Sindh Agriculture Information Department, Hyderabad

slow rates. The low availability of quality seed of

crop varieties continues to be of major concern
for agriculture. The use of crop inputs such as
fertilizer and pesticides has increased
considerably without a corresponding increase
in yield levels. The supply of substandard and
adulterated pesticides and fertilizers is also
affecting crop yields and the cost of production.
There is increasing degradation of the resource
base such as soil, and current farming practices
do not adequately address the issue of
sustainability of crop production systems. This
is in addition to the high cost of inputs and
unstable market prices.
The farming community is, for the most part,
below the poverty line and this is a major
constraint to the development of agriculture.
Farm mechanization is limited to the use of
tractors and wheat threshers. Laser levellers
are a recent introduction with considerable
potential for enhancing yield levels and better
use of irrigation water. Current water scarcity
related problems demand the adoption of
efficient water management practices.

Sindh State of
Environment &
Development

Garlic

58

About 40 percent of the land in Sindh is arable

land and 5 percent of it is rangeland. The total
cultivated area in Sindh is 5.88 million hectares
and the net area sown is 2.39 million hectares.
The total cropped area is 3.10 million hectares,
of which 0.71 million hectares are sown more
than once1. Sindh grows a variety of field and
horticultural crops. Wheat, cotton, rice, and
sugarcane are the major field crops, which
constitute 68 percent of the total cropped area,
while mango, banana and chillies are the major
horticultural crops. Among the horticultural
crops, Sindh produces 73 percent bananas, 34
percent mangoes, and 88 percent of the
chillies. Of the total cropped area of 3.1 million
hectares in the year 2000-01, almost 50 percent
of the area was under food crops (wheat, rice,
maize, sorghum, millet and barley), 25 percent
under cash crops (cotton, sugarcane). The
remaining area was under fodder (9.1 percent),
pulses (4.7 percent), condiments (4.1 percent),
oilseeds (3.8 percent), fruits (3.3 percent), and
vegetables (1.4 percent).
Crop yields in Sindh are generally low and have
remained either stagnant or have increased at
1.

Agriculture Statistics, 2000-01

THE AGRO-ECOLOGICAL
ZONES
The irrigated areas of the province have been
divided into three major agro-ecological zones,
two of which are further divided into sub-zones,
as given below.
l

Zone A

Rice/wheat zone of the right bank

of river Indus (upper Sindh)
Sub-zone A1 Main area
Sub-zone A2 Piedmont soil
region

Zone B

Cotton/wheat zone of the left

bank of river Indus
Sub-zone B1
Sub-zone B2

Zone C

Guddu Barrage
command area
Sukkur Barrage
command area

Rice/wheat/sugarcane zone of
lower Sindh

In addition to the above three zones, there are

two more zones in Sindh. Map 5.1 shows the
Agro-ecological Zones in Sindh. Zone D is a
desert area in the east of Sindh, and Zone E is
the western hilly zone. Main agricultural activity
is, therefore, concentrated in the Zones A, B
and C. Table 5.1 shows the main features of the
agro-ecological zones including climate, water
supply, soil and cropping pattern.

Zone A: It covers the districts of Shikarpur,

Jacobabad, Larkana and the northern taluka of
Dadu district. There are six main canals (three
from the Guddu Barrage and three from the
Sukkur Barrage) feeding zone A, three of which
are perennial.
Zone A1 covers the districts of Shikarpur,
Larkana and the northern taluka (Mehar and

Table 5.1: Main Features of Agro-Ecological Zones including Water Supply, Soil Salinity and
Cropping Pattern
Factor

