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

amalgamated into one larger zone to give
17 ACZs, in all. The 17 rice-wheat (RW)
growing ACZs, have been designated as
(A1, A2,…F1 as depicted in Fig. 2b). The
zone-names have been detailed in Table 1.
The modified ACZs formulated have thus
been used for detailed meso-analysis of ricewheat-growing
areas (RWGA) of the IGP.
Numbering of zones has been done from the
most productive to the least productive
zone, in each region, in the descending
order.
Again, because sizeable scatter of rice
and wheat areas is observed in certain
tracts adjacent to the IGP, even though
they do not strictly form part of the IGP,
the regions E1 and E2 of the Western
Himalayan ACR of Himachal Pradesh, and
E3, the Kumaon and Garhwal Hills of Uttar
Pradesh and F1 comprising Santhal Pargana
and Singhbhum regions of Bihar, have also
been included in this analysis. However,
due to lack of data, an important RWGA
district Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, could
not be included in this analysis.
The information relating to zonecharacterization
is largely based on
information provided by Ghosh (1991) and
Basu and Guha (1996).
Distribution of Rice and
Wheat in the IGP
The data on rice area refer to the 5-year
mean for 1991–95 (Fig. 3). However, wheat
area data are averaged over four years,
1991–94, as data for a number of newly
formed districts could not be obtained
(Fig. 4).
Meso-analysis for Rice
Agroclimatic Region VI: Trans-
Gangetic Plain Region (Punjab and
Haryana)
ACZ A1—Central Plain Zone: This zone
comprises the central plain districts of
Punjab state, and out of all the RWCA of
the IGP, it shows the maximum
concentration of rice (Fig. 3).
Agroclimatologically, this zone falls in the
low rainfall zone of 400–800 mm. But this
zone has the unique advantage of enjoying
the highest irrigation intensity in the
country, with more than 94% of net area
sown being irrigated through a network of
perennial canals (Bist-Doab Canal, Upper
Bari-Doab Canal, Sirhind Canal and the
Bakhra Canal Systems) and nearly 0.8
million tubewells. Groundwater reserves are
being fully exploited with the result that
this area is showing a sharp decline in
groundwater-table, averaging 20 cm per
annum (Narang and Gill 1994). But at
places the rate of water-table decline is as
high as 100 cm per annum or even more;
with the consequence that sustainability of
rice cultivation is at risk. In spite of this,
an increase in rice area has continued
because stable high yield of rice is
harvested with a liberal use of fertilizers
(120–150 kg N/ha or more), overall
congenial growing conditions (bright
sunshine duration of 13–14 hrs or more)
during most of the active growth period of
rice and a continuous replenishment of
irrigation water. Although costly, operating
an additional diesel pump over and above
the electric pumps, along with availability of
canal water, makes rice the most
productive, and the only crop choice for
farmers during the kharif (rainy season)
season.
The farmers grow rice on light sandy
loam/loam textured soils found on more
than half of this zone. It requires 1500 mm
of irrigation water applied over 100–110 day
active crop growing phase besides the 330
mm average normal effective rain received
during the growing season (Narang and
Gulati 1992). The water application consists
of scheduling 20–25 cm water at land
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