Lec 3- Distribution of arid

and semi-arid regions in

World, India and Tamil Nadu
Classification of Dry Farming Regions

• Dry farming areas are thus classified based on

thermal and moisture regimes.
• Based on moisture regimes - arid and
semiarid
• based on thermal regimes - tropical and
temperate.
• Tropics have a mean annual temperature of
>18° C and
• Temperate regions have a mean annual
temperature of <18°C.
Tropical and temperate climate
i) Arid region:
• Characterized by very low rainfall, < 200 mm per
year - very short period.
• Rainless dry spells may at times stretch for more
than a year (Dry climate).
The arid regions are classified into
a. Arid Tropics with mean annual temperature
>18°C

b. Arid Temperate regions with mean annual

temperature < 18°C.
ii) Semiarid region
• characterized by a mixed climate in which a fairly
moist or rainy season alternates with a completely
dry season.
• alternating wet and dry climate.
• Depending on distance from equator and
temperature regimes, semiarid regions are
divided into
• Semiarid Tropics (SAT) regions and
• semiarid temperate regions
 a) Semiarid Tropics (SAT)
• Rainfall occurs during 2 to 7 months of the year.
• number of wet months is 2.0 to 4.5 - dry SAT and
• rainy months ranges from 4.5 to 7.0 - wet SAT.
• Rainfall quantity ranges from 400 to 750 mm per year, with
a variability of 20- 30%.
• But, the onset, closure and duration of rainy season
exhibits wide variability between years.
• Distribution of rainfall within the season also exhibits
wide fluctuations between years.
• A greater portion of rainfall is received in high intensity over
a short duration, leading to run off.
• Mean annual temperature is >18°C and during most
months PET > P.
• Soil moisture inadequacy is the major constraint for
cropping.
 b) Semiarid Temperate regions

• Though annual rainfall is low, PET is also low

during many months.
• Mean annual temperature is <18°C.
• Maximum temperature during summer is 33°C
while minimum temperature may reach -26°C
during winter months.
• Temperature is the critical limiting factor for crop
production rather than moisture.
• All the dry farming areas are located in arid and
semiarid regions only.
• But not all the arid and semiarid regions come
under dry farming areas.
• When irrigation facilities are
available, irrigated farming is practiced
extensively in arid and semiarid regions also.

• Eg Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra,

Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
 Climate Moisture Thermal Constraints for
regime regime cropping

Arid Dry > 18 ºc Moisture

Tropics
Arid Dry < 18 ºC Moisture and
Temperate Temperature

Semiarid Wet-Dry > 18 ºC Moisture

tropics
Semiarid Wet-Dry < 18 ºC Temperature
temperate
Distribution of Dry Farming Regions
Arid regions of World:
The following are the five arid zones in the world,
1. North African Eurasian – Sahara and Tar desert
2. North American desert – Arizona in USA
3. South American desert – Peru
4. South African desert – Namibia
5. Australian desert – Central Australia
North African Eurasian
– Sahara and Tar desert
North American desert – Arizona in USA
South American desert – Peru
South African desert – Namibia
Australian desert – Central Australia
Semi arid regions of world:
a. Semi arid tropics: This region lies between 10º and
30º north and south latitudes.
• It is spread over 48 countries in four continents of Asia,
Australia, America and Africa.
• It covers many parts in Africa, India, Pakistan and North
Eastern Burma in Asia, Northern Australia and Mexico,
Paraguay, Bolivia and Venezuela in South America.
• West Africa accounts for 24% of semi arid tropics,
• East Africa 18%,
• South Africa 20%,
• Latin America 17%,
• Australia 10% and
• South Asia 11%.
b. Semi arid temperate region of the World:
This occurs in Russia, North Western China,
USA and Canada.
Arid and semi arid regions of world
Arid and Semi arid regions of India:
• Total area - 135.8 million hectares

Climate Area Regions

(m ha)
Arid Tropics 31.7 Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana,
Parts of Karnataka and Andhra

Arid 7.0 Jammu and Kashmir

Temperate
Semiarid 95.7 Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra,
Tropics Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Punjab,
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh

Semiarid 1.4 Jammu and Kashmir

Temperate
Arid and Semi arid regions of India
Distribution of arid and Semi arid regions of
India
Arid Semiarid
Per
State cent to Area
Area (Sq km) Per cent to total area
total (Sq km)
area
A. Tropics
Rajasthan 1,96,150 61 1,21,020 13
Gujarat 62,180 20 90,520 9
Punjab 14,510 5 31,770 3
Haryana 12,840 4 26,880 3
Uttarpradesh - - 64,230 7
Madhyapradesh - - 59,470 6
Maharastra 1,290 0.4 1,89,580 19
Karnataka 8,570 3 1,39,360 15
Andhrapradesh 21,550 7 1,38,670 15
Tamil Nadu - 95,250 10
All India 3,17,090 95,6750
b. Temperate
Jammu & 70,300 13,780
Kashmir
Dry Farming Regions of India
Region States Places Rainf Monsoo Climate Soils Crops/cropping
all n systems
(mm)
Jhansi Uttar Jhansi, Hamirpur 930 Jun-Sep Semi arid Red black Sorghum-safflower /
pradesh Banda Lalitpur, mustard cowpea / urd /
Jalaun moong,-gram safflower
rice-soybean-gram
safflower.
Rajkot Gujarat Rajkot 625 Jun-Sep Arid Medium Sorghum / bajra / cotton
Surendranagar; black green gram / black gram
Jamnagar, redgram / cluster bean /
Junagadh groundnut / sesamum /
Bhavanagar, castor-safflower /
Amreli sunflower/ green gram /
mustard.

