CROPPING PATTERNS

IN VARIOUS PARTS OF
COUNTRY
What is Cropping Pattern?

• Cropping Pattern mean the proportion of area under different crops at a point of
time, changes in this distribution overtime and factors determining these changes.
• Cropping pattern in India is determined mainly by rainfall, climate, temperature
and soil type.
Types of Cropping Pattern
• Mono-cropping
If only one crop is grown in the land season after season, it is referred to as
Monocropping. Example: Wheat will be planted year after year in the same field.
Monocropping depletes soil fertility and degrades the soil’s physical and chemical
structure. It will be necessary to use chemical fertilisers in order to upgrade
production. Pests and diseases are able to spread as a result of this practise.
2. Mixed Cropping
• Mixed cropping is a term used to describe the practise of growing two or more
crops on the same piece of land at the same time. Mixed cropping, for example, is
the practise of growing wheat and gramme on the same piece of land at the same
time. This practise reduces the risk of failure of one of the crops and provides
insurance against crop failure caused by unusual weather conditions, both of which
are beneficial.
• The crops that will be grown together should have different maturation times as
well as different water needs. It is recommended to grow one tall crop and one
dwarf crop together. When comparing two crops, the nutrients required by one
should be less than the nutrients required by the other. One crop should have deep
roots, while the other crops should have shallow roots, and so on. All of these
factors contribute to the success of a mixed cropping pattern.
Advantages of Mixed Cropping
• The crop yield increases as a result of this.
• The pest infestation is kept to a bare minimum.
• A decrease in the likelihood of crop failure.
• The soil is being properly utilised.
• It is possible to harvest more than one type of crop at the same time.
Intercropping
• It is the practise of growing more than one crop in a single field at the same time in
a specific row pattern, which is known as intercropping. After one row of the main
crop, three rows of intercrops can be planted between the main crop rows. This
increases productivity per square metre of floor space.
 Types of Intercropping
• Row Intercropping

Row intercropping is a type of crop intercropping in which the component crops are
planted in alternate rows. It aids in the most efficient use of available land space as
well as the suppression of weeds during the early stages of the main crop.

• Strip Intercropping

Strip cropping is a term used to describe the practise of growing two or more crops in
wide strips so that the two crops can be managed separately. The crops, on the other
hand, are close enough to interact.

• Relay Intercropping

If you are using this method of intercropping, a second crop is planted after the first
crop has flowered but before it has been harvested. For example, rice with
cauliflower, onion, and summer gourds.
Advantages of Intercropping
• Maintaining the fertility of the soil is important.
• The spread of diseases and pests is kept under tight control.
• The most efficient use of available resources.
• You save both space and time by not growing more than one crop at a time.
• Utilisation to the greatest extent possible of soil nutrients.
Intercropping crops include maize and soybeans, as well as bajra and lobea, among
other things.
Crop Rotation
• A succession of crops is grown on the same piece of ground according to a
predetermined schedule in this pattern. In accordance with the length of the crop
rotation, the crops are classified as follows: one-year rotation; two-year rotation;
three-year rotation
• In order to increase soil fertility, legumes are incorporated into the crop rotation
programme. Following the legumes, crops that require a high level of fertility (such
as wheat) can be planted. After the crops that require high inputs have been
harvested, the crops that require low inputs can be planted.
How are the crops selected for Rotation?
When selecting crops for rotation, the following criteria should be taken into
consideration:
1)There should be sufficient moisture available.

2)Available fertilisers, labour, and machine power are all important considerations.
3)Marketing and processing facilities are also available.

4)The amount of nutrients available in the soil.

5)The length of time the crop will be harvested (short or long).

Advantages of Crop Rotation
• There is a long-term preservation of soil fertility
• The prevention of the growth of weeds and pests in the field.
• There is no need for a large amount of chemical fertilisers.
• The soil’s physical and chemical properties are unaffected by the treatment.

