Origin: Indo-Burma (Indo-Myanmar).
Adaptation: Grown in the world between 39°S (Australia) 50°N latitude (China). In India it is grown between 8°N to 34°N latitude.
Altitude: From below sea level (Kuttanad region of Kerala) to 3000 m (Jammu and Kashmir) above MSL.
Rainfall and Temperature: Rice is classified as a hydrophyte. A heavy rainfall (R.F.) of 125 cm is required during its growing period. There should be a monthly R.F. of 200 mm to grow lowland rice and 100 mm to grow upland rice respectively. Deep water rice requires one meter height of standing column of water. Rice requires high humidity and high temperature (18–32°C). The critical mean temperature for flowering and fertilization is 16–20°C.
Soil: Though rice can be grown in variety of soils, ideal soil is heavy alluvial soils of river valley and delta. The best is soils with slightly acidic nature 5.5 to 6.5 pH, but rice is commonly grown in soils of 4.5 to 8.5 pH. Rice is also grown in acidic peaty soils of Kerala with pH of 3.0 and
highly alkaline soils of Punjab and Haryana with pH 10.0.
Distribution: Rice is widely distributed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Japan, Australia, USA, Spain, Korea. In India rice is grown in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh etc.
2. Wheat - Wheat is the most important and widely cultivated crop in the world. In occupies a prime position in terms of production. India ranks second in production next to China. In India, wheat is the second most important food crop next to rice.
Origin: Central Asia.
Cultivated species
Common/bread wheat–95% production.
Durum/macaroni/samba wheat–3-4% production.
Emmer wheat–1% production
Indian dwarf wheat–less than 1% production
Distribution: Widely distributed in USSR, China, USA, Switzerland, France, Germany, India etc. In India wheat is grown in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Adaptation: It can be cultivated from sea level to as high as 3,300 m above MSL.
Climate: Cool winter and dry hot summer is required. Wheat requires a rainfall of 40–90 cm.
But high temperature and high humidity are harmful.
Soils: Though grown in wide range of soil, well drained loams and clay loams are better suited.
It is grown in soils with pH above 5.8 and the most suitable pH is 6.5–7.5.
Seasons
Winter wheat: Long duration wheat varieties are grown in this season, which require low temperature during early growth for flowering and fruiting. It is grown from October, November to May, July.
Spring wheat: These varieties do not require low temperature for flowering the fruiting. Normally grown from March, May to August, September.
In India, spring wheat is grown in winter (October, November to March, April). There are two seasons for wheat in hills of Tamil Nadu (i) October–April, and (ii) May–September.
Wheat zones of India
1. North Western plains, 2. North Eastern plains, 3. Central zone, 4. Peninsular zone.
3. Maize - It is a multipurpose cereal, grown in USA, Brazil, China, Mexico, India and Canada. In India it is grown in states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh. It requires a mean temperature of 24°C and night temperature more than 15°C. Summer temperature below 19°C is not suitable. It requires a well distributed rainfall of 50–75 cm. It can be grown from sea level to 3000 m above MSL.
4. Sorghum (Jowar) - It is a cereal crop for food in underdeveloped countries and it is grown in USA, China, Nigeria, Sudan and Argentina. In India, it is grown in states of Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The Temperature requirement is minimum 8 to 10°C, optimum 26-29°C and maximum 35-40°C.
Sorghum can tolerate high temperature throughout its life cycle better than any other cereal crops. Sorghum can tolerate drought condition. Because (a) it remains dormant during moisture
stress and resumes growth when favourable condition reappear, and (b) it possesses (i) high resistance to desiccation, (ii) low transpiration rate, and (iii) largest number of fibrous roots.
5. Chick pea/Bengal gram - It is number one pulse in area, production and economic importance in India. It is grown in India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Burma, Turkey. In India, it is grown in states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Maharastra. It is a winter season crop but severe cold and frost are injurious to it. It requires a moderate rainfall of 60-90 cm.
