north
of Punjab.
Socio-economically, the peasantry ranges from the relatively affluent Punjabi farmers who operate
with a high input intensity in agriculture to the subsistent farmers of eastern and central India. They
even today, sometimes practice shifting cultivation. Between these two extremes, various
intensities of cultivation are practised. The outstanding fact on the socio-economic is the smallness
of holdings, the average farm-size in most areas being lower than that is in most tropical countries.
Crops production, therefore, presents such an enormous diversity owing to differences in latitude,
altitude and variability of rainfall and edaphic diversity which have presented in detail in the book.
Thus it may not be possible to enumerate and describe here every type of cropping pattern
prevalent in the country. Some broad contours of farming, however, 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.
The rice region extending from the eastern part to include a very large part of the north-
eastern and the south-eastern India, with another strip along the western coast.
The wheat region, occupying most of the northern, western and central India.
The millet-sorghum region, comprising Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the Deccan
Plateau in the centre of the Indian Peninsula.
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.
The plantation crops region of Assam and the hills of southern India where good quality tea
is produced. 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 irigation works has increased, especially after the drought of 1966. Thus, at present, an all-
India irrigation potential of 38.5m ha 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
Co-ordinated Crops-Improvement Projects run co-operatively by the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research and the agricultural universities have generated short-season, photo-period-insensitive
high-yeilding 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.
THE PRESENT CROPPING PATTERNS
As indicated earlier in this chapter, we can hardly describe all the cropping patterns within the framework
of this chapter. Therefore only important ones are highlighted. There are many ways in which a cropping
pattern can be discussed.
A broad picture of the major cropping patterns in India can be presented by taking the major crops into
consideration. To begin with, the south-westerly monsoon crops (kharif), bajra, maize, ragi, groundnut
and cotton. Among the post-monsoon crops (rabi), wheat, sorghum (rabi)and gram can also be
considered to be the base crops for describing the cropping patterns. With such an approach, the crop
occupying the highest percentage of the sown area of the region is taken as the base crop and all other
possible alternative crops which are sown in the region either as substitutes of the base crop in the same
season or as the crops which fit in the rotation in the subsequent season, are considered in the pattern.
Also these crops have been identified as associating themselves with a paricular type of agroclimate, and
certain other minor crops with similar requirements are grouped in one category. For example, wheat,
barley and oats, are taken as one category. Similarly the minor millets (Paspalum,Setaria and Panicum
spp.) are grouped with sorghum or bajra. Certain other crops, such as the plantation crops and other
industrial crops are discussed seperately.
THE KHARIF-SEASON CROPPING PATTERNS
Among the kharif crops, rice, jowar, bajra, maize, groundnut and cotton are the prominent crops to be
considered the base crops for describing the kharif cropping patterns.
The rice-based cropping patterns. Rice is grown in the high-rainfall area or in areas where
supplemental irrigation is available to ensure good yields. If the crop has to depend solely on rainfall, it
requires not less than 30 cm per month of rainfall over the entire growing period. However, only 9 per cent
of the area in the country comes under this category, and it lies in the eastern parts. Nearly 45 per cent of
the total rice area in India recieves 30 cm per month of rainfall during at least two months (July and
August) of the south-westerly monsoon and much less during other months. In contrast to these parts, the
eastern and southern regions comprising Assam, West Bengal, coastal Orissa, coastal Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka (most part), Tamil nadu and Kerala receive rainfall of 10 to 20 cm per month in four to eight
consecutive months, starting earlier or going over later than the south-westerly monsoon months. With
supplemental irrigation, 2 or 3 crops are taken in these areas. However, it has been observed that on an
all-India basis, nearly 80% of rice is sown during June-September and the rest during the rest of the
season. Areawise the mono-season belt occupies 53.6 per cent of the area (comprising Assam, West
Bengal, coastal Orissa, coastal Andhra Pradesh, parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala).
On an all-India basis, about 30 rice-based cropping patterns have been identified in different states. In the
most humid areas of eastern India comprising Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram, rice is the exclusive crop. In
Meghalaya, rice is alternated with cotton, vegetable and food-crops, whereas in Arunachal Pradesh,
where rice is not grown exclusively, the alternative crops being maize, small millets and oilseeds. In parts
of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, orissa and northern coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, jute forms an
important commercial crop alternative to rice. In West Bengal, besides rice and jute, pulses and maize are
grown on a limited scale. In Bihar, rice is grown over 49 per cent(5.3 m ha) of its cropped area(14.2 per
cent of all-India area), whereas pulses, wheat, jute, maize, sugarcane and oilseeds are the alternative
crops. In Uttar Pradesh rice is grown on 19 per cent(4.6 m ha) of its cropped area and represents about
12.4 per cent of the all-India area under this crop. Rice is concentrated in the eastern districts of Uttar
Pradesh where the alternative crops are pulses, groundnut, sugarcane, bajra and jowar in the decreasing
order of their importance. Tobacco is grown in some districts.
In Orissa, rice is grown on more than 50 per cent of the area, whereas the alternative crops are: pulses,
ragi, oilseeds, maize and small millets. in Madhya Pradesh rice is grown in the Chattisgarh area on 4.3 m
ha(11.7 per cent of the all-India rice area), but the crop suffers because of inadequate rainfall and
irrigation. The important alternative crops of this area are: small millets, pulses and groundnut. Wheat is
also grown on a limited scale.
In the southern states, namely Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala rice is grown in more than one
season and mostly under irrigation or under sufficient rainfall. Together, these three states have over 6.0
m ha, representing over 17 per cent of the all-India area under rice. Important alternative plantation crops
in Andhra Pradesh are: pulses, groundnut, jowar, maize, sugarcane and tobacco. In Karnataka the crops
alternative to rice are: ragi, plantation crops, bajra, cotton, groundnut, jowar and maize. In Kerala
plantation crops and tapioca form the main plantation crops alternative to rice. in Maharashtra rice is
grown mostly in the Konkan area over 1.3 m ha, along with ragi, pulses, rabi jowar, sugarcane,
groundnuts and oilseeds. in other states, namely Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Himachal
Pradesh,rice forms a minor plantation crop and is mostly grown with irrigation. However, in Punjab and
Haryana and to some extent in western Uttar Pradesh owing to high water-table during this monsoon
season, rice has become a major crops in such areas.
The kharif cereals other than rice. Maize, jowar and bajra form the main kharif cereals, whereas ragi
and small millets come next and are grown on a limited area. by and large, maize is a crop grown
commonly in high-rainfall areas, or on soils with a better capacity for retaining moisture, but with good
drainage. Next comes jowar in the medium rainfall regions whereas bajra has been the main crop in
areas with low or less dependable rainfall and on light textured soils. The extent of the area under these
crops during the south-westerly monsoon season is maize, 5.6 m ha; jowar (kharif), 11 mha, and
bajra,12.4 m ha. Even though these crops are spread all over the western, northern and southern India,
the regions of these crops patterns are demarcated well to the west of 80o longitude (except that of
maize). Ragi as a kharif cereal (2.4 m ha) is mainly concentrated in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra
Pradesh which account for main than 60 per cent of the total area under this crop in India. The cropping
patterns based on each of these kharif cereals are discussed.
The maize-based cropping patterns. The largest area under the kharif maize is in Uttar Pradesh (1.4m
ha), followed by Bihar (0.96 m ha), Rajasthan (0.78 m ha), Madhya Pradesh (0.58 m ha) and Punjab
(0.52 m ha). In four states namely Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh,
the area under maize ranges from 0.24 to 0.28 m ha in each, whereas other states have much less area
under it. Taking the rainfall of the maize growing areas under consideration, over 72 per cent of the areas
receive 20-30 cm per month of rainfall in at least two months or more during the south westerly monsoon
season.
On the all-India basis, about 12 cropping patterns have been identified. They have maize as the base
crop. In the maize growing areas of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, rice in kharif and wheat in rabi are the main
alternative crops. In some areas, bajra, groundnut, sugarcane, ragi and pulses are taken as alternative
crops. In Rajasthan maize is grown as an extensive crop in some areas, whereas at other places, it is
replaced by small millets, pulses, groundnut and wheat(rabi) as alternative crop. in madhya Pradesh
mainly the kharif jowar is replaced by maize, whereas rice and groundnut are also grown to a limited
extent. In Punjab maize has groundnut, fodder crops and wheat(rabi) as alternative crops. In other states,
e.g. Gujarat, rice, groundnut, cotton and wheat form the alternative crops in the maize-growing areas of
Himachal Pradesh, whereas in Andhra Pradesh, rice, kharif jowar, and oilseeds are grown in these areas.
The kharif jowar-based cropping patterns. The area under the kharif jowar in India is highest in
Maharashtra (2.5 m ha), closely followed by madhya Pradesh (2.3 m ha), whereas in each of the states of
Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat, the area under this crops is between 1.0 and 1.4 m
ha. Jowar is mainly grown where rainfall distribution ranges from 10-20 per month at least for 3 to 4
months of the south-westerly monsoon or is still more abundant.
On the all-India basis, about 17 major cropping patterns have been identified. In them the base crops is
kharif jowar. Most of the alternative crops are also of the type which can be grown under medium rainfall.
In Maharashtra cotton, pulses, groundnut and small millets are sown as alternative crops. In the adjacent
states of Madhya Pradesh, besides the above alternative crops, wheat and fodder are sown. In Rajasthan
wheat, cotton, bajra and maize are grown in the kharif-jowar tract, whereas in Andhra Pradesh,
groundnuts, cotton, oilseeds and pulses form the main alternative crops. Besides cotton and groundnut,
ragi is sown in the kharif-jowar tarct of Karnataka, whereas in Gujarat, bajra, cotton and groundnut are the
major alternative crops.
The bajra-based cropping patterns. Bajra is more drought-resistent crop than several other cereal
crops and is generally preferred in low-rainfall areas and on light soils. The area under the bajra crop in
India is about 12.4 m ha and Rajasthan (4.6 m ha) shares about the 2/3 total area. Maharashtra, Gujarat
and Uttar Pradesh together have over 4.6 m ha, constituting an additional 1/3 area under bajra, in India.
Over 66 per cent of this crop is grown in areas receiving 10-20 cm per month of rainfall, extending over 1
to 4 months of the south-westerly monsoon.
On the all-India basis, about 20 major cropping patterns have been identified with bajra. However, it may
be observed that jowar and bajra are grown mostly under identical environmental conditions and both
have a wide spectrum adaptability in respect of rainfall, temperature and rainfall.
Considering the cropping patterns in different states, bajra is grown along with pulses, groundnut,
oilseeds and kharif jowar in Rajasthan. Gujarat has a similar cropping pattern in its bajra areas, except
that cotton and tobacco are also grown. In Maharashtra besides having some areas solely under bajra,
pulses, wheat, rabi jowar, groundnut and cotton are substituted for it. In Uttar Pradesh, maize, rice and
wheat form the main alternative crops to this crop.
The groundnut based cropping patterns. Groundnut is sown over an area of about 7.2 m ha, mostly in
five major groundnut-producing states of Gujarat (24.4 per cent area), Andhra Pradesh (20.2) per cent),
Tamil Nadu (13.5 per cent), Maharashtra (12.2 per cent) and Karnataka (12.0 per cent). Five other states
viz. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Orissa together have about 17.3 per cent of
the total area under this crop. The rainfall in the groundnut area ranges from 20-30 cm per month in one
of the monsoon months and much less in the other months. In some cases the rainfall is even less than
10 cm. per month during the growth of the crop. The irrigated area under groundnut is very small and that
too, in a few states only, viz. Punjab(16.4 per cent), Tamil Nadu (13.3 per cent)and Andhra Pradesh (12.5
per cent).
On the all-India level, about 9 cropping patterns have been identified with this crop. In Gujarat besides the
sole crop of groundnut in some areas, bajra, is the major alternative crop, whereas the kharif jowar, cotton
and pulses are also grown in this tract. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, this crop receives irrigation in
some areas and rice forms an alternative crop. Under rainfed conditions, bajra, kharif jowar, small millets,
cotton and pulses are grown as alternative crops. In Maharashtra both the kharif and rabi jowar and small
millets are important alternative crops. In Karnataka also, jowar is the major alternative crop, whereas
cotton, tobacco, sugarcane and wheat are also grown in this tract.
The cotton-based cropping patterns. Cotton is grown over 7.6 m ha in India. Maharashtra shares 36
per cent (2.8 m ha), followed by Gujarat with 21 per cent (1.6 m ha), Karnataka with 13 per cent (1 m ha)
and Madhya Pradesh with 9 per cent (0.6 m ha) of the area. Together, these four states account for about
80 per cent of the area under cotton. Other cottom-growing states with smaller areas are Punjab, with 5
per cent (0.4 m ha), Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu each with 4 per cent (0.31 m ha), Haryana and
Rajasthan with 3 per cent of each (0.2 m ha each). Most of the coton areas in the country are under the
high to medium rainfall zone. The cotton grown in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra
Pradesh (4.8 m ha) is rainfed, whereas in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu (1.93 m ha) it receives partial irrigation
16-20 per cent of the area). The area under cotton in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (0.8
m ha)gets adequate irigation, randing from 71 to 97 per cent of the area. These growing conditions,
together with the species of cotton grown, determine the duration of the crop which may vary from about 5
to 9 months.
On the all-India basis, about 16 broad cropping pattens have been identified. In Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the cropping patterns in the cotton-growing areas are mostly
similar owing to identical rainfall. These patterns include jowar (kharif and rabi), groundnut and small
millets. Pulses and wheat are also grown in a limited area. In some pockets, wher irrigation is available,
rice and sugarcane are also grown. In Gujarat, rice, tobacco and maize are grown, besides the rainfed
crops, e.g. jowar and bajra.
THE RABI SEASON CROPPING PATTERNS
Among the rabi crops, wheat, together with barley and oats, jowar and gram, are the main base crops
among the rabi cropping patterns. Generally, wheat and gram are concentrated in the subtropical region
in northern India, whereas the rabi sorghum is grown mostly in the Deccan. The extent of these areas in
different states is as follows;
Crop Area Region (per cent of all-India area)
Uttar Pradesh (51), Haryana (6),Bihar (6), Punjab (6),
2.5 m
Sugarcane Maharashtra (8), Andhra Pradesh (5),Tamil Nadu (5),
ha
Karnataka (3)
0.427 Andhra Pradesh (48), Gujarat (19.5), Karnataka (8.7),
Tobacco
m ha Maharashtra (3.5), Tamil Nadu (3.5)
Uttar Pradesh (33.6), Bihar (20.4), West Bengal
Potato 0.491
(13.3), Assam (5.2), Orissa (4.8)
West Bengal (60), North eastern Region (18.7), Bihar
Jute 0.778
(17.6), Orissa (6.1), Uttar Pradesh (1.7)
1.05 m Kerala (68.3), Karnataka (12.4), Tamil Nadu (9.7),
Coconut
ha Andhra Pradesh (3.5)
0.197
Rubber Kerala (92.8), Tamil Nadu (5.0), Karnataka (1.9)
m ha
0.264 Kerala (67.4), Karnataka (12.1), Andhra Pradesh
Cashew
m ha (10.8), Tamil Nadu (9.8), Maharashtra (4.8)
0.35 m West Bengal, Assam and Tripura (77), Kerala, Tamil
Tea
ha Nadu and Karnataka (20)
0.138
Coffee Kerala , Tamil Nadu and Karnataka (99)
m ha
All fruit- 1.8 m
Spread all-over India
crops" ha
Maharashtra (18.5), Karnataka (11.7), Andhra
0.16 m Pradesh (12.8), Tamil Nadu (11.2), West Bengal
Onion
ha (7.6), Madhya Pradesh (7.2), Orissa (6.8), Punjab
(6.2)
Chillies 0.733 Andhra Pradesh (26.9), Maharashtra (20.4),
m ha Karnataka(14.5), Madhya Pradesh (5.5), Tamil Nadu
(10.1)
0.283 Andhra Pradesh (36), Rajasthan (23.6), Madhya
Coriander
m ha Pradesh (11.1), Tamil Nadu (10.0)
In several sugarcane-growing areas, mono-cropping is practised, and during the interval between the
crops, short duration seasonal crops are grown. In U.P., Bihar, Punjab and Haryana, wheat and maize
are the rotation crops. rice is also grown in some areas. In the southern states, namely Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, ragi, rice and pulses are grown along with sugarcane. In Maharashtra,
pulses, jowar and cotton are grown.
In the potato-growing region, maize, pulses, wheat are the alternative crops. in the tobacco-growing
areas, depending on the season and the type of tobacco, jowar, oilseeeds and maize are grown in
rotation. in the jute-growing areas, rice is the usual alternative crop.
In the case of plantation-crops, intercropping with pulses and fodder crops is common. Spices and
condiments are generally grown on fertile soils. Chillies are rotated with jowar, whereas onion, corriander,
turmeric and ginger are grown as mixed crops with other seasonal crops.
Mixed Cropping. Crops mixtures are widely grown, especially during the kharif season. Pulses and some
oilseeds are grown with maize, jowar and bajra. Lowland rice is invariably grown unmixed, but in the case
of upland rice, several mixtures are prevalent in eastern Uttar Pradesh, with Chotanagpur Division of
Bihar and in the Chhatisgarh Division of Madhya Pradesh. During the rabi season, especially in the
unirrigated area of the north, wheat and barley and wheat and gram or wheat + barley + gram are the
mixtures of grain crops. Brassica and safflower are grown mixed with gram or even with wheat. Mixed
cropping was considered by researchers a primitive practice, but now many researchers regard mixed
cropping as the most efficient way of using land. Several new mixtures have recently been suggested.
They ensure an efficient utilization of sunshine and land. Breeders are developing plant types in pulses
and oilseeds, with good compatibility with row crops.
The future of cropping patterns. With the increase in population, the irrigated area is increasing and
with advances in agricultural science, most of the extensive cropping patterns are giving way to intensive
cropping. The development in minor irrigation works has especially provided the farmes with opportunities
to crop their land all the year round with high-yielding varieties. This intensive cropping will require an
easy and ready availability of balanced fertilizers and plant protection chemicals and an appropriate price
policy for inputs and agricultural produce.
India is a country of small farmers. In the future the size of the holdings will diminish further. The country
has to produce enough for its people without deteriorating the quality of the environment.
This is the challenge of the future for the farmers, agricultural scientists, extension workers and
administrators.
