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Cropping Pattern: Indian Geography by Kullar
Cropping Pattern: Indian Geography by Kullar
Source: http://goo.gl/dmLRUz
Cereals
Millets
Pulses or Legumes
These are staple food of poor people.
Pulses are major source of protein.
Major millets Red gram, Black gram, Green gram,
Cowpea, Bengalgram, Horsegram,
Sorghum or Jowar, Pearl Millet or Bajra Dewgram, Soyabean, Peas or
and Finger millet or ragi gardenpea, Garden bean etc.
Minor millets
With reference to the usefulness of the Seasonal crops: A crop completes its
by-products of sugar industry, which of life cycle in one season (3-4 months).
the following statements is/are E.g. rice, Jowar, wheat etc.
correct? Two seasonal crops: Crops complete
its life cycle in two seasons (6-8
1. Bagasse can be used as biomass months). E.g. Cotton, turmeric, ginger.
fuel for the generation of energy. Annual crops: Crops require one full
2. Molasses can be used as one of the year to complete its life cycle. E.g.
feedstocks for the production of sugarcane.
synthetic chemical fertilizers. Biennial crops: Crops requires two
3. Molasses can be used for the
year to complete its life cycle E.g.
production of ethanol.
Banana, Papaya.
Select the correct answer using the codes Perennial crops: crops live for several
given below. years. E.g. Fruit crops, mango, guava
etc.
a) 1 only
Classification based on water Preferred staple food in Southern and
availability North-Eastern India.
Making quick inroads into North-
Rain fed: Cultivation of crop mainly Western Plain.
based on the availability of rain water. Rice growing areas are well suited for
E.g. Jowar, Bajara, Mung etc. Mixed farming (Crops + Livestock).
Irrigated crops: Crops cultivated with Page
the help of irrigation water. E.g. Chili, (Don’t get confused between mixed | 6
sugarcane, Banana, papaya etc. farming and mixed cropping).
Classification based on length of Unpolished rice has high nutritional
photoperiod required for floral value. It is rich in Vitamin A, B and
initiation calcium. Polished rice lacks these
vitamins.
Photoperiodism: Most plants are
influenced by relative length of the day & Crop Season
night, especially for floral initiation.
Rice is a kharif crop (wet and warm
Short-day plants: Flower initiation climate is ideal for rice cultivation).
takes place when days are short less It is grown only in well irrigated areas
than ten hours. E.g. rice, Jowar, green in rabi season.
gram, black gram etc. Most of the rice growing regions lie
Long day's plants: require long days are barren during summer (April-May).
more than ten hours for floral It can be grown as summer crop in
initiation. E.g. Wheat, Barley, etc. deltaic regions where water and
Day neutral plants: Photoperiod does irrigation is available through the year.
not have much influence for phase E.g. Deltaic regions of West Bengal,
change for these plants. E.g. Cotton, Krishna-Godavari delta etc.
sunflower, etc. 3 crop seasons → rice is grown as
kharif, rabi and summer crop. E.g.
Major Food Crops of India Deltaic regions of West Bengal,
Krishna-Godavari delta etc.
Rice
Three crop seasons (year round irrigation)
E.g. Deltaic regions of West Bengal, Krishna-Godavari delta, parts of UP, Bihar etc.
Crop season Sowing Harvesting
Kharif crop (Rainy season) May-June Aug-Sep
Rabi crop (Winter dry season) Sep-Oct Feb-Mar
Summer dry Mar-Apr Jun-Jul
Two crop seasons (irrigation not available in summer)
South India, Coastal plains, Assam plains, etc.
Kharif crop (Rainy season) July-Aug Oct-Nov
Rabi crop (Winter dry season) Dec-Jan Mar-Apr
Single crop season (rice not grown in dry summers and cold winters)
E.g. North Western states
Kharif crop July-Sep Nov
Rabi season is dominated by wheat.
Climatic Conditions for Growth It can be grown between 0 to 2,500
meters above sea level.
Rice crop needs plenty of heat, rain and
labor.
Rice cannot tolerate the cold climate Loamy soils require frequent irrigation
that exists above 2,500 meters. and more water as the water holding
Tropical and kharif crop: capacity is low. E.g. Delta regions,
1. requires warm climate Punjab, Haryana and North Indian
Rice is grown almost throughout plains.
the year (2-3 crops) in hot and Clayey soils on the other hand have Page
humid regions of eastern and good water holding capacity. E.g.
southern parts of India. Coastal plains of south India, irrigated | 7
In the northern and hilly parts of regions of Karnataka, Telangana etc.
the country, the winters are too Rice can tolerate acidic as well as
cold for rice cultivation and only alkaline soils.
one crop is grown (in summer) in
those areas. Labor requirement
2. requires semi-aquatic conditions
(rainfall or irrigation throughout the Rice cultivation is traditionally labor
season; the soil should never be intensive.
dry during the growing season). Rice is primarily grown in areas of high
The fields must be flooded under population density (labor and ready
10-12 cm deep water at the time market).
of sowing. This requirement of In Punjab and Haryana, rice cultivation
rice makes it primarily a crop of mainly depends upon the migrant
plain areas. laborers from Bihar and eastern U.P.