6. Pigeonpea (arhar) - A pulse crop of India with high demand. It is the second most important pulse crop of India and foremost in Southern India. It is a crop with great resilience and with-stands water stress and association of short duration crops without any considerable adverse effect on yield. It is grown as pure crop, intercrop border crop etc.
7. Groundnut (peanut) - It is an introduced important oilseed crop of India. It is a tropical crop grown in India, China, U.S.A. and Brazil. In India, it is grown in the states of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Punjab. It is grown between 45°N and 30°S latitude with R.F:
370–600 mm, minimum temperature: 14–16°C and optimum temperature : 21–26.5°C.
8. Sunflower - It is also an important oil seed crop of India. It requires a rainfall of 380 mm in summer and 550 mm in sandy loam soils. Sunflower has a heliotropic response. It is grown in U.S.A, Argentina, Romania, Spain, Yugoslovakia, Turkey and former USSR countries. Being thermo and photo insensitive it can be grown throughout the year.
9. Mustard - An oilseed of Indian origin. It is grown in India, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In India, it is grown in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Gujarat. It requires cool climate and rainfall of 35–45 cm.
10. Cotton - It is a fibre crop of commercially important and an industrial crop. It is grown in India, U.S.A, former USSR countries, China, Brazil, Egypt, Pakistan, Mexico, Turkey and Sudan. In India, it is grown in Maharastra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Cotton is a heat loving plant requires a minimum rainfall of 175-200 mm (well distributed). It requires a minimum of 180–200 frost free days.
11. Jute - It is also a fibre crop. It is grown in India, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Brazil, Peru, Burma, Nepal and Vietnam. In India, it is grown in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya and Tripura. It requires an optimum temperature of 25–38°C, rainfall of 150 cm/annum and relative humidity of 55–90%.
12. Tobacco - It is grown in India, China and USA. In India, it is grown in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharastra and Uttar Pradesh. It is a day neutral plant. It requires a rainfall of 500 mm and 90-120 frost free days. The temperature requirement is, minimum temperature 13–14°C, Optimum temperature 27–32°C and maximum temperature 35°C.
13. Sugarcane - It is an important commercial cash crop, grown in India, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan, China, Philippines, Thailand and USA. In India, it is grown in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharastra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. (It is grown in 30°N–30°S latitude) Frost causes injury to sugarcane buds. It requires an annual rainfall of 1250–2500 mm. It is a short day plant, flowering can be photoperiodically controlled.
It requires an optimum temperature of 26–32°C for growth.
14. Potato - Being a crop of temperate crop, requires a cool temperature. Ideal temperature for vegetative growth is 24°C and that for tuberisation is 18-20°C. It is susceptible to frost and requires bright sunny weather. High humidity coupled with cloudy days is injurious to potato because the crop is attacked by fungal diseases (late blight).
15. Sugar beet - It is grown in former USSR countries, USA., France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Czechoslovakia etc. In India, it is grown in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Maharastra. It requires an optimum temperature of 20–22°C and maximum temperature of 30°C and the crop is highly tolerant to frost and cold.
16. Banana - It is grown in India, Taiwan, Equator, Coasto rica, Panama, Mexico, Ivory coast, Columbia and Guatemala. In India, it is grown in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is grown with rain fall of 1800–2500 mm. It requires a minimum temperature of 8–9°C and optimum temperature of 24–29°C.
3.2.5 Factors Governing Choice of Crop and Varieties (i) Climate
(a) Seasons
Kharif season crops: Rice, maize, sorghum, bajra, ragi, minor Millets.
Rabi season crops: Wheat, barley, oats, chickpea, sorghum, potato, safflower, rapeseed and mustard.
Summer season crops: Gingelly, black gram, green gram.