•
 Cropping
seasons
SR.N Cropping Season Time Period Crops States
O.
1. RABI Sown: October- Wheat, barley, peas, Punjab, Haryana,
December gram, mustard etc. Himachal Pradesh,
Harvested: April-June Jammu and Kashmir,
Uttarakhand and Uttar
Pradesh

2. KHARIP Sown: June-July Rice, maize, jowar, Assam, West Bengal,

Harvested: bajra, tur, moong, coastal regions of
September-October urad, cotton, jute, Odisha, Andhra
groundnut, soybean Pradesh, Telangana,
etc. Tamil Nadu, Kerala
and Maharashtra
3. ZAID Sown and harvested: Seasonal fruits, Most of the northern
March-July vegetables, fodder and northwestern
(between Rabi and crops etc. states
Kharif)
Major Food Crops
 RICE
• Temperature: Between 22-32°C with high humidity.
• Rainfall: Around 150-300 cm.
• Soil Type: Deep clayey and loamy soil.
• Top Rice Producing States: West Bengal > Punjab > Uttar Pradesh > Andhra
Pradesh > Bihar.
• It is the staple food crop of majority of Indian people.
• India is the second largest producer of rice in the world after China.
• In states like Assam, West Bengal and Odisha, three crops of paddy are grown in a
year. These are Aus, Aman and Boro.
• National Food Security Mission, Hybrid Rice Seed Production and Rashtriya
Krishi Vikas Yojana are few government initiatives to support rice cultivation.
 WHEAT
• Temperature: Between 10-15°C (Sowing time) and 21-26°C (Ripening & Harvesting) with bright
sunlight.

• Rainfall: Around 75-100 cm.

• Soil Type: Well-drained fertile loamy and clayey loamy (Ganga-Satluj plains and black soil region
of the Deccan)

• Top Wheat Producing States: Uttar Pradesh > Punjab > Madhya Pradesh > Haryana >
Rajasthan.

• India is the second largest producer after China.

• This is the second most important cereal crop and the main food crop, in north and north-
western India.

• Success of Green Revolution contributed to the growth of Rabi crops especially wheat.

• Macro Management Mode of Agriculture, National Food Security Mission and Rashtriya
Krishi Vikas Yojana are few government initiatives to support wheat cultivation.
 Millets (Nutri-Cereals)

• Temperature: Between 27-32°C

• Rainfall: Around 50-100 cm.
• Soil Type: Can be grown in inferior alluvial or loamy soil because they are less
sensitive to soil deficiencies.

• Jowar- Rain-fed crop grown in the moist areas with less or no irrigation.

• Bajra- Sandy soils and shallow black soil.

• Ragi- Red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soils. (dry regions)
• Top Millets Producing States: Rajasthan > Karnataka > Maharashtra >
Madhya Pradesh > Uttar Pradesh

• Jowar: Maharashtra > Karnataka > Madhya Pradesh > Tamil Nadu > Andhra
Pradesh.

• Bajra: Rajasthan > Uttar Pradesh > Gujarat > Madhya Pradesh > Haryana.

• These are also known as coarse grains, which have high nutritional
value. Ragi is very rich in iron, calcium, other micro
nutrients and roughage.
• Jowar is the third most important food crop with respect to area and
production.
• National Agricultural Insurance Scheme, Initiative for Nutritional
Security through Intensive Millets Promotion are examples of
government’s efforts to support millet production.
Maize
• Temperature: Between 21-27°C
• Rainfall: High rainfall.
• Soil Type: Old alluvial soil.
• Top Maize Producing States: Karnataka > Maharashtra > Madhya Pradesh >
Tamil Nadu > Telangana
• India is the seventh largest producer worldwide.
• It is used both as food and fodder.
• Use of modern inputs such as High-Yielding Variety seeds, fertilisers and
irrigation have contributed to the increasing production of maize.
• Technology Mission on Maize is one of the government’s initiatives for mazie.
Pulses
• Temperature: Between 20-27°C

• Rainfall: Around 25-60 cm.

• Soil Type: Sandy-loamy soil.

