MAJOR CROPS AND CROPPING PATTERNS

Fundamentally, a cropping pattern entails the proportion of area under various crops at a given point in time. However, it is a dynamic concept that changes over space and time.

Cropping pattern basically involves:

• Crop rotation practiced by a majority of the farmers in a given area or locality.
• Type and arrangement of crops in time and space.
• Yearly sequence and spatial arrangement of crops or of crops and fallow on a given area.
• Proportion of area under various crops at a point of time in the unit area.

Two-thirds of India’s population is engaged in agricultural activities. It is a primary activity that produces food grains and raw materials for industries. Given India’s vast geography, it supports various food and non-food crops cultivated in three main cropping seasons: Rabi, Kharif, and Zaid.

Cropping Seasons in India

Statistics:

• 2000s: Nearly 83% of the total cultivable land in India was used for food crops, while the remaining 17% was allocated for non-food crops.
• 1944-45: The area under food crops reduced to 80%, with a slight increase in non-food crop area to 20%.
• Wheat cultivation: Largest increase in area, showing a 132% increase by 1987-88.
• Rice and pulses: Area increase has been limited to only 23%.
• Coarse cereals: Only showed a marginal increase of 11% by 1987-88.

• Rainfed agriculture: Accounts for over 92.8 million hectares or 65% of the cropped area.
• Marginal, small and semi-medium farmers constitute 90% of 97.15 million operational holdings:

• 56.15 million farmers of India are marginal (<1.0 hectare),
• 17.92 million farmers of India are small (1.0-2.0 hectare),
• 13.25 million farmers of India are semi-medium (2.0-4.0 hectare).

Some of the most commonly followed crop patterns

Rice-Wheat: UP, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh.

• Issue: Stagnation in production and productivity over the years.

Rice-Rice: Irrigated and humid coastal regions of Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala.

• Issue: Deterioration in soil physical conditions and micronutrient deficiency.

Rice-Groundnut: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, and Maharashtra.

• Issue: Excessive rainfall and waterlogging, non-availability of quality seeds, and limited expansion of Rabi groundnut in rice-growing areas.

Rice-Pulses: Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Bihar.

• Issue: Droughts, erratic rainfall distribution, lack of irrigation, low coverage under HYV seeds, and weed attacks.

Maize-Wheat: UP, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar.

• Issue: Low yield due to poor weed management, poor plant varieties, and poor use of organic and inorganic fertilizers.

Sugarcane-Wheat: UP, Punjab, and Haryana account for 68% of the area under sugarcane. Other states include Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

• Issues: Imbalance and inadequate use of nutrients, poor nitrogen use efficiency in sugarcane.

Cotton-Wheat: Punjab, Haryana, West UP, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

• Issues: Cotton stubble creates challenges for tillage operations and poor soil tilth for wheat. Cotton pests like boll worm and white fly, and poor nitrogen use efficiency in cotton are also issues.

Soya bean-Wheat: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

• Issues: Limited genetic diversity, short growing periods in Indian latitudes, limited input availability at the farm level, rainfed nature of the crop, and water scarcity at critical growth stages.

Legume Based Cropping Systems (Pulses-Oilseeds): Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.

• Issues: Technological limitations, losses due to erratic weather, waterlogging, diseases, and pests.

Factors affecting cropping pattern

• Geographical Factors:

• Physical environment such as physiography, soil, climate, and water play crucial roles in the growth and distribution of plants and animals.
• Climate change has impacted the Indian monsoon, altering cropping patterns.

• Socio-Cultural Factors: The food habits, customs, and traditions of a population guide the cropping patterns of a region.
• Infrastructure Factors: Irrigation, storage, transport, and extension services affect the location, quantity, and quality of crops.
• Demographic Factors: Population growth and urbanization have led to land conversion and more intensive farming, influencing cropping patterns.
• Historical Factors: Land type, ownership, and land tenure impact the cropping pattern that is followed.

• Example: Small land tenure and lack of ownership may lead to more intensive, short-term cropping patterns.

• Technological Factors: Advancements, such as the Green Revolution, have redefined physical limitations.

• Example: Cultivation of rice in Punjab, Haryana, and Ganganagar of Rajasthan.

• Economic Factors:

• Economic expansion: Farmers are shifting towards cash crops (e.g., oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, spices) from traditional non-cash crops like cereals and pulses.
• Availability of inputs: Seeds, fertilizers, water storage, marketing, and transport significantly influence cropping patterns.
• Insurance against risk: The need to minimize crop failure risks explains crop diversification and specific features of cropping patterns.

• Government policies: Taxes, subsidies, MSPs, and export policies influence cropping patterns.

• Example: Crops with higher MSP have greater adaptability among farmers.
• Increase in crop prices and landholding size influences cropping patterns.
• Example: Farmers with small holdings may prefer labor-intensive crops, whereas those with larger holdings may choose capital-intensive crops.

Different phases of changes in cropping pattern

1. Pre-Green Revolution Phase

• About 3/4 of the total area was under food crops during independence.
• Very little diversification in cropping patterns.
• Major crops: Tea in Assam, cotton in Maharashtra, jute in West Bengal.
• The entire Great Plain of North India was dominated by food crops, including sugarcane.

2. Green Revolution Phase

• Introduction of Minimum Support Price significantly influenced farmers’ crop choices.
• A repetitive cropping pattern with wheat-rice predominance emerged.
• The primary aim of Indian agriculture was to achieve self-sufficiency in food production.
  • By the late 1980s, India attained self-sufficiency in food grains.
• Development of intensive agriculture production systems accelerated agricultural production.
• Commercialization entered the Indian farm sector towards the end of this phase.

3. Economic Reform Phase (with the commencement of Economic Reform in 1991)

• Globalization introduced new opportunities for agricultural exports.
• Competition from other countries arose due to lower production costs.
• Agriculture was declared the prime moving force of the economy.
• Corporate and contract farming were introduced to mobilize investment in agriculture.
• Diversification in cropping patterns became more significant as non-food crops gained prominence.
• The National Food Security Act promoted monoculture by subsidizing staple crops like rice and wheat.

Importance of Cropping Pattern

• Increases soil fertility: Continuous planting of the same crop type depletes specific nutrients in the soil. Crop rotation enhances soil fertility by controlling deficiencies or excesses of nutrients, replenishing those not available and absorbing abundant nutrients.
• Increases crop yield: Cropping patterns increase the harvest obtained from a single seasonal harvest. Some evidence shows a 10 to 25% increase in crop yield with crop rotation compared to monoculture.
• Increases soil nutrients: Cropping patterns allow land to regenerate and rejuvenate its self-nutrients without the need for additional nutrients through fertilizers.
• Reduces soil erosion: Cropping patterns help reduce raindrop impact on the soil and general erosion by water because plant roots hold the topsoil together. Planting trees alongside crops can further prevent soil erosion.
• Improves soil structure: Cropping patterns prevent soil compaction, enhancing the soil’s physical condition. Crop rotation enhances soil structure and texture.
• Diversification and reduced cost of production: Certain crop cultivations require less labor and machinery, distributing workload and resource use throughout the year, which helps lower production costs.