Major Cropping Patterns in India - part II

This is the second part of the article Major Cropping Patterns in India - part I

CASH CROPS:

COTTON:

Conditions of growth:

1. Uniformly high temperature (21-30).

2.Rainfall normal (50-100cm)

3. Black cotton soil.

Frost is the number one enemy of the cotton plant and it is grown in areas having at least 210 frost free days in a year.

Cotton is a kharif crop which requires 6 to 8 months to mature. Its time of sowing and harvesting differs in different parts of the country depending upon the climatic conditions. In Punjab and Haryana, it is sown in april- may and is harvested in December- January, that is before the winter frost can damage the crop. In the peninsular part of India, it is sown upto October and harvested between January and may because there is no danger of winter frost in these areas. In Tamil Nadu, it is grown both as kharif and rabi crop. Here the rainfall occurs after September and cotton is sown in October. Most of the crop is grown mixed with other kharif crops such as maize, jowar, ragi, sesamum, castor, ground nut and some vegetables.

Cotton grows well in the deep black soils of the Deccan and Malwa plateau and those in Gujarat.  About two -third cotton in India is produced by four major states viz. Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.

Cotton quickly exhausts the fertility of soil. Therefore regular application of manures and fertilizers to the soil is very necessary.

JUTE:

1.Requires high temperature (24-35)degree

2. Requires heavy rainfall 120-150cm.

3. Grow well in light sandy or claying loams.

Jute is generally sown in February on lowlands and in march-may in uplands. The harvesting period generally starts in July and continues till October. Because in the time of harvesting we need more water for the retting process (processing of the jute barks in water). Jute rapidly exhausts the fertility of the soil. So in the delta regions of the Hoogly river it grows well because the hoogly river would made the newallluvium depositsoftenly over the older layer.

In India 98 per cent of the jute is produced in four states, west Bengal, Bihar, Assam, and Odisha.

West Bengal is the undisputed king of jute production in India accounting for about 70 per cent of the production. Following this Bihar is the second largest producer but lagging far behind west Bengal.

SUGARCANE:

Conditions of growth:

It  is a long duration crop and requires 10 to 15 and even 18 months to mature, depending upon the geographical conditions. It requires hot and humid climate.

1.temperature 21-27 degree.

2.rainfall 75-150 cm. Too heavy rainfall results in low sugar content and deficiency in rainfall produces fibrous  crop.

3.in fact, sugarcane can tolerate any kind of soil that can retain moisture. But deep rich loamy soils are ideal for its growth.

On the basis of above said conditions following are the three belts of sugarcane cultivation can be identified.

1.The satluj-ganga plain from Punjab to bihar.

2.the black soil belt from Maharashtra to tamilnadu along the eastern slopes of the western ghats.

3.coastal Andhra and the Krishna valley.

In the northern plain of india, the summer temperatures ranging from 30 to 35 degree hamper the growth of the cane. In the winter months of December and January the sugarcane crop is likely to be damaged by excessively cold weather accompanied by frost. Consequently the yield per hectare is low. In south inidia, on the other hand reasonably high temperature in the summer and frost free winter, coupled with the maritime winds in the coastal areas are some of the climatic factors which are extremely beneficial to this crop. But due to some economical and political conditions from the older days more sugars are cultivated in north india to compare with south india. But nowadays it has been changing towards the south india.

Uttar Pradesh is the highest producer of sugar cane in india followed by Maharashtra and tamilnadu.

TOBACCO:

It is a crop of tropical and sub tropical region.

1.it can the temperature varying from 16-35 degree Celsius.

2.rainfall normally 100cm.

3.well drained friable sandy loams, not too rich in organic matter but rich in mineral salts.

In fact, soil rather than climate is the determining factor for its geographical distribution. Further it can be grown from low lying flat plains upto a height of 1800m

Although tobacco is grown in as many as 15 states of india only gujarath and Andhra Pradesh are producing more tobacco.

OILSEEDS:

India has the largest area and production of oilseeds in the world. Five major oil seeds are:

1.Ground nut, 2.sesamum, 3.rapeseed and mustard, 4.linseed, 5. Castor seed.

Ground nut:

1.it requires 20-30 degree Celsius temperature.

2.rainfall 50-75 cm.

3.enemies= frost, prolonged drought, continuous rain, stagnant water.

4.well drained light sandy loams, red, yellow and black cotton soils.

Around 90 per cent of the ground nut is produced as the kharif crop. But it can be grown both as kharif and rabi crop. It serves as an important rotation crop because it synthesizes atmospheric nitrogen and increases soil fertility.

Andhra Pradesh, tamilndau, gujarath are the three main producers of ground nut in india.  Other some states also producing the ground nut in small quantities.