Rice grown in well watered
Methods of Rice Cultivation
lowland plain areas is called wet
or lowland rice. Broadcasting method
Rice can be grown in areas just
below sea level like in Kuttanad Seeds are sown (broadcast) by hand.
region of Kerala. Practiced in
Terraced cultivation of rice in 1. dry and/or less fertile soils, and
followed in sloped regions. E.g. 2. areas with labor shortages.
Hills of NE states (shifting Easiest method requiring minimum
cultivation or jhumming). input.
The supply of water to the hill Yields are minimum.
terraces is low and the rice grown
in hilly areas is called dry or Drilling method
upland rice.
Average annual rainfall above 150 cm One person ploughs the land and the
is good for the crop. other person sows the seeds.
The 100 cm isohyet (imaginary line Confined to dry regions of peninsular
joining the points of equal rainfall) India.
forms the limit of rice in rainfed areas. Yields are low.
Rice is grown in Punjab, Haryana and Transplantation method
western U.P (rainfall less than 100 cm)
with the help of intensive irrigation. Advanced method of rice cultivation in
India.
Soil condition for growth
Less scope for mechanization and is
Rice is a dominant crop of river valleys, labor intensive.
flood plains, deltas and coastal plains Practiced in areas of fertile soil with
(plains can be easily flooded with the abundant rainfall or irrigation.
help of irrigation).
Seeds are sown in nursery and Weeding and fertilizing are fully
seedlings are prepared. mechanized.
After a month the seedlings are Heavy dose of fertilizers are required.
uprooted and transplanted to a Very high yields are obtained.
different field.
This is a difficult method that requires Production and productivity
Page
heavy inputs.
India (18%) is the 2nd
largest producer | 8
But, it gives some of the highest
and consumer of rice in the world after
yields.
China.
Japanese method Low productivity: The average yield of
rice in India is 2.3 tonne/ha as against
Highly mechanized and most advanced the global average of 4.374 tonne/ha.
rice cultivation. China (6.5), Australia (10), US (7.5)
Mostly followed in developed countries lead in productivity.
like Japan, South Korea etc.
Seedlings are transplanted in rows with Distribution
the help of machines.
Position +ve factors -ve factors
West Bengal 1st Large scale alluvial deposits Floods
Good water resources Yield is low
Abundant labor force
3 crops can be grown a year
Uttar Pradesh 2nd Same as above Same as above
Punjab 3rd full use of Green Revolution Land degradation –
[traditionally wheat growing perennial irrigation water by salinity, alkalinity &
region.][Cropping pattern has canals and tube wells desertification
undergone an unprecedented HYV seeds and fertilizers Ground water depletion
change due to irrigation] Highest yield (3,989 Wheat dominates
kg/hectare)
Andhra Pradesh 4th Godavari-Krishna Delta and Cyclone prone area.
the adjoining coastal plains. Floods in delta regions
Full use of Green Revolution.
High yield (3,126 kg/hectare)
[Punjab (3,989 kg/ha) and
Haryana (3,262 kg/ha)].
The other major producers are Odisha, Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar
Bihar (2,258 kg/hectare), Chhattisgarh Pradesh produce best qualities of
(low yield - 1,749 kg/hectare), Assam Basmati rice.
(Brahmaputra valley), Tamil Nadu Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra
(Cauvery delta)(2,785 kg/hectare), Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are surplus
Telangana, Haryana, Karnataka, states.
Jharkhand, etc. They supply to deficit states – West
Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala
Trade and Delhi.
Domestic rice production meets the Wheat
domestic demand. There is very little
surplus for external trade. Second most important staple food for
India now occupies second position in Indian population.
rice exports, next only to Thailand. It is a rich source of calcium,
India is the biggest exporter of basmati thiamine, riboflavin and iron.
rice.
Preferred staple food in northern and It shows great adaptability & can be
north-western parts of the country. grown in tropics as well (yields are low
in tropics).
Climatic conditions for wheat It is a rabi crop (winter crop – requires
cool and less moist climate).
Wheat is a temperate crop which
requires a cool climate with Page
moderate rainfall. |9
Regions Sowing months Harvesting months
1. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and September-October January-February
West Bengal [central and southern (peninsular) agro climatic
regions]
2. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan [North- October-November February-March
eastern plain and North-western plain agro climatic regions]
3. Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir November-December April-May
75 cm of temporally (time) well Production
distributed rainfall is ideal.