Agro-ecological zones of Sindh

A1

A2

B1

B2

Rainfall mma

75-100

75-100

75-120

120-230

180-250

Rain period

Jul-Aug

Jul-Aug

Jul-Aug

Jun-Sep

Jun-Sep

Evaporation

150-175

150-175

175-200

200-225

150-225

Low

Low

Low

Low-High

High

12

10

Climate

Humidity
Winter temp C
0

Summer temp C
0

Altitude masle

44

44

42

40

30

40-60

40-60

40-60

5-40

0-5

55 percent

65 percent

0 percent

100 percent

50 percent

5,000

2,100

3,100

16,600

3,800

High

Low

High

High

Low

Calcareous
clays

Piedmont
silt loam

Calcareous
silt loam

Calcareous
silt/clay

Saline

10 percent

5 percent

15 percent 15-50 percent

70 percent

Water Supply
Perennial percent
Irrigation area

Tube well potential

Soils
Main types
silt loam
Salinityh
Main Kharif

Rice

Other Kharif
Main Rabi
Other Rabi

Sorghum

Cotton

Cotton

Rice

Rice Fallow

Rice

High value

Sugarcane

Sugarcane

Vegetable

Wheat

Wheat

Wheat

Wheat

Sugarcane

Mixed Fodder

Fallow

Fodder

Fodder

Fodder

Vegetable

Vegetable

Source: Sindh Agriculture Extension and Adaptive Research Report (1994)

a. Mean annual rainfall, millimetres
b. Months experiencing more than 20 mm
c. Annual evaporation, millimetres
d. Winter: Mean minimum monthly temperature, January/December
Summer: Mean maximum monthly temperature, May/June
e. Altitude, meters above sea level (masl)
f. Thousands of hectares
g. Tube well potential for drainage/Rabi water source
h. Percentage of area with severe upper soil salinity problems
i. High value crops: vegetables, orchards

Sindh State of
Environment &
Development

Cropping

59

Khairpur Nathan Shah) of Dadu district. Dadu,

Rice and NWC Canals of Sukkur Barrage
irrigate the zone. Rice is the major crop of the
zone, followed by wheat while Rabi pulses and
oilseeds are dubari crops. Wheat, sugarcane,
oilseeds, Rabi and Kharif vegetables as well as
guava and dates are also grown under the
command of Dadu and NWC perennial canals.
Zone A2 covers the region of Jacobabad and
Larkana districts. Here the soil is richer in clays
than the soil of Zone A1, potentially more fertile
and less prone to salinity problems. However, it
is slower to drain. The major crop of the zone is
rice in Kharif, followed by wheat, Rabi pulses
and oilseeds as dubari crops.

60

Sindh Agriculture Information Department, Hyderabad

Sindh State of
Environment &
Development

Zone B: Zone B covers the left bank of river

Indus in the districts of Ghotki, Sukkur,
Khairpur, Naushero Feroze, Sanghar,
Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Tharparkar. The
entire zone is Indus flood plain. Saline soils are
encountered throughout the zone. The problem
tends to be more acute in the east of Ghotki
and Sukkur Districts (Zone B1) and in eastern
Sanghar and Mirpurkhas District (Zone B2).
Cotton and sugarcane are the main Kharif
crops of Zone B1. Oilseeds like sesame and

Abundance in a valuable cash crop: Cotton

sunflower are also being cultivated increasingly

in the zone due to water scarcity. Wheat,
oilseeds and vegetables follow the Kharif
crops.
Zone B2 lies in the command area of four
perennial canals (Rohri, Khairpur Feeder East
and West and Nara) of the Sukkur barrage
covering the districts Khairpur, Naushero
Feroze, Sanghar, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, and
Tharparkar. The major Kharif crops of the zone
are cotton and sugarcane, followed by sesame,
sunflower, and groundnuts. In the Rabi season,
wheat is the major crop followed by rapeseed,
mustard, sugarcane, Rabi vegetables, and
onion. The zone also produces mango, banana,
chiku, papaya, citrus, and jujube.
Zone C: Zone C consists of lower Sindh, and is
fed from the Kotri Barrage. It includes the Indus
Delta and covers the districts of Thatta, Karachi,
Badin (except taluka Matli and northern parts of
Tando Bago) and taluka Tando Mohammad Khan
of District Hyderabad. Zone C is more saline than
any other area in Sindh. Salinity and waterlogging
are most severe in this zone where drainage is
difficult due to an absence of a gradient.

