Course Content
Crop Production (Unit 6)
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ASRB NET / SRF / Ph.D. Agronomy
Crop Planning and Contingency Planning in Agriculture

Crop Planning – Concept

Definition: Crop planning is the systematic scheduling of crops and cropping patterns to optimize production, efficiently use resources (land, water, labor), and reduce risk, especially in rainfed and dryland agriculture.

Objectives:

  • Maximize yield and income from available land.
  • Efficient use of water, nutrients, and labor.
  • Minimize risk due to drought, floods, or crop failure.
  • Ensure sustainability and soil fertility maintenance.

 

Key Considerations for Crop Planning:

  • Agro-Climatic Conditions: Rainfall, temperature, humidity, growing season length.
  • Soil Type & Fertility: Matching crops to suitable soils.
  • Water Availability: Irrigation facilities or rainfed conditions.
  • Cropping Systems: Single, multiple, intercropping, or rotational crops.
  • Market Demand & Economics: Profitability and marketability of crops.
  • Farm Resources: Labor, machinery, seeds, fertilizers.
  • Pest & Disease Incidence: Crop rotation to reduce pest/disease buildup.

 

Steps in Crop Planning

  • Assessment of Agro-Climatic Conditions; Rainfall: Amount, distribution, and variability. Length of Growing Season (LGS). Temperature range and frost risk.
  • Selection of Crops & Varieties; Drought-tolerant crops in drylands (millets, sorghum, chickpea). Early-maturing or short-duration crops for areas with uncertain rainfall.
  • Determination of Cropping Pattern; Based on rainfall, soil type, and risk of drought/flood.
    • Example:
      • Arid (<500 mm): Millets, pulses, oilseeds.
      • Semi-arid (500–1000 mm): Sorghum, chickpea, sunflower.
      • Sub-humid (1000–1150 mm): Maize, soybean, groundnut, cotton.
  • Scheduling Sowing and Harvesting; Early sowing to utilize onset of rains. Harvesting timed to avoid drought, frost, or floods.
  • Resource Allocation; Efficient use of fertilizers, irrigation, labor, and machinery.

 

Contingency Crop Planning

Definition: Contingency planning is the preparation for alternative crops or practices in case of rainfall failure, drought, floods, or other adverse conditions.

Key Elements:

  • Alternate Crops: Keep drought-tolerant or short-duration crops as alternatives. Example: If monsoon is delayed → sow short-duration millet instead of long-duration maize.
  • Flexibility in Sowing Dates: Adjust sowing based on monsoon onset or early/late rainfall predictions.
  • Moisture Conservation Practices: Fallowing, mulching, contour bunding to retain water for contingency crops.
  • Diversified Cropping System: Intercropping or mixed cropping reduces risk of total crop failure. Example: Sorghum + Pigeon pea, Maize + Cowpea.
  • Emergency Measures: Supplemental irrigation if possible. Re-sowing or gap filling after crop failure.

 

Importance in Dryland Agriculture

  • Dryland farming is highly rainfall-dependent and risky.
  • Contingency planning ensures food security, income stability, and resource efficiency.
  • Helps in minimizing drought and climate risk.

Fact:

  • ~55% of India’s cultivated area is rainfed; contingency planning is crucial to mitigate crop failure risks.
  • ICAR-CRIDA develops crop planning models for semi-arid tropics (SAT), including contingency schedules.

 

Example – Contingency Crop Planning Table for Semi-Arid Region

Scenario

Normal Crop

Contingency Crop / Measure

Timely monsoon

Sorghum, Groundnut

Standard sowing

Delayed monsoon (>2 weeks)

Maize, Chickpea

Short-duration millet, early sowing

Rainfall deficit (<75% of normal)

Sorghum

Drought-tolerant varieties, mulching

Post-monsoon excess moisture

Pulses, Oilseeds

Improved drainage, select tolerant crops

 

Quick Facts

  • Crop planning reduces yield gaps in rainfed agriculture.
  • Contingency crops ensure minimum income during erratic monsoon years.
  • Dryland crops: millets, pulses, oilseeds → backbone of contingency planning.
  • LGS + rainfall prediction → key criteria for contingency crop selection.

 

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