Introduction
Indian agriculture, despite having some common features such as being traditional, subsistence-oriented, and predominantly focused on food crops, is incredibly diverse across different regions. To fully understand this diversity, it’s essential to study Indian agriculture through a regional lens, which is where the concept of agricultural regionalization becomes relevant. This regional study helps in appreciating the variety of agricultural practices and crop patterns found across the country.
What is Agricultural Regionalization?
Agricultural regionalization refers to the process of dividing a landscape into discrete segments known as regions. These regions are then analyzed to identify their unique characteristics or similarities. This approach is crucial for understanding the varied agricultural patterns across different areas, allowing for a more systematic study of agriculture in India.
Different Schemes in Agricultural Regionalization
Several schemes are used for agricultural regionalization in India, each focusing on different aspects of agriculture:
- Dominant Crop Regions: These are areas where a particular crop is the most prominent in terms of cultivation.
- Productivity Regions: Regions are classified based on the productivity levels of different crops.
- Crop Combination Regions: These regions are defined by the combination of different crops grown together.
- Agroclimatic Regions/Agroecological Regions: This approach considers climatic and ecological factors in defining agricultural regions.
- World Agricultural Typology: This includes broader classifications like Whittlesey’s Classification, which categorizes agricultural practices on a global scale.
Major Crop Regions
Dominant Crop Regions
Dominant crop regions, also known as first-ranking crop regions, are areas where a particular crop is most widely cultivated. India is divided into agricultural regions based on the dominance of a specific crop, primarily in terms of acreage (area under cultivation). The major crop regions in India include:
- Rice Regions: The most dispersed crop region, with rice grown in a variety of settings.
- Wheat Regions: Areas where wheat is the dominant crop.
- Cotton Regions: Regions where cotton is primarily cultivated.
- Sugarcane Regions: Known for the cultivation of sugarcane, often under irrigated conditions.
- Dry Crops: Includes crops like millets and pulses.
- Tea/Coffee Regions: Regions where tea and coffee are major crops.
- Horticulture Regions: Known for the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural crops.
Regional Patterns
The distribution of these crop regions is primarily determined by physical factors such as climate, soil type, and topography. However, certain crops, like sugarcane, are grown predominantly under irrigated conditions.
Rice Regions
Rice cultivation in India can be observed across three main types of areas:
- Major River Basins: Rice is grown in both plain and non-plain areas along major rivers.
- Coastal Plains: Rice cultivation is prominent in coastal regions, including:
- Bengal
- Orissa
- Tamil Nadu
- Kerala
- Karnataka
- Konkan region of Maharashtra
- Dry Highland Regions: Here, dry rice is grown under rainfed conditions with lower productivity. Notably, rice is also cultivated in Punjab and Haryana.
Agroclimatic Regionalization
What is Agroclimatic Regionalization?
Conventional agricultural regionalization is based primarily on crop types, describing the variety and range of crops grown in an area. However, for a more comprehensive understanding of the agricultural landscape, it is essential to include factors such as:
- Type of Farm Inputs: Fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, etc.
- Non-Crop Combinations: Inclusion of livestock and other non-crop agricultural activities.
- Intensity of Land Use: How intensively land is cultivated.
- Degree of Mechanization: Use of agricultural machinery and technology.
Prescriptive and Suggestive Approach
Unlike traditional regionalization, agricultural regionalization should not only describe existing conditions but also be prescriptive and suggestive, offering recommendations for agricultural practices based on regional characteristics.
Importance in India’s Economy
Agriculture plays a dominant role in India’s economy, directly or indirectly influencing nearly all macroeconomic indicators. It controls the type of land and water use and is closely linked with ecological challenges.
Agriculture-Based Development
To promote agriculture-based development, a new approach known as Agroclimatic Planning has emerged. This approach is more relevant to developmental regionalization that centers around agriculture, often referred to as Agroclimatic Regionalization.
Primary Basis of Agroclimatic Agriculture
The primary basis of agroclimatic agriculture aligns with physiographic factors, meaning that physical geography and climate play a significant role in determining agricultural practices.
Agroclimatic Regions in India
In India, physiographic conditions heavily influence agroclimatic factors. As a result, agroclimatic regions often overlap with the country’s physiographic regions. There are five main macro-agroclimatic regions in India:
- Himalayas and Associated Hills: Characterized by mountainous terrain and varied climatic conditions.
- Northern Plains: Fertile plains ideal for growing a wide variety of crops.
- Peninsular Plateau: Known for its diverse soil types and climatic conditions.
- Western & Eastern Ghats with Coastal Plains: These regions are suitable for both rainfed and irrigated crops.
- Island Regions: Comprising India’s islands with unique climatic conditions and crop patterns.
The 15 Agroclimatic Regions of India
1. Eastern Himalayas Including Poorvanchal Hills
This region includes Arunachal Pradesh, the hills of Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and the Darjeeling district of West Bengal.
- Topography: Rugged terrain.
- Temperature: 25°C to 30°C in July, 10°C to 20°C in January.
- Rainfall: 200-400 cm annually.
- Soil: Red-brown, not highly productive, and prone to shifting cultivation (Jhuming).
- Main Crops: Rice, maize, potato, tea.
- Orchards: Pineapple, litchi, oranges, lime.
2. Western Himalayas Including Trans-Himalayan Region
Covers Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and the hill region of Uttarakhand.
- Temperature: 5°C to 30°C in July, 5°C to -5°C in January.
- Rainfall: 75-150 cm (less than 30 cm in Ladakh).