The climate of Zone C is mild and humid, and it

has the highest rainfall in Sindh (180 to 250 mm
per year). However, its agricultural production is
low. The main crops are rice and sugarcane in
Kharif, which are followed by wheat and
vegetables in perennial areas. The main
vegetables grown here are onion and tomato
and the zone also produces banana, chiku,
papaya and coconut. Palm oil plantation has
been successfully introduced in this zone.

Types of Soil
The Soil Survey of Pakistan has grouped
approximately 80 percent Sindh soils into eight
land capability classes according to their
agriculture potential and the relative suitability for
sustained agriculture use (see Table 5.2). Soils
placed in Class I are generally very responsive to
high inputs of water, improved seed, fertilizers,
labour and also to improved management
techniques, while lower classes have
correspondingly decreasing response to inputs
and management. Approximately 10 percent of
classified land in Sindh falls under Class I and 20

percent under Class II and 15 percent under

Class III. Arable area constitutes approximately
50 percent of the classified area in Sindh.
Salinity is one of the major soil problems
confronting agriculture in Sindh. The problem is
generally considered to be the result of the canal
irrigation system, but countrywide soil surveys
have established that most of the existing
saline/saline sodic soils are not related to the
present irrigation system, and their formation is
the consequence of the gradual redistribution of
salts already present in the soil. However, the
canal irrigation system has certainly aggravated
the situation. This kind of salinity, identified as
secondary salinity, is relatively temporary and can
be easily eliminated by adopting appropriate
measures. Major factors responsible for the
development of secondary salinity include lateral
seepage of water from the canal system and its
evaporation from the surface of adjoining soils, the
rising of water table due to excessive percolation
from the canal system and over-irrigation
practices, inadequate availability of water, and
accumulation of salts in low lying areas through
runoff from surrounding saline soils.

Table 5.2: Extent of Land Capability Classes in the Surveyed Area of Sindh
Sindh as
Sindh
Pakistan
Percent
('000 ha) (' 000 ha)
of Total

Agricultural Potential

1,097.8

5,362.2

20.5

Very high for general agriculture; moderate for rice

II

2,326.9

7,009.1

33.2

High for general agriculture; low to moderate for rice

III

1,496.9

4,888.0

30.6

Moderate for general agriculture

IV

742.5

3,623.8

20.5

Low for general cropping

171.1

High for forestry or range development

VI

8.3

1,270.3

0.7

Moderate for forestry or range development

VII

2,226.3

18,647.4

11.9

Low for forestry or range development

VIII

3,188.7

32,561.1

9.8

No potential for any type of economic agriculture

Unclassified

364.9

1,835.3

19.9

Total

11,452.3

75,368.3

15.2

Source: 1. Pakistan's Soil Resources: Pakistan National Conservation Strategy Sector Paper 4, 1993: data updated by Soil Survey of
Pakistan in 2000
2. National Fertilizer Development Centre, Islamabad (2002)

Sindh State of
Environment &
Development

Class

61

hectares at 0 to 10 feet in October 19992. The

situation has changed over the past three years
due to severe drought in the country and
shortages in the supply of irrigation water.

The extent of soils affected by various types of

salinity and sodicity in Sindh and other
provinces is given in Table 5.3.
Waterlogging is another major problem in
Sindh. An area is considered waterlogged when
the underground water table is at a depth of five
feet from the soil surface or reaches the root
zone of the crops. Data shows that 3.8 million
hectares of agricultural land in Sindh had a
water table within 0 to 5 feet and 5.2 million

The presence of adequate quantities of

essential nutrients and organic matter are the
basic components of fertile soil. Of the
macronutrients, Sindh soils, like most soils of
Pakistan, are invariably deficient in nitrogen.
Phosphorus is deficient in 80 to 90 percent soils