• Top Pulses Producing States: Madhya Pradesh > Rajasthan > Maharashtra > Uttar Pradesh > Karnataka.

• India is the largest producer as well as the consumer of pulses in the world.

• These are the major source of protein in a vegetarian diet.

• Major pulses grown in India are tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas and gram.

• Being leguminous crops, all these crops except arhar help in restoring soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the
air. Therefore, these are mostly grown in rotation with other crops.

• National Food Security Mission for Pulses, Pulses Development Scheme and Technological Mission on
Pulses are few of the government’s plans to support pulses production.
Major Cash Crops
 SUGARCANE
• Temperature: Between 21-27°C with hot and humid climate.
• Rainfall: Around 75-100 cm.
• Soil Type: Deep rich loamy soil.
• Top Sugarcane Producing States: Uttar Pradesh > Maharashtra > Karnataka > Tamil
Nadu > Bihar.
• India is the second largest producer of sugarcane after Brazil.
• It can be grown on all variety of soils ranging from sandy loam to clay loam given these
soils should be well drained.
• It needs manual labour from sowing to harvesting.
• It is the main source of sugar, gur (jaggery), khandsari and molasses.
• Scheme for Extending Financial Assistance to Sugar Undertakings
(SEFASU) and National Policy on Biofuels are two of the government initiatives to
support sugarcane production and sugar industry.
 oilseeds
• Temperature: Between 15-30°C

• Rainfall: Around 30-75 cm.

• Soil Type: Loam to clayey loam and well drained sandy loams.

• Top Oilseeds Producing States: Madhya Pradesh > Rajasthan > Gujarat >
Maharashtra > Uttar Pradesh.

• Main oil-seeds produced in India are groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum (til),
soyabean, castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower.

• Most of these are edible and used as cooking mediums. However, some of these are also
used as a raw material in the production of soap, cosmetics and ointments.

• Yellow Revolution and Integrated Scheme on Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm and Maize
(ISOPOM) are examples of government initiatives for oilseeds.
• Groundnut is a kharif crop and accounts for about half of the major
oilseeds produced in the country.
• Linseed and mustard are rabi crops.
• Sesamum is a kharif crop in north and rabi crop in south India.
• Castor seed is grown both as rabi and kharif crop.
Horticulture
• Horticulture is the branch of agriculture concerned with cultivation,
production and sale of fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs, ornamental or
exotic plants.
• India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables and it
produces both tropical and temperate fruits.
• India produces about 13 percent of the world’s vegetables. It is an
important producer of peas, cauliflower, onions, cabbage, tomato, brinjal
and potato.
• Golden Revolution, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture
(MIDH) and Coordinated Horticulture Assessment and Management
using geo-informatics (Project CHAMAN) are government initiatives to
help horticulture sector.
 FRUITS STATES

Mangoes Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar

Pradesh and West Bengal
Oranges Nagpur and Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya)

