Crop Science In India



Crop Science in India

• In India around 70% of the population earns its livelihood from agriculture.
• It fulfills the basic need of human beings and animals.
• It is an important source of raw material for many agro based industries.
• India’s geographical condition is unique for agriculture because it provides many favorable conditions.
• There are plain areas, fertile soil, long growing seasons and wide variation in climatic condition etc.
• Apart from unique geographical conditions, India has been consistently making innovative efforts by using science and technology to increase production.

 

SALIENT FEATURES OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE

1. Mostly Subsistence Agriculture.
2. Pressure of population on Agriculture for employment and sustenance.
3. Limited Mechanization of farming.
4. Dependence upon monsoon mostly and irrigation in lesser percentage.
5. Variety of crops found due to diversity of topography, climate and soil.
6. Predominance of food crops cultivation.
7. Three distinct agricultural/cropping seasons- kharif, rabi and zaid

 

MAJOR CROPS OF INDIA

• India grows almost each and every crop. If we consider the varieties of crop grown from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and western coast of Gujarat to extreme north eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, then there would be hundreds of crops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CROPS
FOOD GRAINS			COMMERCIAL/PLANTATION CROPS		HORTICULTURE
CEREALS		PULSES	OILSEEDS	OTHERS	VEGETABLES	FRUITS
Rice, Wheat	Coarse Cereals/ Millets	Tur, Gram, Moong, Urad, Lentil	Groundnut, Caster seed, Niger seed, Sesamum, Rapeseed, Mustard, Linseed, Safflower, Sunflower, Soybean	Sugarcane, Cotton, Jute, Mesta, Coconut, Tapioca, Tobacco, Rubber, Coffee, Tea, Arecanut, Spices	Potato, Sweet potato, Onion, Chillies, Tomato, Cauliflower, Brinjal	Banana, Mango, Apple, Apricot, Grapes, Pineapple, Walnut

 

 

FOODGRAINS

• The importance of foodgrains in Indian agricultural economy may be gauged from the fact these crops occupy about two-third of total cropped area in the country.
• Foograins are dominant crops in all parts of the country whether they have subsistence or commercial agricultural economy.
• On the basis of the structure of grainthe food grains are classified as cereals and pulses.

CEREALS

• Cereals occupy about 54 percent of total cropped area in India.
• India produces a variety of cereals, which are classified as fine grains (rice, wheat) and coarse grains (jowar, bajra, maize, ragi).

RICE: 

• It is the most important food crop of India. It is predominantly a Kharif crop. It covers about one third of total cultivated area of the country and is staple food of more than half of the Indian population.
• Maximum population of India is of rice consumers. Hence many farmers in India cultivate rice round the year that is, it is also cultivated in rabi season with the use of irrigation. Some of the geographical conditions are as follows:

1. Temperature: Rice requires hot and humid conditions.

The temperature should be fairly high i.e. 24⁰C mean monthly temperature with average temperature of 22⁰C to 32⁰C.

2. Rainfall: Rainfall ranging between 150 and 300 cm is suitable for its growth. In areas of Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh where rainfall is less than 100cm; rice is cultivated with the help of irrigation.
3. Soil: Rice is grown in varied soil conditions but deep clayey and loamy soil provides the ideal conditions.

Rice is primarily grown in plain areas like Gangetic plain, it is also grown below sea level at Kuttanad (Kerala), hill terraces of north eastern part of India and valleys of Kashmir.

4. Labor: Rice cultivation requires easily available labour because, most of the activities associated with it are labor oriented and are not very well suited for mechanization.
5. Distribution:

• Rice is grown in almost all the states of India.
  • The three largest rice producing states are West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
  • The other major rice producing states are Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Orissa, Karnataka, Assam and Maharashtra.
  • It is also grown in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat and Kashmir Valley.

WHEAT: 

• Wheat is the second most important food crop of India next to rice.
• It is a Rabi or winter crop. It is sown in the beginning of winter and harvested in the beginning of summer.
• Normally (in north India) the sowing of wheat begins in the month of October-November and harvesting is done in the month ofMarch-April.
• This is the staple food of millions of people particularly in the northern and north-western regions of India. Some of the geographical conditions are as follows:

1. Temperature: It is primarily a crop of mid-latitude grassland. It requires cool climate. The ideal temperature is between 10⁰C to 15⁰C at the time of sowingand 21⁰C to 26⁰C at the time of ripening and harvesting.
2. Rainfall: Wheat thrives well in areas receiving annual rainfall of about 75cm. Annual rainfall of about 100 cm is the upper limit for wheat cultivation. Like rice, wheat can also be grown by irrigation method in areas where rainfall is less than 75cm. Light drizzles at the time of ripening help in increasing the yield. But on the other hand, frost at the time of flowering and hailstorm at the time of ripening can cause heavy damage to the wheat crop.
3. Soil: Although wheat can be grown in a variety of soils but well drained fertile loamy and clayey loamy soil is best suited for wheat cultivation. Plain areasare very well suited for wheat production.
4. Labour: Wheat is extensive and highly mechanized and requires less labour.
5. Distribution: The largest wheat producing states are U.P, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh. Other than that the main regions of wheat production in India areHaryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

