Rice-Wheat Cropping Systems of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of India

March. Thirdly, in districts with
comparatively deficient soil moisture
availability, such as Gurgaon and Faridabad,
a sizeable area is sown to barley, oilseeds
(canola and mustard) and chickpea crops.
Besides, the fodder crop of berseem
(Trifolium alexandrinum), raised for dairy
cattle, also accounts for appreciable area all
over Haryana. Even then, the wheat area
is higher than the area devoted to rice in
this region, to the extent of almost oneand-a-half
times.
Agroclimatic Region V: Upper Gangetic
Plain Region (Uttar Pradesh)
ACZ B1, B2, B3 and B4—Western Plain,
Bhabar and Tarai, Mid-Western Plain,
Central Plain and South-Western Semi-
Arid Zones of Uttar Pradesh: After the
Trans-Gangetic Plain Region,
agroclimatically, the Upper-Gangetic Plains
Region, forms the most natural wheatgrowing
area of India. This region, like the
former, besides receiving ample winter rains
(80–100 mm), also enjoys abundant
irrigation water availability. It has deep,
well-drained alluvial fertile soils. The region
has a well-developed infrastructure; like
rail, roads, transport, communications,
electricity, a vast network of canal and
tubewell-based irrigation systems, and an
easy access to markets. Fertilizers and other
inputs, a fairly high level of agro-technology
and credit are readily available.
The density of wheat, though quite
high is comparatively less than in the Trans-
Gangetic Plains. The density of wheat area
is high around Tarai in B2, the Western
(B1), Mid-Western (B2) and adjoining
districts of South-Western Semi-Arid Zone
(B4). It tends to be less in the Bhabar
Plains Tract and thins out further in lower
districts of dry zone B3, obviously due to
the water availability constraint.
In Western Uttar Pradesh, and in
Tarai regions the main competition to wheat
comes from sugarcane, while in the dry
zone, low water requiring crops like canola
and mustard, winter legumes such as
chickpea, mixed crops, etc. are cultivated
during rabi.
The cultivation of wheat though quite
widespread in the Central Plain Zone (B3),
tends to be comparatively less than that in
ACZs B1, B2 and B4. This is primarily due
to water availability constraint. The canal
irrigation is not vastly developed nor is
tubewell irrigation widespread in this zone.
The north-west monsoon rains also taper off,
thereby, leaving overall a net deficit water
balance. Secondly, large-scale cultivation
of long-duration pigeonpea in this zone
prevents planting of wheat in time.
Therefore, wheat area thins out
considerably in the Central Plain Zone (B3)
in comparison to that observed in ACZs B1
and B2.
Agroclimatic Region IV: Middle
Gangetic Plain Region (Eastern
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar)
Sizeable area of wheat is observed in the
Middle-Gangetic Plains Region, as well.
But this is largley concentrated in eastern
Uttar Pradesh. The density of wheat
cultivation tends to thin out from the west
to the east of the region. The state of
Bihar, though showing sizeable area under
wheat, has a comparatively thinner spread
of area in the north-eastern and southern
flanks. Agroclimatically, the Bihar IGP
region has mild winters and, therefore, has
a rather shorter wheat-growing span. In
fact, the growing season of wheat tends to
be shorter by almost 30–35 days as
compared with that of the Trans-Gangetic/
Western Uttar Pradesh regions. The abrupt
rise of temperatures in spring which often
causes terminal heat stress, further curtails
the growing period. This enforced maturity
results in imperfectly developed or
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