Sesamum:

1.it requires 21-23 degree temperature.

2.45-50cm rainfall.

3.well drained light loamy soils.

It is a rainfed crop it is grown as kharif crop in north india and rabi crop in south india.

Sesamum is grown in almost all parts of the country but odisha, rajasthan, west Bengal, Maharashtra, gujarath,and Madhya Pradesh are the main producers.

Rapeseed and mustard:

Like wheat and gram, they thrive only in cool climate of the satluj-ganga plain and very small quantity is grown in peninsular india. They are mainly grown as rabi crop in pure or mixed with wheat,gram,and barley.

Rajasthan and uttar Pradesh are the two major producers of the rapeseed and mustard. Haryana and Madhya Pradesh coming next in the list.

LINSEED:

1.it is a cool dry crop, 20 degree Celsius temperature is ideal.

2.rainfall of 75 cm is enough.

3.clay loams, deep black  soils and alluvial soils are best suited.

It is a rabi  crop which is sown in October –november and harvested in march- april.

Madhya Pradesh, uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra are the three main producers of linseed in india.

CASTOR SEED:

1.it grows well in 20-25 degree Celsius temperature areas.

2.50-57cm rainfall is ideal.

3.in peninsular india it grows on red sandy loams and in satluj-ganga plain it grows in light alluvial soil.

Almost the whole area of castor seed production is rainfed. It is a kharif crop in the north and a rabi crop in the south.

Gujarath, Andhra Pradesh, and rajashtan are the largest producers of castor seed in india.

PLANTATION CROPS:

Unlike other crops, they are not annual crops and take 3-5 years to bear fruit after they are sown. But once they start bearing fruit, they continue to do so for 35-40 years. They require heavy initial capital investment and high level technology for their growth and processing. Tea, coffee and rubber are the principal plantation crops but spices are also included in this category.

TEA:

1.temperature for its growth is 20-30 degree Celsius and temperatures above 35 degree and below 10 degree is harmful for the bush.

2.it requires 150-300cm annual rainfall.

3.high humidity, heavy dew and morning fog favour the rapid development of young leaves.

4.tea is shade loving plant and develops more vigorously when planted along with shady trees.

5 it grow well in well drained, deep friable loams.

6.although tea requires heavy rainfall for its growth, stagnant water is injurious to its roots. It is therefore, grown on the hill slopes.

7.most of the tea plantations in india are found at elevations varying from 600 to 1800m above the sea level.

Tea in india is highly concentrated in few selected areas.

1.north eastern india:

It is more are less a triangular area in assam and west Bengal. 75 per cent tea produced in india is coming from here. In assam main tea producing belts are Brahmaputra valley and surma valley. In west Bengal it is in the Duars and Darjeeling.

2.southindia:

In south india tea is produced in nilgiri, cardamom,palani and anaimalai in tamilnadu, kerala and Karnataka. This region accounts for 22 per cent of tea production in india. In south indiatamilnadu is the largest producer of tea accounting for over 14 percent of total tea production in india.

3.north west india:

Some of tea is produced in dehra dun, almora and garhwal districts of uttar Pradesh and kangra valley and mandi districts of himachal Pradesh.

COFFEE:

1.it grows in hot and humid climate, temperature varying from 15-28 degree is good. Temperature above 30 degree is harmful. And also it does not tolerate frost, snowfall.

2.rainfall from 150-250cm. Is good. Stagnant water is harmful.

3.dry weather is necessary at the time of ripening.

4.well drained, rich friable loams containing good deal of humus and minerals like iron and calcium are ideal.

Northern and eastern aspects of slopes are preferred as they are less exposed to strong afternoon sun and the south west monsoon winds. The restricted agro climatic conditions have forced the coffee plantations to confine themselves to small area in south india comprising hill areas around nilgiris. Almost the entire production is shared by three states namely Karnataka, kerala, tamilnadu. Karnataka is the leading producer in india.

RUBBER:

1.it requires hot and humid climate.with temperature of 25-35degree Celsius. And annual rainfall of about 300cm.

2.dry spell and low temperature is harmful. Daily rainfall followed by strong sun is very useful.

3.deep well drained loamy soils on the hill slopes at elevation ranging from 300-450 m  above sea level is best condition. There is no rubber tree found above 700m elevation, because the yield will reduce.

Kerala is the largest producer of rubber followed by tamilnadu and Karnataka.

SPICES:

Pepper, cordomum, chillies, turmeric and ginger are some of the important spices produced in india.

Pepper:

1.it is a tropical crop. It requires a minimum of 10 degree and maximum of 30 degree Celsius.

2.200-300cm rainfall helps its growth.