Bananas Kerala, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu

Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

Litchi and Guava

Pineapples Meghalaya

Grapes Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra

Apples, Pears, Apricots and Walnuts

Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh
 TEA
• Temperature: Between 20-30°C
• Rainfall: Around 150-300 cm.
• Soil Type: Deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter.
• Top Tea Producing States: Assam > West Bengal > Tamil Nadu.
• India is the second largest producer of tea.
• It was introduced in the eastern hill slopes of India by the British.
• Slopes of eastern hills have humid climate and evenly distributed rainfall without
water logging which are optimal conditions for terrace farming of tea.
• Tea is a labour intensive industry. It requires abundant, cheap and skilled labour. Tea
is processed within the tea garden to retain its freshness.
• Tea Development and Promotion Scheme, Wage Compensation Scheme and Tea
Boutiques are few of the government schemes for tea.
 Coffee
• Temperature: Between 15-28°C
• Rainfall: Around 150-250 cm.
• Soil Type: Well drained, deep friable loamy soil.
• Top Coffee Producing States: Karnataka > Kerala > Tamil Nadu.
• India is the seventh largest producer.
• Coffee was initially brought from Yemen and introduced on the Baba Budan Hills.
• Hills with well-defined shade canopy, comprising evergreen leguminous trees provide
the optimal condition for coffee cultivation that is why it is mainly concentrated in the hilly
regions.
• Indian variety of coffee ‘Arabica’ is famous worldwide.
• Various Integrated Coffee Development Projects and schemes have been launched by
the government to support coffee production.
Rubber
• Temperature: Above 25°C with moist and humid climate.
• Rainfall: More than 200 cm.
• Soil Type: Rich well drained alluvial soil.
• Top Rubber Producing States: Kerala > Tamil Nadu > Karnataka.
• It is an equatorial crop, but under special conditions, it is also grown in tropical
and sub-tropical areas.
• Rubber is an important industrial raw material.
• Rubber Plantation Development Scheme and Rubber Group Planting
Scheme are examples of government led initiatives for rubber.
 Cotton
• Temperature: Between 21-30°C
• Rainfall: Around 50-100cm.
• Soil Type: Well drained black cotton soil of Deccan Plateau.
• Top Cotton Producing States: Gujarat > Maharashtra > Telangana > Andhra Pradesh >
Rajasthan.
• India is believed to be the original home of the cotton plant. Cotton is one of the main raw
materials for cotton textile industry.
• Cotton needs 210 frost-free days and bright sun-shine for its growth.
• It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.
• Silver Fibre Revolution and Technology Mission on Cotton are the government initiatives for
increasing cotton production in India.
• Cotton has been genetically modified into BT Cotton to fight environmental stress and pest
attacks.
 Jute
• Temperature: Between 25-35°C

• Rainfall: Around 150-250 cm

• Soil Type: Well drained alluvial soil

• Top Jute Producing States: West Bengal > Bihar > Assam > Andhra Pradesh > Odisha.

• It is mainly concentrated in eastern India because of the rich alluvial soil of Ganga-Brahmaputra delta.

• India is the largest producer of jute.

• It is known as the golden fibre.

• It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other artefacts.

• Due to its high cost, it is losing market to synthetic fibres and packing materials, particularly nylon.

• Golden Fibre Revolution and Technology Mission on Jute and Mesta are two of the government initiatives
to boost jute production in India.
 Factors Affecting Cropping Pattern in India

• The cropping pattern of any region depends upon many factors, such as:
• Geographical Factors.
• Economic Factors.
• Political Factors/Government Policies.
• Historical Factors.
 Geographical Factors
• Relief
• Relief plays a vital role in deciding a region’s cropping pattern. Rice is the main crop on irrigated hill terraces (terraced
cultivation).
• Also, crops like Tea and Coffee can be grown only on well-drained slopes with good rainfall.
• Rice (tropical crop) and Sugarcane dominate well-irrigated regions with warm climates.
• Wheat (temperate crop) grows well in regions with moderate temperatures and rainfall.
• Rainfall
• Rainfall is one of the significant determinants of a region’s cropping pattern. Variation in rainfall of different regions leads to
different cropping patterns, which are as follows:
• Areas of Heavy Rainfall – These areas receive more than 150 cm of annual rainfall. They include East India and the West Coast
plains.
• The animal population is fairly high due to the availability of fodder and grazing areas.
• Major crops include rice, tea, coffee, sugarcane, jute etc.

• Areas of Medium Rainfall – These areas have 75 to 150 cm of annual rainfall.

• The annual rainfall of 150 cm isohyets is suitable for cultivating rice, whereas 75 cm isohyets is suitable for maize, cotton,
and soybeans.
• These areas are rich in natural resources, e.g., the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, the eastern parts
of Madhya Pradesh, and the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
• Wheat is the principal Rabi crop in these areas, and millets are the natural priority due to their less water requirement.
 • The major crops are wheat, maize, cotton, soybeans, millet, etc.