100 cm is the highest limit. India is the second largest producer of
The isohyet of 100 cm separates wheat wheat in the world next only to China.
growing areas from rice growing areas. Wheat is grown on 13 per cent of the
In the kharif season, rice replaces cropped area of India.
wheat in the ‘winter wheat belt’ region India has done better in wheat by
– Punjab, Haryana etc.. achieving an yield closer to the global
Light drizzles and cloudiness (E.g. average. It has recorded an average
Weather brought by Western yield of 2.9 tonne per hectare as
Disturbances) at the time of ripening against the global benchmark of 3.0
help in increasing the yield. tonne/ha.
Frost at flowering time can cause heavy However, it's still far from countries
damage. like France (7.0 tonne), US (3.11 tonne)
and China (4.8 tonne).
Soil requirement
Distribution
Well drained fertile, friable barns
(mostly alluvial) and clay loams (good Wheat production is mainly confined to
proportion of sand) are the best for North-Western parts of the country.
wheat cultivation. Punjab, Haryana and the western parts
It also grows well in the black soil of of U.P. have earned the distinction of
the Deccan plateau. being called the ‘Granary of India’.
So, wheat cultivation is more flexible
than rice cultivation as the limiting
factors are low.
State +ve factors -ve factors
Uttar Pradesh 1st Fine alluvial soil deposited by the Wheat production to the east of
[one-third of area and mighty Ganga and its tributaries Varanasi declines due to high
production of wheat of close network of canals, rainfall
the country] supplemented by large number of [Questions in Mains are asked
tube wells based on this kind of logic]
the doabs are the best wheat
producing areas. E.g. Ganga-Ghagra
doab and Ganga-Yamuna doab.
Punjab 2nd Green Revolution was utilized to the Land degradation
[17.42 per cent of the fullest. Ground water depletion
wheat production and Excellent irrigation system provided
11.88 per cent of wheat by a close network of canals and the
area of India] tube wells.
Light rainfall associated with the
western disturbances in winter.
Fertile alluvial soil brought by the
rivers.
Punjab farmers are progressive and
willing to adopt the new farm
technologies.
Page
Highest yield of 4577 kg/ha in India. | 10
Madhya Pradesh 3rd Climate well suited for wheat Less fertile soils
cultivation in winter. Less developed irrigational
facilities
Low yield – 2477 kg/hectare.
Haryana 4th Same as in Punjab Same as in Punjab
Highest yield of 4448 kg/hectare.
Rajasthan Indira Gandhi Canal has made Vast stretches of sandy
wheat cultivation possible in many desert
parts of Rajasthan. scarcity of rainfall
paucity of irrigation facilities
land degradation
Other important wheat producing The cultivation of maize in India is
states are Bihar (2423 kg/hectare), characterized by inter-culture i.e.
Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, along with pulses, vegetables and oil
Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. seeds.
Maize Distribution
Deep black soils (regur-lava soil) of The length of its fiber is between 20
the Deccan Plateau, Malwa Plateau and mm and 24 mm.
those of Gujarat are best suited for About 44 per cent of the total cotton
cotton cultivation. production in India is of medium
It also grows well in alluvial soils of the staple.
Sutlej-Ganga Plain and red and Rajasthan, Punjab, Tamil Nadu,
laterite soils of the peninsular region. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Cotton quickly exhausts the fertility of Karnataka and Maharashtra are its
soil. main producers.
Since picking of cotton is not yet This is inferior cotton with fiber less
mechanized, a lot of cheap and efficient than 20 mm long.
labor is required. It is used for manufacturing inferior
Normally the picking season is spread cloth and fetches less price.
over a period of about three months. About 6 per cent of the total production
is of short staple cotton.
Types of Cotton U.P, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Haryana and Punjab are its main
Three broad types of cotton are producers.
generally recognized on the basis of the
length, strength and structure of its Distribution
fiber.
India has the sole distinction of
Long staple cotton growing all the three cultivated species
of cotton.
It has the longest fiber whose length In India, cotton is grown in three
varies from 24 to 27 mm. distinct agro-ecological zones, viz.,
The fiber is fine and lustrous and is 1. Northern (Punjab, Haryana and
used for making superior quality cloth. Rajasthan),
It fetches the best price. 2. Central (Gujarat, Maharashtra
About half of the total cotton produced and Madhya Pradesh) and
in India is long staple.
