Reprint - Central Arid Zone Research Institute

55 Sastri, A.S.R.A.S., Ramana Rao, B.V., