Cropping Intensity
Cropping intensity refers to raising of a number of crops from the same field during one
agricultural year; it can be expressed through a formula.
Cropping Intensity = Gross Cropped Area / Net Sown Area x 100
Thus, higher cropping intensity means that a higher proportion of the net sown area is being
cropped more than once during one agricultural year. This also implies higher productivity
per unit of arable land during one agricultural year.
Gross cropped area is the cumulative area (sown more than once) which was cultivated
within a year by various crops. For e.g. if a farmer has 100 ha area of land and in the kharif
season, he cultivated 90 hac of area and in Rabi 40 hac area and in Zaid 20 ha of area. Thus,
Gross sown area = 150 hac, which means that the farmer utilized the total cultivated land 1.5
times or 150% which is termed as the cropping intensity.
India has the largest cultivated land in the world, nearly 51% under cropping, 20% under
forest, 6% wastelands and 4-5% pasturelands. The potential of increase in the total cultivable
area is low. However, the demand of food crops and industrial crops has been ever
increasing. Thus, the only method to increase output is to increase cropping intensity.
India had nearly 135% cropping intensity in 2001. But at present it is estimated as 141%.
In comparison to European countries like UK, Italy (~ 190%), Holland (230%),
cropping intensity of India is low. But as compared to Brazil, China and Argentina it is
higher.
For instance, suppose a farmer owns 5 hectares of land, and gets the crop from these five
acres during the kharif season and, again, during the rabi season he raises a crop from 3
hectares. He gets the effective produce from 8 hectares, although he owns only 5 hectares
physically. If he raised crops from 5 hectares totally, his cropping intensity would have been
100 per cent or 100, while now it is 160 per cent or 160.
The cropping intensity shows great spatial variation in India, with higher levels in northern
plains. Lower levels are found in dry, rain-fed regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and
Karnataka.
Measures to Raise Cropping Intensity
1. Irrigation
Irrigation has played an important role in raising the cropping intensity in northern states
where it has risen considerably. Irrigation helps raise the cropping intensity by enabling
raising, of crops during the dry season also.
2. Fertilisers
The need to leave the land fallow for some period to regain the lost nutrients can be
dispensed with by using fertilisers and following some other suitable cropping practices.
India is one of the largest consumers of global chemical fertilizers after China.
Since the onset of the green revolution in India, chemical fertiliser consumption
has been tilted towards some regions of India, namely Punjab, Haryana,
Western Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Several parts of north-eastern and
eastern India have relatively low chemical fertilizer consumption. Nitrogenous
fertilizers are the most extensively used fertilizers in the Indian soils. The
consensus about the ideal NPK ratio per hectare in the soil is about [Link]. (FYM:
Farmyard Manure)
3. Crop Rotation
It is the suitable arrangement of successive crops in such a way that the different crops draw
nutrients in different proportions or from different strata. For instance, if legumes (pulses,
gram, etc.) or certain oilseeds are sown just before the cereals, they fix the atmospheric
nitrogen in soil, which can be absorbed by the cereals.
Crop rotation is the practice of planting two or more crops sequentially on the same plot of
land to improve soil health, optimize nutrients, and combat pest and weed pressure. Crop
rotation and intercropping are two different types of cropping patterns followed on a farm to
diversify crops and enhance cropping intensity (Refer below). Temporal crop
diversification includes crop rotation, while spatial crop diversification is achieved through
intercropping. Crop rotation is undertaken to maximize profit without large investments and
without impeding soil fertility. It can also break the cycle of pests and diseases. Intercropping
is practiced to produce more crops from a unit of land by efficient utilization of resources
while providing insurance against total crop failure due to weather aberrations, particularly
under rainfed conditions.
4. Mixed Cropping
This works on similar principles. In this case, wheat and barley or wheat and gram or barley
and gram are grown together to maintain a balance of consumption between different
nutrients.
5. Relay Cropping
This means simultaneous sowing of different crops with different nurturing periods in the
same field and harvesting them one after the other. For instance, highly fertiliser-intensive
crops like sugarcane and tobacco can be followed by cereals, in order to utilise the residual
nutrients.
6. Selective Mechanisation
Use of tractors, tillers, threshers, etc. can save critical time between raising two crops, thus
enabling the sowing of more than one crop.
7. Use of Fast Maturing Varieties
These varieties can enable growing of more than one -crop within one growing season.
8. Appropriate Plant Protection
These measures include the use of pesticides and insecticides, seed treatment, weed control,
rodent control measures, etc. These measures are effective when all the farmers in an area
take these up collectively.
Therefore, these measures should be promoted on an institutional basis. Also, substantial
improvement in yield can be attained through soil improvement measures, such as land
levelling, sloping, contour bunding, terracing, removal of salinity and alkalinity, etc.
Agricultural intensity could also take into account animal husbandry and fishery
supplementing or complementing the crops grown.
Spatial Pattern of Cropping Intensity in India
India can be divided into four regions/zones based on the cropping intensity. The different
zones shown in table are discussed below:
Zone Cropping Intensity Cropping Intensity Index
I Very high Cropping Intensity 180 and above
II High Cropping Intensity 160-180
III Moderate Cropping Intensity 140-160
IV Low Cropping Intensity 120-140
V Very Low Cropping Intensity 100-120
(Statistical survey of India uses this index)
1. Region I: Very high Cropping Intensity (180 and above)
This region includes the states of Punjab, Haryana and West Bengal.
Punjab and Haryana plains are sub-humid alluvial regions with good alluvial
soil & moderate to high land capability.
Hydrology is sufficient to support the required cropping pattern of the region.
After the green revolution, there was the considerable increase in the use of
modern input and technology
Developed rural infrastructure, command area development, govt incentives
and finance, capitalistic farming and larger land holding with farm
mechanisation is also the feature of this region.
From wheat monoculture, this region has diversified the cropping
pattern and along with wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane, oilseeds, grams are also
cultivated.
Productivity is higher, agricultural output, per-capital yield and per-capita
money income from land is highest.
2. Region II: High Cropping Intensity (160-180)
This region includes the areas of UP, Bihar, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
These regions have humid climatic conditions with good fertile soil which
makes the land capability high.
This area comes under land class I which can be cultivated 3 times a year
without land fertility getting deteriorated.
Hydrology supports the agriculture throughout the year with renewal of
soil, almost each year.
Partial use of modern inputs and technology, partial mechanisation has
made the agriculture in the region sustainable.
The carrying capacity of land is very high; however productivity is less as
compared to Tamil Nadu and Punjab due to social factors which includes
high population density, low land man ratio and subsistence farming which
has resulted to high Cropping Intensity.
Major Crops are rice, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, maize. There is greater
diversification due to subsistence nature of agriculture.
3. Region III: Moderate Cropping Intensity (140-160)
This region includes the areas of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
These regions have Sub-humid to semi-arid climatic condition.
The soil capability is moderate and after irrigation it can provide greater
yield.
Land man ratio is moderate to high; the carrying capacity of land is low.
There is need of expansion of dry land agriculture.
Major crops grown are Millets, groundnuts, tobacco, and oilseeds.
Where irrigation is possible in river valleys and deltas Cropping Intensity is
190, e.g. Krishna Godavari delta, tube well irrigated region of Maharashtra,
Kaveri basin of Karnataka.
Productivity of this region is lower than Class I and Class II states divided
on the basis of per hectare yield.
4. Region IV: Low Cropping Intensity (120-140)
This region includes the areas of Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir Rajasthan,
North Eastern States, Orissa, Himanchal Pradesh and Jharkhand.
These states have physiographic or climatic constraints. Thus, land capability
is classified as 5 to 8 for these states.
These states have highly diversified cropping pattern.
Also the socio economic factors like tribal economy and environmental
hazards like landslides, excessive rainfall and cloud bursts are the key
constrains in the development of agriculture of the region.
Productivity is low for these states. The per-capita agricultural labour output
and the total money value earned from agriculture are low.
The per-hectare yield of the region is moderate to poor.
4. Region V: Very Low Cropping Intensity (100-120)
This region includes the areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, North Eastern States,
Orissa, Jharkhand and some parts of Telangana and Tamil Nadu.
Rainfall in these areas is comparatively lower than other regions and irrigation
intensity is also less.
Productivity, cropping intensity and capital intensity is relatively very less in
this region.
Role of Modern inputs on the Pattern of Cropping Intensity
Case study of Punjab and Gujarat
The case of Punjab and Gujarat will be studied by keeping in view the implementation
of the following agricultural inputs:
1. Irrigation
2. Mechanization
3. Use of chemical fertilizers
4. Use of pesticides
5. Rural electrification.
Modern inputs and use of technology has revolutionized agricultural pattern. In such a
scenario, the physical quality of land and responsiveness of soil to the modern inputs
can’t be rejected.
Even the climatic condition and hydrology is a significant determinant of Cropping
Intensity but yet the use of modern input and technology has changed the
characteristic of agriculture across the regions.
Punjab has almost 99.8% of cultivated land under irrigation, while Gujarat
heavily relies upon tube well irrigation and tanks. In Gujarat, the hydrology is
different at different parts and the irrigated area is only 23%.
In Punjab, the availability of tube wells is 10 per hectare. However, in Gujarat, it is 40
per hectare.
In terms of mechanization, Punjab has the highest availability of tractors for every 7
hectares of land whereas one tractor is available for Gujarat for 150 hectares of land.
Similarly, per hectare use of fertilizer in Punjab is 92 kg and pesticides are 40 kg per
season. However, the same equivalent for Gujarat is 18 kg and 12 kg respectively.
For these reasons, Punjab has the highest Cropping Intensity in India at 196% while
Gujarat has only 124% which is much below the national average of 141%.