MILLETS:

• Millets are short duration warm weather crops. These are coarse grain crops and are used for both food and fodder.
• These are Kharif cropsthough sometimes grown in rabi seasons too. These are sown in May-August and harvested in October-November. Today millets are mostly consumed by poor people as their staple food.
• In India, lots of millet is grown and these are known by various local names.
• Some of these are Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Korra, Kodon, Kutki, Hraka, Bauti and Rajgira.
• In India, Jowar, Bajra and Ragi are grown on large areas but unfortunately area under these crops has drastically reduced over the years.
• Some of the geographical conditions for growing these crops are as follows:

1. Temperature: These crops are grown where the temperature is high which ranges between 27⁰C to 32⁰C.
2. Rainfall: As mentioned earlier that millets are ‘dry land crop’, therefore, rainfall ranging from 50 to 100 cm is ideal for their cultivation. These crops are rain-fed.
3. Soil: Millets are less sensitive to soil deficiencies. They can be grown in inferior alluvial or loamy soil.
4. Distribution: Jowar and Bajra are grown both in north and south India whereas ragi is generally concentrated in the southern India. Jowar and Bajra are grown in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karanataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. Ragi is mostly concentrated in the southern India i.e. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In total, coarse cereals can be found in Rajasthan, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

• Jowar(sorghum), Bajra (Pearl millet/Bull Rush millet) Ragi (Finger millet/Buck wheat) are the important millets grown in India. Though, these are known as coarse grains, they have very high nutritional value. For example, ragi is very rich in iron, calcium, other micro nutrients and roughage.
• Maize is a crop which is used both as food and fodder. It is a kharif crop which requires temperature between 21°C to 27°C and grows well in old alluvial soil. In some states like Bihar maize is grown in rabi season also. Use of modern inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilisers and irrigation have contributed to the increasing production of maize. Major maize-producing states are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh.

PULSES

• India is the largest producer as well as the consumer of pulses in the world. These are the major source of protein in a vegetarian diet.
• Pulses need less moisture and survive even in dry conditions. Being leguminous crops, all these crops except arhar(pigeon pea) helps in restoring soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air.
• Therefore, these are mostly grown in rotation with other crops. Most of these are green manure crops too. Major pulse producing statesin India are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.
• Though gram and tur (arhar or pigeon pea/red gram) are the more important pulses, several other pulses such as urd (black gram), mung (green gram), masur (lentil), kulthi (horse gram), matar(peas), khersi, cow pea(black-eyed gram) and moth are also grown. Pulses are generally fodder crops too.

Gram

• It is the most important of all the pulses. It accounts for about 37% of the production and about 30% of the total area of pulses in India. It is a Rabi cropwhich is sown between September and November and is harvested between February and April. It is either cultivated as a single crop or mixed with wheat, barley, linseed or mustard. Some of the geographical conditions are as follows:

1. Temperature: It is grown in a wide range of climatic condition. Mild cool and comparatively dry climate with 20⁰C -25⁰C temperature.
2. Rainfall: 40-45 cm rainfall is favorable for gram cultivation.
3. Soil: It grows well on loamy soils.
4. Distribution: Although gram is cultivated in several parts of the country, however, 90% of the total production comes from 5 states. These
   Subscribe on YouTube
   states are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana

Green Manure Crops:

• Crops grown for the purpose of restoring or increasing the organic matter content in the soil are called Green manure crops. 
• Use of Green manure crops in cropping system is called ‘Green Manuring’ where the crop is grown in situ or brought from outside and incorporated when it is purposely grown.
• Green manuring are low cost and effective technology in minimising cost of fertilizers and safeguarding productivity. 
• Green Leaf Manuring consists of gathering green biomass from nearby location and adding to the soil. Objectives of green manuring are to add Nitrogen to the companion or succeeding crop and add or sustain organic matter in the soil.
• Examples of leguminous Green Manures are as follows: Local name- Cowpea, Cluster bean (Guar), Green gram (Mung bean), Sesbania, Dhaincha, Sunhemp, Wild Indigo, Pillipesara, Berseem, Madras Indigo etc.