• Areas of Low Rainfall – These areas have 25 to 75 cm (Semi-arid stretches of India) of annual rainfall.
• Major crops in this belt are millets, jowar and bajra in the northern, jowar in the central and ragi in the southern part.
• Wheat is the main Rabi crop grown in irrigated areas. Mixed cropping, where pulses are mixed with cereals, is very
common.
• Cropping has been developed so that no one crop dominates. Dryland farming is a common practice in this region.
• Millets, oilseeds (Groundnut, sunflower, rapeseed, and mustard), pulses, etc., are the major crops grown in this
region.

• Soil
• The soil of a region is an essential determinant of the cropping pattern. Different crops require different edaphic
conditions for their growth and development.
• Rice is mainly grown in clayey soils, while wheat thrives in loamy soils. The regur soil of the Deccan Plateau is ideal
for cotton cultivation.
• Coarse grains such as jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, and barley are grown in inferior soils (light sandy soils, light black
soils, red and literate soils, etc.).
• The delta soils of West Bengal are renewed by floods every year and are very fertile.
• They are ideal for jute cultivation. Farmers grow 2-3 crops in a year in this region.
• The soils of the Darjeeling hills contain sufficient humus, iron, potash, and phosphorus for tea bush growth.
 Economic Factors
• Economic factors are among the most important in determining the cropping pattern
of the country. Among the various economic factors affecting cropping patterns,
irrigation, power, size of land holdings, the sale price of crops, the income of farmers,
insurance and investment are important ones that decide the cropping pattern of an
area. Some of them are discussed as follows:
• Irrigation
• Rice is a dominant crop in regions with reliable irrigation and a warm climate (coastal
plains and irrigated belts of South India).
• North Indian plain regions are well irrigated and support 2-3 rice crops yearly.
• Crop diversification in certain areas has been negligible due to irrigation.
For example, rice dominates in well-irrigated parts of south India, and wheat dominates the
northwestern part of the country.However, coarse grains like Jowar, Bajra, Maize, Barley,
Ragi etc., are given comparatively less importance in these regions.
• Size of Land Holdings
• In the case of small holdings, the farmers’ priority would be to grow food grains for
their family members (subsistence farming).
• Farmers with large holdings can opt for cash and help in crop diversification,
leading to changes in cropping patterns (commercial farming).
• However, despite the potential for crop diversification, large holdings are used
mostly for the monoculture of rice, wheat, etc.
• Insurance Against Risk
• The need to minimise the risk of crop failures explains diversification and some
specific features of crop patterns.
• For example, in Southern states, plantation crops are grown on a large scale due
to the availability of suitable crop insurance schemes.
• Availability of Inputs
Seeds, fertilisers, water storage, marketing, transport, etc., also affect a region’s
cropping pattern.
• Value
Millets in the hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are replaced by high-
value horticulture crops like apples.
• Demand
Rice is the preferred crop in dense
Political Factors
• Government legislative and administrative policies can also influence cropping
patterns in India.
• Food Crops Acts, Land Use Acts, Intensive schemes for Paddy, Cotton and Oilseeds,
Subsidies, etc., affect the cropping pattern in India.
• The government can encourage or discourage certain crops due to various reasons,
such as Drought, Flood, Inflation, etc.
• The government’s provision of MSP (Minimum Support Price) to farmers also
deteriorates the cropping pattern, as farmers prefer the crops that provide them
with higher MSP, leading to a monoculture of cropping patterns in India.
•
Historical Factors
• It refers to the long-term cultivation of various crops in the area due to different
historical reasons.
• E.g. Tea plantation by the British in the Kangra Valley of Himachal Pradesh.

• Sugarcane is grown more extensively in North India even though the conditions are
most favourable in South India.
• This is because sugarcane cultivation was encouraged by the British as an alternative
to indigo which lost its significance and market in states like Uttar Pradesh due to the
introduction of artificial dyes.

• Diversification of crops due to surplus food grain production post-Green

Revolution has led to significant changes in cropping patterns in India.
• Other than rice and wheat, oilseeds and pulses also became more prominent.