Cropping Systems: Factors Affecting Cropping Systems, Major Cropping Patterns and Systems in India

Introduction

• A cropping system refers to the pattern and sequence of crops grown on a particular piece of land over a period of time, and the interactions between crops, soil, water, and environment.
• It includes not only the crop rotation or cropping pattern but also the management practices, resource use efficiency, and sustainability
• Definition: According to A.R. Khan (1979), a cropping system refers to “the kind and sequence of crops grown and the management techniques used on a given field over a period of years.”

Factors Affecting Cropping Systems

The choice and success of a cropping system in any region are influenced by several natural, economic, social, and technological factors. These factors determine what crops can be grown, when, and how they interact within the system.

i) Climatic Factors

• Rainfall and its distribution: Determines availability of water for crops. Areas with high rainfall favor rice, sugarcane, or jute, while low rainfall areas favor pulses and millets. Distribution of rainfall is more important than total rainfall.
• Temperature: Affects crop growth duration and suitability. E.g., Wheat requires cool temperatures; rice requires warm and humid conditions.
• Solar Radiation: Affects photosynthesis and yield potential. Determines cropping intensity in different regions.
• Relative Humidity and Wind: High humidity favors crops like rice and jute. Wind velocity influences evapotranspiration and lodging in tall crops.

ii) Soil Factors

• Soil Type and Texture: Clayey soils → suitable for paddy. Sandy soils → suitable for groundnut and millets. Loamy soils → ideal for most crops.
• Soil Fertility and Nutrient Status: Highly fertile soils allow nutrient-demanding crops like sugarcane or maize. Poor soils favor legumes to improve fertility.
• Soil Depth and Drainage: Shallow soils → suitable for shallow-rooted crops. Well-drained soils → suitable for most field crops.
• Soil Reaction (pH): Acidic soils restrict crop choice; liming may be needed. Saline and sodic soils require tolerant crops like barley or cotton.

iii) Irrigation and Water Availability

• Access to irrigation water largely determines cropping intensity.
• In irrigated regions → multiple cropping or intercropping possible.
• In rainfed regions → single cropping is common.
• Water source (canal, tube well, rainfall) influences crop choice.

iv) Biological and Technological Factors

• Crop variety and duration: Short-duration crops enable double or triple cropping. Availability of improved and high-yielding varieties increases system efficiency.
• Pest, disease, and weed problems: Some cropping systems encourage pest carry-over; proper rotation helps control them.
• Use of fertilizers and machinery: Efficient use of inputs supports more intensive systems.
• Adoption of new technology: Availability of hybrid seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, and mechanization improves cropping systems.

v) Economic Factors

• Market demand and price: Farmers choose crops based on profitability and market availability. E.g., cotton, sugarcane, and vegetables near processing or urban centers.
• Cost of production and labor availability: Labor-intensive crops (like paddy) depend on local labor availability. Mechanization reduces dependency on manual labor.
• Input availability: Seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides must be accessible for intensive systems.
• Farm size and capital: Large farms adopt diverse or mechanized systems; small farms prefer low-risk crops.

vi) Social and Cultural Factors

• Food habits of people: Influence the cropping system, e.g., rice in southern India, wheat in north India.
• Tradition and experience: Farmers often follow long-established crop combinations suited to their region.
• Religious beliefs: Some crops are grown or avoided due to religious practices.

vii) Ecological and Environmental Factors

• Erosion and land degradation: Crops that protect soil (e.g., legumes, grasses) are chosen in erosion-prone areas.
• Environmental sustainability: Emphasis on eco-friendly systems like organic farming or integrated farming.
• Climate change: Altered rainfall and temperature patterns affect crop suitability and system choice.

viii) Institutional and Policy Factors

• Government policies and subsidies: Minimum Support Price (MSP), irrigation projects, and crop insurance schemes affect decisions.
• Credit and extension support: Access to institutional credit and extension advice promotes diversification.
• Land tenure and ownership: Tenants prefer low-risk crops with short duration, while owners may adopt long-term systems

Definition of Cropping Pattern

• Cropping pattern refers to “the proportion of area under various crops at a particular point of time in a given region.”
  (Singh and Singh, 2002)
• It reflects how farmers allocate their land to different crops in different seasons of the year.

