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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ineffective extension/inputs services and a high incidence of floods over large areas. ACR III—Lower Gangetic Plain Region (West Bengal): West Bengal has maintained a very vigorous rate of growth of rice in productivity (+1.9%), production (+2.8%) and area (0.8%) over the period 1991–95 (Fig. 15). A small increase in area emphasizes the near saturation position in the case of traditional rice growing regions. High productivity indicates that the tempo of high input-use and improved cropgrowing techniques are being adopted on a wide-scale and are percolating down to small and marginal farmers somewhat similar to what has been witnessed in the Trans- Gangetic Plain Region. 30 Adjoining Non-IGP Western Himalayas and Himachal Pradesh Region: Table 2 and figure 16 show that during the period 1991–95, even though the rice productivity has sustained a steady positive growth rate (+0.9%), the growth rate of area has declined sharply (-1.1%). When compared with corresponding growth rates of 1981–90, the slippage in area seems quite substantial. It may be due to the inability of farmers to maintain soil productivity (to apply the necessary inputs) and the absence of a vigorous procurement program at remunerative prices, as is available in the Punjab and Haryana states. Adjoining Non-IGP Eastern Plateau and Hill Region of Bihar: Rice has shown decline in area, productivity and production in the 1990s (Fig. 17 and Table 2). Lack of appropriate backup in higher use of appropriate inputs at balanced rates seems to be the primary factor for the decline as also observed in ACR IV and Western Himalayas and Himachal Pradesh Region. Therefore, technical interventions coupled with concerted efforts for increased inputs, probably, seem pertinent to reverse the trends. Wheat ACR VI—Trans-Gangetic Plain Region (Punjab and Haryana): As for rice, a
healthy growth rate of 2.0% in productivity was maintained in the 1990s with a nominal increase in area growth rate of 0.3% (Fig. 18 and Table 2). The area under wheat already exceeds 80–85% of the net shown area (Figs. 18, 19 and 20). It is a rather impressive statistic and is due to several factors, chief amongst these are: improvements and extension of irrigation facilities to new areas, particularly in Punjab, easy availability of inputs and their liberal use supported by an able and vigorous extension of knowledge on better farming practices, credit, infrastructure and, above all, the assured procurement of every grain of the produce by the Government agencies. The scenario emerging from a study of time trends once again confirms that productivity and hence production growth rates are being healthily sustained, individually both for wheat and rice, over both the component states of Punjab and Haryana. Hence, the generally expressed fears that RWCS leads to fast depletion of soil productivity or could be too wastefully exploitive of the available water resources are not borne out, under these liberally fertilized crop conditions. ACR V—Upper Gangetic Plain Region (Bhabhar and Tarai, and Western and Central Uttar Pradesh): Like in the Trans- Gangetic Plain Region VI, the trend of growth in productivity is positive and 31
Page 1 and 2: Rice-Wheat Cropping Systems of the
Page 3: Of late, concerns have been express
Page 6 and 7: 6 Table 1. Modified agroclimatic zo
Page 8 and 9: preparatory tillage, puddling and t
Page 10 and 11: a minimal area of rice (confined to
Page 12: However, unambiguous rice area data
Page 22 and 23: incompletely filled grains. Seed da
Page 24 and 25: The fourth band of high rice produc
Page 26 and 27: large-scale migration of able-bodie
Page 28 and 29: The compound rate of growth (Table
Page 32 and 33: encouraging and the ‘Wheat Green
Page 34: esides contributing to intense air
Page 37: Acknowledgements The authors would

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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?