 

COMMERCIAL/CASH CROPS

Cash crops are those crops which are grown for sale either in raw form or semi processed form. Major of them are as follows:

SUGARCANE: 

• Sugarcane is a Kharif crop. It is the main source of sugar, gur and khandsari.
• It also provides raw material for the manufacturing of alcohol.
• Bagasse, the crushed cane residue, has also multiple uses. It is used for manufacturing of paper. It is also an efficient substitute for petroleum products and a host of other chemical products.
• A part of it is also used as fodder. Some of the geographical conditions for the growth of sugarcane are as follows:

1. Temperature: It requires hot and humid climate with an average temperature of 21⁰C to 27⁰C.
2. Rainfall: 75-150 cm rainfall is favorable for sugarcane cultivation. Irrigation is required in those areas where rainfall is less than the prescribed limit.
3. Soil: It can grow in a variety of soils. In fact sugarcane can tolerate any kind of soil that can retain moisture. But deep rich loamy soil is ideal for its growth. The soil should be rich in nitrogen, calcium and phosphorous but neither it should be too acidic nor alkaline. Flat, plain and level pleatue is an advantage for sugarcane cultivation because it facilitates irrigation and transportation of cane to the sugar mills. Sugarcane cultivation requires heavy manures and fertilizers because it exhausts the fertility of soils quickly and extensively.
4. Labour: It is a labour oriented cultivation and required cheap labour. Ample human hands are required at every stage, i.e. sowing, hoeing, weeding, irrigation, cutting and carrying sugarcanes to the factories.
5. Distribution: India has the largest area under sugarcane cultivation in the world and the second largest producer next to Brazil. As far as distribution of sugarcane cultivation in India is concerned, there are three distinct geographical regions in the country. These regions are:

1. The Sutlej-Ganga plain from Punjab to Bihar containing 51% of the total area and 60% of the country’s total production. Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of sugar in India.
2. The black soil belt from Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu along the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.
3. Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Krishna river valley.

 

COTTON: 

• Cotton is the most important fibre crop not only of India but also of the entire world. It not only provides raw material for cotton textile industry but also its seed is used in Vanaspati oil industry.
• The cotton seed is also used as part of fodder for milch cattle for better milk production. Cotton is basically a kharif crop. Some of the geographical conditions are as follows:

1. Distribution: India has the largest area under cultivation and is the largest producer of cotton next only to China and the USA. Within the country two third of total area and production is shared by four states. The main states for cotton production are Andhra Pradesh, Telegana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana.
2. Labour: As picking of cotton has not been made mechanized till now, therefore a lot of cheap and efficient labour is required at the time of picking.
3. Soil: Cotton cultivation is very closely related to Black soils of Deccan and Malwa plateau. However, it also grows well in alluvial soils of the Sutlej plain and red and laterite soils of the peninsular region.
4. Rainfall: It grows mostly in the areas having at least 210 frost free days in a year. It requires modest amount of rainfall of 50 to 100 cm. However, cotton is successfully grown with the help of irrigation in the areas where rainfall is less than 50 cm. High amount of rainfall in the beginning and sunny and dry weather at the time of ripening are very useful for a good crop.
5. Temperature: Cotton is the crop of tropical and sub-tropical areas and requires uniformly high temperature varying between 21⁰C and 30⁰C.

JUTE 

• It is an important natural fibre crop in India next to cotton.
• It is a kharif crop.
• It requires hot and humid climate with 120-150cm rainfall for its growth. Light sandy or clayey soils is best for its cultivation.
• It is labour intensive. In trade and industry, jute and mesta crop together known as raw jute as their uses are almost same.
• Raw jute plays an important role in the country’s economy.
• Raw jute was originally considered as a source of raw material for packaging industries only.
• But it has now emerged as a versatile raw material for diverse applications, such as, textile industries, paper industries, building and automotive industries, use as soil saver, use as decorative and furnishing materials, etc.
• Raw jute being bio-degradable and annually renewable source, it is considered as an environment-friendly crop and it helps in the maintenance of the environment and ecological balance.
• Further attraction of Jute lies in its easy availability, inexhaustible quantity at a comparatively cheaper rate. Moreover, it can easily be blended with other natural and manmade fibres.
• With its insignificant coverage of total cultivated area, it plays a predominant role in the country’s economy by generating employment, earning foreign exchange, solving many of the socio-economic problems, etc.
• In earlier years, Jute was considered as a Golden Fibre but there after it had to pass through different critical situation.
• The main problem came in the way with the introduction of synthetic fibre by the end of sixties/early seventies. After the development of diversified product of jute fibre and due to growing concern about the environment pollution, the importance of jute has again revived.
• The crop can be grown in low, medium and high land situation, both moisture stress and water stagnating condition. WhiteJute (Corchorus capsularis) can be grown comparatively in low land situation while that of Tossa Jute prefers medium and high land situation.
•  Mesta is grown in almost all over the country. It being a hardy crop and can tolerate moisture stress; its cultivation is spread in different agro-climatic situations unlike jute which is concentrated only in eastern and north eastern States.
• Major jute and mesta producing states are West Bengal, Bihar and Assam. In a major part of Jute area, particularly in North Bengal, Bihar and North-Eastern States, the soil is acidic in nature.
• However, the Jute crop is growing in these areas in existing situation adjusting the crop sequence. It is a water intensive crop-not only for growth but for processing as well.

Join Our Telegram Channel