Major Cropping Seasons in India

India has three major cropping seasons based on temperature, rainfall, and cropping calendar:

Major Cropping Patterns in India

The cropping pattern varies regionally depending on climate, irrigation, and soil conditions. The following are major cropping combinations found in India:

i) Rice–Wheat System

• Region: Indo-Gangetic plains (Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal).
• Importance: Occupies around 13 million ha; contributes significantly to national food grain production.
• Features:
  • Intensive use of land and water.
  • High fertilizer and irrigation use.
  • Challenges: declining soil fertility, water table depletion, pest resistance.

ii) Maize–Wheat System

• Region: Hilly and mid-altitude regions — Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir.
• Features:
  • Suited for medium rainfall areas.
  • Balanced cereal-based system.

iii) Cotton–Wheat System

• Region: Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh.
• Features:
  • Provides both fiber and food grains.
  • Cotton improves soil aeration; wheat benefits from residual fertility.

iv) Sorghum (Jowar)–Pulse System

• Region: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana.
• Features:
  • Commonly intercropped with pigeon pea, green gram, or black gram.
  • Enhances nitrogen fixation and soil fertility.

v) Pearl Millet–Mustard System

• Region: Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat.
• Features:
  • Well adapted to semi-arid and arid conditions.
  • Low water requirement; good for dryland farming.

vi) Groundnut–Wheat or Groundnut–Ragi System

• Region: Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu.
• Features:
  • Legume-cereal sequence enhances soil fertility.
  • Groundnut fixes nitrogen, benefiting the succeeding crop.

vii) Rice–Pulse (Green gram/Black gram) System

• Region: Southern and Eastern India.
• Features:
  • Utilizes residual soil moisture and fertility after rice.
  • Improves soil health and provides protein-rich food.

viii) Sugarcane–Wheat System

• Region: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar.
• Features:
  • Long-duration cash crop (sugarcane) followed by wheat.
  • Provides higher income but requires good irrigation facilities.

ix) Maize–Potato–Onion/Vegetable System

• Region: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, and West Bengal.
• Features:
  • Highly remunerative system.
  • Intensive use of land, water, and fertilizer.

x) Rice–Rice System

• Region: Coastal and deltaic regions of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala.
• Features:
  • Common in high rainfall and irrigated zones.
  • Challenges include iron toxicity and nutrient depletion.

Major Cropping Systems in India; Cropping systems are combinations and sequences of crops that make the best use of resources, climate, and soil fertility. The major types include:

i) Monocropping (Single Cropping)

• Growing the same crop year after year on the same land.
• Example: Rice–Rice system in coastal regions.
• Advantages: Easy management, specialization.
• Disadvantages: Soil nutrient depletion, pest buildup, lower sustainability.

ii) Multiple Cropping

• Growing two or more crops on the same land in one year.
• Types:
  1. Double Cropping: Two crops grown sequentially (e.g., Rice–Wheat).
  2. Triple Cropping: Three crops grown in sequence (e.g., Maize–Potato–Mungbean).
  3. Relay Cropping: Succeeding crop sown before the preceding one is harvested (e.g., Urdbean in standing rice).
  4. Intercropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field (e.g., Maize + Cowpea).

iii) Crop Rotation

• The orderly succession of different crops on the same land to improve soil fertility and productivity.
• Example: Rice → Wheat → Green gram.

Benefits:

• Maintains soil fertility.
• Reduces pest and disease incidence.
• Efficient use of nutrients and moisture.

iv) Mixed Cropping

• Growing two or more crops together on the same land without a fixed row arrangement.
• Example: Sorghum + Pigeon pea, Maize + Cowpea.
• Objective: Risk minimization, especially under rainfed conditions.

v) Intercropping

• Growing two or more crops simultaneously in definite row arrangements.
• Example: Maize + Soybean, Sugarcane + Onion.
• Advantage: Better resource utilization, income diversification, weed suppression.