3.the plant progresses as a vine and needs support of other trees for its growth.

4.it thrives well on deep, well drained loamysoil.

5.kerala, Karnataka and tamilnadu are concentrated by the crop.

Cardamom:

1.it grows well on high heat and humidity with temperature ranging from 15 degree to 32 degree Celsius.

2.rainfall 150-300cm.

3.well drained forest loams, deep red and laterite soils are best suited.

4.it is a shade loving plant and is grown under shade-trees.

5.the entire production comes from three states viz. Kerala, Karnataka and tamilnadu and these states contributes 53, 42, 5 percent respectively.

Chillies:

1.it requires temperatures ranging from 10 to 30 degree Celsius.

2.average rainfall of 60-125cm is enough.

3.it can be grown in wide variety of soils including black cotton soil, and different type of loamy soils.

4.andhra Pradesh is the leading producer of chillies in india. Which is followed by Maharashtra and odisha.

Ginger:

1.it is grown in tropical and sub-tropical climates.10 to 25 degree Celsius temperature is good.

2.125-250cm rainfall is required.

3.well drained sandy clayey or red loams and laterite are best suited soils.

4.kerala is the largest producer of ginger in india. Other main states are Meghalaya, Sikkim, odisha, Mizoram and west Bengal.

Turmeric:

1.it requires tropical climate.

2.well drained sandy and clayey loams, medium black, red or alluvial soils for its growth.

3.andhra Pradesh is the largest producer in india. Followed by Karnataka and tamilnadu.

HORTICULTURE:

Horticulture is the section of agriculture in which fruits and vegetables are grown. Immense agro climatic diversity enables india to grow a large variety of horticulture crops.

CASHEWNUT:

Cashew requires average temperature between 16-25 degree Celsius and a wide range of rainfall from 50 to 350 cm. It grows well on laterite soils on the west coast and on sandy soils on the east coast. kerala,  tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh are the major producers. Some of the cashew is also grown in Maharashtra and goa.

MANGO:

It is the native of monsoon lands and is grown in areas with temperature of 20-30 degree Celsius and rainfall 75 to 250cms. It can grow in almost all soils of india but prefers rich clayey loams. Uttar Pradesh, bihar, Andhra Pradesh, west Bengal, Orissa, kerala, tamilnadu, Maharashtra, gujarath and Karnataka are its main producers.

APPLE:

Apple is temperate fruit crop. It requires average temperature of 21-4 degree Celsius and rainfall of 100-125cm. The orchard localities should be free from hail storms and frost. These conditions are found on hill slopes at altitudes ranging from 1500-2700m above the sea level. Loamy soils, rich in organic matter and having good drainage are most suitable for apple cultivation. Soil should be free from hard sub strata and water logging.

The main areas of apple production are kullu and shimla in himachal Pradesh, the Kashmir valley and hilly areas of western uttar Pradesh.

BANANA:

Banana is primarily a tropical and sub tropical crop, requiring  average temperature of 20-30 degree Celsius. Rainfall should be fairly above 150cm. The banan tree grows well in rich, well drained soil with ample moisture and humus.

Although banana growing is spread all over india, the peninsular inidia provides ideal conditions for its cultivation. Tamil nadu and Maharashtra are the two leading producers of banana in india.

ORANGE:

most of the orange orchads are rainfed and are located at heights from 600 to 1500m. well drained, even textured sandy loams which permit root penetration upto 2-4 metres are best for orange cultivation. Although orange is grown in almost all the states, its cultivation is more prominently concentrated in the hilly regions of western uttar Pradesh, Darjeeling in west Bengal, kangra valley in himachal Pradesh, khasi and jaintia hills in Meghalaya. Hyderabad and Aurangabad in Andhra Pradesh, kodagu district of Karnataka,  waynad of kerala, nilgiri district of tamilnadu and Nagpur and pune districts of Maharashtra.

GRAPES:

Grapes is a sub tropical plant and requires long summer, short sharp winter, a moderately fertile well drained soil, relatively low water supply during growing period and a bright sunshine during mature stage. In north india, the plant gives only one crop during summer but in south india the plant grows throughout the year and yields two crops a year.

Uttar Pradesh,himachal Pradesh, jammu and Kashmir and Punjab in the north and Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, tamilnadu and Karnataka in the south are grapes producing states.

VEGETABLES:

India also grow a large variety of vegetables. The important vegetables are potato, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, carrot, brinjal, mushroom, pumpkin,  gourd, tomato etc.

Most of the vegetables are short duration crops as a result of which two to three crops are raised from the same piece of land in one year. Most of the vegetables are grown around urban areas where they find ready market for their sale.

written by- R.DHARMENDRA,