Table 5.3: Soils Affected by Various Types of Salinity and Sodicity in Sindh and Other
Provinces (000 ha)
Province
Type of Soil

Sindh as
Percent
of Total

Sindh

Punjab

118.1

472.4

5.2

3.0

598.7

19.7

743.4

152.1

76.6

972.1

76.5

536.3

124.5

160.1

820.9

65.3

Porous saline-sodic soils

Irrigated
Unirrigated

257.0

790.8

25.7

29.4

1102.9

23.3

150.1

501.0

7.8

364.0

1022.9

14.7

Dense saline-sodic soils

Irrigated
Unirrigated

32.5

96.7

0.9

130.1

25.0

379.7

530.0

8.9

714.8

1633.4

23.2

2217.1

2667.5

48.5

1347.9

6281.0

35.3

Soil with surface/patchy

salinity and sodicity
Irrigated
Unirrigated
Gypsiferous saline/salinesodic soils
Irrigated
Unirrigated

Total
Source:

Sindh State of
Environment &
Development

NWFP
Balochistan
FATA

Pakistan

1. Pakistan's Soil Resources: Pakistan National Conservation Strategy Sector Paper 4, 1993: data updated by Soil Survey of
Pakistan in 2000
2. National Fertilizer Development Centre, Islamabad (2002)

Table 5.4: The Irrigation Water Withdrawal during 1998 - 2002 (MAF)

62

Year

Kharif

Rabi

Total

1998

32.537

15.624

48.161

1999

32.523

12.251

44.774

2000

26.574

8.503

35.077

2001

25.682

7.100

32.782

2002

22.110

9.982

32.092

Source: Pakistan's Soil Resources: Pakistan National Conservation Strategy Sector Paper 4, 1993: data updated by Soil Survey of Pakistan
in 2000
2.

Agricultural Statistics of Pakistan, 2000-01

Sindh Agriculture Information Department, Hyderabad

despite the use of phosphate fertilizers for the

last four decades. Potassium levels are
generally adequate in the majority (60 percent)
of soils whereas some, 40 percent of soils, are
marginal to deficient in supply of potassium.
Levels of organic matter are very low (<1.0
percent), and frequently less than 0.5 percent in
a majority (75 to 80 percent) of soils. Organic
matter levels continue to decline due to limited
or no recycling of organic residues, intensive
cropping activities with heavy reliance on
chemical fertilizers as well as limited use of
organic manures of plant or animal origin.
In Sindh, soil conditions and agronomic
practices inducing micronutrient deficiencies in
plants include: alkaline soil pH; soil
calcareousness; low soil organic matter;
micronutrient mining with intensive cropping;
use of micronutrient-free N, P and K fertilizers;
decreased use of organic manures; removal of
plant residues from soil almost after every crop;
cultivation of marginal/light textured soils; and
electro-chemical changes in flooded rice.

Resources). The yearly average water

availability in the province, computed from the
data from year 1970 to 1997, is 45 million acre
feet (MAF). Water withdrawal data for the last
five years (Table 5.4), shows decreasing
availability of water. This is the result of drought
conditions prevalent over the past three years,
whereby the availability was short by 35 to 50
percent. Area planted with various Kharif and
Rabi crops in the year 2001-2002, and their
water requirements are given in Tables 1 and 2
in Appendix 5.1: Water Requirement for
Crops in Sindh. The total water requirement is
based on the estimated area under Kharif and
Rabi crops as reported by Sindh Agriculture
Extension
and
the
previously
determined/approved data for each crop in
acre-inches. This requirement works out to
17.401 MAF water at the field during Kharif, and
8.532 MAF during Rabi.

Crop Varieties

Irrigation Systems

Table 5.5 gives details regarding the production

of major crops in Sindh.

The irrigation system in Sindh has been

described in detail (see Chapter 4: Water

A number of crop varieties have been

developed by agricultural research institutes

Sindh State of
Environment &
Development

Farmers in the rice fields

63