(b) Rainfall
(i) > 30 cm/month for at least 3 months rice
(ii) 20-30 cm/month for not less than 3 months maize/black gram (iii) 10-20 cm/month for at least 3 months bajra, small millets
(iv) Rainfall 5-10 cm/month grasses
(v) < 5 cm Not suited for crop production
(c) Length of crop season
Effective crop growing period cropping system
< 20 weeks Sole crop
20-30 weeks Sole crop + Inter crop
> 30 weeks Two crops in sequence
(ii) Natural resources
(a) Soil - Cropping pattern is governed by rainfall and soil characteristics.
Rainfall (mm) MHC-moisture holding capacity of soil (mm) cropping pattern
<350 – Not suited for crop production
350-650 100 Single crop
650-750 100 Intercropping
750-900 150 Sequential cropping (Relay cropping)
>900 200 Double cropping assured
(b) Irrigation facilities/water - According to water release in the canal it is decided whether single (late release of water) or double crop (early release of water) can be grown in a year. Depending upon the availability of water from river, canal or well source the crops are selected based on
their water requirement. For e.g., the following is the water requirement of some crops; Banana 2000-2200 mm; Rice 1100-1150 mm; Sorghum 400-450 mm; Cotton 550-650 mm.
(iii) Socio-economic aspects of the farmer - Big farmers and rich farmers can purchase inputs like fertilizers, pesticides and apply in time, but poor small and marginal farmers cannot do so.
Education status, knowledge about principles and practices of crop production, technological know-how and skill also plays a major role in crop selection and management.
(iv) Marketing facilities - Mostly marketing facilities are available near the town, cities and agro based processing industries. Farmers prefer a crop, the produce of which will fetch high price in the market. In earlier days sunflower and soybean were grown in limited areas due to lack of processing industry. Now, due to industrial development they are grown in large scale.
(v) Economics - The ultimate objective of commercial farming is to produce more produce per rupee invested. Based on this criteria farmers select the high yielding varieties of maize, sor-ghum, sunflower and hybrid maize, hybrid cotton that produce more yield than local varieties.
Generally farmers are interested to grow the hybrids to get maximum monetary benefits i.e., more income per rupee invested.
3.3 INTENSIVE CROPPING
Definition: Intensive cropping is the process of growing a number of crops on the same piece of land during the given period of time.
Method of intensive cropping - The following methods have been developed to make intensive cropping a success.
3.3.1 Multiple Cropping
Growing two or more crops on the same field in one year. The intensification of cropping is in temporal and spatial dimensions. Double, triple and quadruple cropping refers to growing two, three and four crops respectively, on the same land in a year in sequence.
(a) Sequential cropping - Multiple cropping may be of the following types growing two or more crops in sequence (in succession) on the same field in an year. The succeeding crop is planted after the proceeding crop has been harvested. The crop intensification is only in time dimension.
e.g., Rice-Rice-Cotton, Ragi-Cotton-Sorghum.
(b) Relay cropping - It refers to planting of the succeeding crop before harvesting the preceding crop. e.g., (i) Rice–Black gram (rice fallow pulse), (ii) Rice–Lathyrus, (iii) Rice–Lucerne, (iv) Rice–Berseem and (v) Cotton–Berseem. Here the seeds of black gram, lathyrus, lucerne or berseem are broadcasted in standing rice or cotton crop just before they are ready for harvesting.
Thus the field is never left fallow or there is no gap at all between two successive crops.
(c) Ratoon cropping or ratooning - It refers to raising a crop with regrowth coming out of roots or stalks after harvest of the crop although not necessarily for grain. e.g., Sugarcane, Banana, Sorghum.
(d) Overlapping system of cropping - In this system the crop is harvested in phases and the vacated area is sown by next crop. e.g., forage crops, part of the crop is harvested for feeding to the cattle and vacated area is sown with alternate crops like berseem or lucerne.
3.3.2 Intercropping
Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field. The crop intensification is in both temporal and spatial dimensions. There is intercrop competition all or part of crop growth (as opposed to intercropping, sole cropping is growing one crop alone in pure stand at normal density).