- Soil: Alluvial in Kashmir and Kullu valleys; brown soils in the hills.
- Main Crops: Rice, maize (kharif), barley, oats, wheat (winter).
- Horticulture: Apple orchards, peaches, and other temperate fruits.
- Challenges: Poor accessibility, soil erosion, landslides, weather issues, inadequate marketing, and storage facilities.
3. Lower Ganga Region
Includes West Bengal (excluding hilly areas), Eastern Bihar, and the Brahmaputra Valley.
- Temperature: 26°C to 41°C in July, 9°C to 24°C in January.
- Rainfall: 100-200 cm annually.
- Main Crops: Rice (Aman, Aus, Boro), jute, maize, potato, pulses.
- Planning Strategies: Focus on rice farming, horticulture (banana, mango, citrus fruits), pisciculture, poultry, livestock, and seed supply.
4. Middle Ganga Region
Covers large parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
- Temperature: 26°C to 41°C in July, 9°C to 24°C in January.
- Rainfall: 100-200 cm annually.
- Main Crops: Rice, maize, millets (kharif); wheat, gram, barley, peas, potato (rabi).
- Developmental Measures: Alternative farming systems, pisciculture, and reclamation of wastelands.
5. Upper Ganga Region
Includes central and western parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haridwar, and Udham Nagar districts of Uttarakhand.
- Temperature: 26°C to 41°C in July, 7°C to 23°C in January.
- Rainfall: 75-150 cm annually.
- Soil: Sandy loam.
- Main Crops: Wheat, rice, sugarcane, millets, maize, gram, barley, oilseeds, pulses, cotton.
- Strategies: Focus on multiple mixed cropping patterns, dairy development, and horticulture.
6. Western Dry Regions (Marusthali Region)
Primarily covers the Thar Desert region.
- Temperature: 28°C to 45°C in June, 5°C to 22°C in January.
- Rainfall: Less than 25 cm (erratic).
- Main Crops: Jowar, bajra (kharif); wheat, gram (rabi).
- Role of Livestock: Livestock contributes significantly to the desert ecology.
7. Gujarat Plains (Sabarmati & Mahi Plains)
Covers the hills and plains of Kathiawar, along with fertile valleys of Mahi and Sabarmati rivers.
- Temperature: 30°C in July, 25°C in January.
- Rainfall: 50-100 cm.
- Soil: Regur (black) in plateau regions, alluvium in coastal plains, red & yellow in Jamnagar.
- Main Crops: Groundnut, cotton, millets, rice, oilseeds, wheat, tobacco.
8. Trans-Ganga Plains
Covers Punjab, Haryana, and Northern Rajasthan.
9. Eastern Plateau & Hills (Area around Chotanagpur Plateau)
Includes Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, and Dandakaranya.
- Temperature: 26°C to 34°C in July, 10°C to 27°C in January.
- Rainfall: 80-150 cm annually.
- Soil: Red and yellow with occasional laterite and alluvium.
- Main Crops: Rice, millets, maize, oilseeds, gram, potato, ragi.
- Challenges: Water deficiency due to plateau structure and non-perennial streams.
10. Northern Plateau (Largely Bundelkhand)
11. Malwa Uplands
Covers parts of Madhya Pradesh.
- Temperature: 24°C to 41°C in July, 6°C to 23°C in January.
- Rainfall: 25-75 cm annually.
- Soil: Regur (black) soil.
- Main Crops: Wheat, gram, millets, cotton, pulses, groundnut, oilseeds.
12. Central Plateau & Hills
Covers Vindhyan, Satpura, and Amarkantak ranges.
13. Southern Plateau & Hills
Includes Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka uplands.
14. Coastal Plains & Hills
Divided into Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats.
Eastern Ghats
- Temperature: 25°C to 35°C in July, 20°C to 30°C in January.
- Rainfall: 75-150 cm.
- Main Crops: Rice, jute, tobacco, sugarcane, maize, millets, groundnut, oilseeds.
Western Ghats
- Temperature: 25°C to 30°C in July, 18°C to 30°C in January.
- Rainfall: More than 200 cm.
- Soil: Laterite, coastal alluvial.
- Famous For: Plantation crops, spices.
15. Island Regions
Covers Andaman-Nicobar and Lakshadweep.
- Climate: Equatorial, with annual rainfall less than 300 cm.
- Temperature: 30°C in July, 25°C in January.
- Soils: Sandy along the coast; clayey loam in valleys.
- Main Crops: Rice, maize, millets, pulses, turmeric, cassava.
Conclusion
Agricultural regionalization is essential for understanding the diverse agricultural landscape of India. By dividing the country into regions based on dominant crops, agroclimatic conditions, and physical attributes, it provides a clear picture of how farming practices vary. This approach helps in identifying region-specific needs, optimizing crop production, and formulating targeted agricultural policies. The 15 agro-climatic zones showcase India’s varied climate, soil, and crop patterns, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies to enhance productivity and sustainability. Understanding these zones enables efficient resource utilization, boosts agricultural growth, and improves farmers’ livelihoods, contributing significantly to the nation’s overall economic development.
- Discuss the significance of agroclimatic regionalization in promoting sustainable agricultural development in India. (250 words)
- Discuss the challenges faced by farmers in the Western Himalayan region and suggest potential solutions for improving agricultural productivity. (250 words)
- Explain the significance of the Eastern Plateau & Hills region in India’s agricultural landscape and the role of water resources in shaping its farming practices. (250 words)
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