3. Southern zone (Andhra Karnataka).
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and
State Position Factors
Gujarat 1st in production (25%) Regur – black cotton soil
80-100 cm annual rainfall
Maharashtra 2nd in production (22%) Regur – deep black cotton soil Page
suffers from low productivity
Andhra Pradesh 3rd in production (21%) Conditions not as favorable as in | 14
Gujarat and Maharashtra
Haryana is the fourth largest producer The initial field trials were encouraging
of cotton in India. as the crop required less pesticides and
India exports inferior quality cotton insecticides. The production and the
mainly to U.K., where it is mixed with area under cotton also increased
superior quality cotton there. considerably.
India has been a big importer of But with time yields decreased sharply
superior quality long staple cotton due to other pest population which
mainly from the USA, Russia, Sudan could not be controlled by bt cotton. [Bt
and Kenya. toxin controls only bollworm. Cotton
attracts more than 100 different
Production species of pests].
Other concern with Bt cotton is that
India has the largest area under cotton the bollworm may develop resistance
cultivation in the world. like it happened in China.
But in production it is world's third
largest producer after China and the Jute
U.S.A.
Jute is the second most important fiber
Bt Cotton
crop of India after cotton.
Maharashtra has the largest area It is used for manufacturing gunny
under Bt cotton, followed by Andhra bags, ropes, carpets, rugs, tarpaulins,
Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. etc.
In North, Punjab and Haryana are There was great demand for jute
known for Bt cotton cultivation. because of its low price, softness and
strength.
Bt stands for the bacterium Bacillus
thuringiensis (not biotechnology). The introduction of synthetic
alternatives has resulted in decline of
Bacillus thuringiensis produces a
demand for jute.
toxin called bt toxin which is
detrimental for certain kind of pest Conditions for Growth
(bollworms) that infects cotton crop.
This trait of Bacillus thuringiensis is Jute is the crop of hot (24°C to 35°C)
induced into cotton by genetic and humid climate (120 to 150 cm)
modification. with 80 to 90 per cent relative humidity
And the genetically modified cotton during the period of its growth.
that has the ability to produce bt toxin [Relative humidity:
is called as bt cotton. http://goo.gl/vtDK19]
The Bt cotton was first tested in U.S.A. Lot of water is required for growing the
and it to cultivation there in 1995. crop.
China (1997) and India (2002) also Sowing and raising of saplings are
followed the cultivation of Bt cotton. carried out in the pre-monsoon season
with 25 cm to 55 cm of rainfall. This is All the processes mentioned about are
done to take full advantage of the done by human hand. Therefore jute is
monsoon season. cultivated only in areas of high
Jute is generally sown in February and population density.
harvested in October (crop takes 8-10
months to mature). Production
Page
Alluvial (light sandy or clayey barns)
After partition, 75 per cent of the jute | 15
are considered to be best suited soils
producing areas went to Bangladesh.
for jute.
But, most of the jute mills remained
Just like cotton, jute also exhausts
in India.
the fertility of soil rapidly.
There had been rapid increase in area,
It is necessary that the soil is
production and yield between 1950 to
replenished annually by the silt-laden
1980.
flood water of the rivers.
Negative trends were observed in area,
Processing of Jute production and yield from 1981 till
present.
Large supply of cheap labor and lot of This is due to changes in weather
water are necessary for processing the conditions, increase in rice cropped
jute fiber post-harvest. area, introduction of synthetic
The plants bundles (Sheaf) are alternatives to jute etc.
immersed in stagnant water for about 3 Currently India accounts for about 56
weeks for retting (soak in water to per cent of world jute production.
soften it). Bangladesh is second with 25 per cent.
High temperature of water quickens the
process of retting. Distribution
After retting is complete, the bark is
peeled from the plant and fiber is Over 99 per cent of the total jute of
removed. India is produced in just five states of
West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Andhra
Stripping, rinsing and cleaning of the
Pradesh and Odisha.
fiber is done.
Fiber is dried in the sun and pressed
into bales (a large wrapped or bound bundle).
West Bengal (75% of India’s jute hot and humid climate
production) alluvial, loamy soil
Bihar (18.5 %) cheap abundant labor
Assam (Brahmaputra and Surma enough jute mills located in the Hugli
valleys) basin
Andhra Pradesh (delta area) and Largest value of production among all
Odisha are other important producers. the commercial crops in India.
It is the first choice of the farmers
Trade wherever geographical conditions favor
its growth.
India imports raw jute from
Sugarcane is indigenous to India. It
Bangladesh as the local produce is not
belongs to bamboo family.
sufficient to feed the jute mills. It
Thickened sugarcane juice is used to
exports jute hessian to Bangladesh.
make sugar, gur (jaggery) and
Sugarcane khandsari.
Requires hot (21°-27°C) and humid (75-
150 cm) climate.
Climate Production
Conditions of Growth
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