#50: GS3 | Major Crops and Cropping Patterns

GS3: Major Crops and Cropping Patterns

This blog post is a guest contribution by my brother @Conquerias24 who’s a Post Graduate in Economics from Madras School of Economics.

Major crops are compiled at the end of this blog

Cropping Pattern (Definition)

- Spatial representation of the crop rotations -OR-
- List of crops that are being produced in an area and their sequence in time
- It helps in the production of more grains in a year

Types of Cropping Patterns

▪️ Mono cropping
▪️ Mixed Cropping
▪️ Crop rotation
▪️ Intercropping
- Row
- Strip
- Mixed
- Relay

Let's understand these in detail

Mono cropping

- Growing one crop at a time
- Reduces soil fertility and destroys its structure
- High chance of pests & diseases
- High input of fertilizers

Mixed Cropping

- 2+ crops grown simultaneously in same land
- Both crops to have diff maturation and water need
- Minimizes the risk of crop failure

Crop rotation

- Increase crop yields
- Prevents soil erosion
- Improves soil structure
- Better nitrogen utilization
- Very often, leguminous crops are used to enhance soil fertility
- Different crops grown on an equivalent land in pre-planned succession

Intercropping

- Higher income
- Enhanced productivity
- Efficient use of resources
- 2+ crops cultivated concurrently or in proximity
- 4 types (explained in the image below)

To remove your confusion, here's a comparison:

Factors Impacting the Cropping Patterns

1. Physical factors 
   a) Type of soil 
   b) Type of climate
   c) Availability of Rainfall & Irrigation

2. Economic Factors

   a) Market price of crops
   b) Farm size
   c) Insurance against risk of crop failure
   d) Availability of quality inputs
   e) Government policies like MSP & Green Revolution - Led to skewed cropping pattern in North India

3. Availability of infrastructure

   a) Irrigation
   b) Transport
   c) Warehousing & storage
   d) Upstream and Downstream linkages
   e) Marketing of Agri commodities

4. Social factors 

   a) Food habits
   b) Staple food etc.

Major Issues with Current Crop Patterns

1. Monocropping
2. Low productivity
3. Low tech use -> Low productivity
4. Fragmented landholdings -> more small/marginal farmers
5. Loss of biodiversity via use of chemicals
6. Forest loss as more land comes u/ agri
7. Water Intensive crops promoted by policies like Subsidies and MSP
8. Unsustainable practices in trend (like high use of water & fertilizers)
9. Majority of farmers engaged in subsistence agriculture (which is low income)

Way Forward

- Crop diversification
- Increase horticulture
- Integrated Farming System
- Multiple cropping + crop rotation
- Implement innovative land reforms
- Shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture
- Adopt newer technology to boost productivity
- Explore newer methods like organic and natural farming

Click here to find PDF of Major crops

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