Akola Maharas Akola, Amravati, 830 Jun-Sep Semi arid Medium Green gram / sorghum/
htra Wardha, Yeotmal and deep safflower / sunflower/
Parbhani, black cotton + green gram /
Buldana, groundnut-sorghum +
Andhra Khandesh, green gram / black
Pradesh Adilabad, gram / redgram
groundnut + sunflower.
Nizambad
Sholapu Mahara Solapur, 722 May- Semi Black Pear millet-Gram /
r shtra Ahmednagar, Oct arid Black gram-sorghum /
Nasik, Pune, Pearl millet +
Satara, Sangli, Redgram / Horsegram
Dhule, Bhir, / Redgram + setaria /
Osmanabad, Groundnut / sunflower
Jalgaon, /Castor-Horsegram.
Buldhana

Indore Madhya Indore, Ratlan 990 May- Semi Medium Maize-gram /

Pradesh Ujjain Dewar, Sep arid deep safflower sorghum +
Dhar, Khargaon black soybean-gram
Khandura, safflower-maize +
groundnut sorghum +
redgram.
Rewa Madhya SidluRewa 1080 Jun-Sep Sub Medium Sorghum +Redgram-
Pradesh Satna Shadol humid black gram/rice- wheat
Panna Jabalpur mixed /gram Black grim
Damoh red and Green gram-wheat/
Chattarpur, black rice-lentil.
Tikamgarh
Bijapur Maharashtra Bijapur, 680 May- Semi Medium Green gram-
Gulbarga Oct arid and sorghum / safflower-
Belgraum, deep groundnut/ pearl
Karnataka Raichur black millet + redgram.
Bengal gram+
safflower / cotton.

Udaipur Rajasthan Uddipur, 635 Jun- Semi Medium Sorghum maize-

Chittorgarh Sep arid black safflower mustard /
Bhilwara, pearl millet / pearl
Ajmer, millet +cowpea –
Banswara, mustard / Sorghum-
Dungarpur mustard. Redgram /
green gram /
groundnut /
Sunflower-wheat /
mustard.
Bellary Karnataka Chellakere 500 Sep- Semi Medium Sorghum /
Chitradurga Oct arid and safflower / gram
Bellary, deep sorghum + lablab
Raichur,, black
Andhra Anantapur,
Kurnool,
Kovilpatti Tamil Nadu Tiruneiveli, 730 Sep-Dec Semi arid Deep black Sorghum + cowpea / Pearl
Thoothukudi millet / Setaria / kudiraivali /
black gram / green gram /
Redgram / lablab/ cowpea /
cotton +black gram
Sunflower / Senna

Agra Uttar Agra Aligarh 710 Jun-Sep Semi arid Deep alluvial Pearl millet / black gram /
Pradesh Mathura, Etah sandy loam green gram / redgram /
Manipuri cluster bean / groundnut
safflower / mustard / pearl
millet+ redgram / black
gram / greengram /
groundnut + castor.

Anantapur Andhra Anantapur, Karnool, 570 May-Oct Arid Red loam Pearl millet / sorghum /
Chithoor setaria/ castor / Redgram /
gmundnut / mesta /
groundnut+ Redgram / castor
/ pearl millet+ Redgram /
castor.

Hyderabad Andhra Rangareddy 770 Jun-Oct Semi arid Shallow red Sorghum / pearl millet /
Nalgonda,, Medak sandy loam castor/ redgram / ragi /
Karimnagar,, setaria / niger / horsegram /
Mahboobnagar, sorghum / maize + red gram-
Warangal safflower.
 Regions of Tamil Nadu
Region Taluk / District Annual Monsoo Climate Soils Crops/ cropping
rainfall( n systems
mm)
Northwe Dharmapurii Dt., 844 Jun - Semiari Red Groundnut + Red gram /
st Taluks of Omalur, Oct d Castor – Horse gram.
Attur, Rasipuram 842 Jun - Semiari Red Cowpea - sorghum / Sorghum
Sankagiri in Salem Oct d + lablab redgram.
Dt. Perambahu
Taluk

Parts of Tirupattur 900 Jun - Semiari Red Ragi / pearl millet / Samai-
and Vellore Taluks Oct d horsegram.
Western Palladam, 711 Sep - Semiari Red Cotton/ sorghum/ pear millet /
Kangeyam Nov d bengal gram / coriander /
717 black
Dharapuram sorghum + lablab./ red gram.
Udumalpet
Coimbatore taluks
of Coimbatore and
Periyar Districts

East Parts of Tiruchi, 840 Sep - Semiari Black Cotton / sorghum / pearl millet
central Pudukkottai, 918 Nov d Red / sesamum sorghum /
Madurai and pulses / pearl millet /
Dindugul Dts. 876 Red groundnut +red gram/castor.
Southern Tirunelveli 940 Oct - Semi Red Groundnut /
Dt. Dec arid cowpea /
sesamum
sorghum / pearl
millet / pulses
castor.
Thoothukudi 677 Oct- Semi Black Red Cotton / chillies /
Dt. Dec arid coriander / black
gram / sorghum /
pearl millet /
pulses.
Virudunagar 817 Oct - Semi Black Cotton /
Dt. Dec arid sunflower / maize /
sorghum,/ pearl
millet / pulses /
castor.
Ramanatha 819 Oct- Semi Black Rice / cotton /
puram Dt. Dec arid sorghum/ pulses /
chillies.
Sivagangai 910 Oct- Semi Red Groundnut / pearl
Dt. Dec arid millet / sesamum /
cowpea /redgram /
castor.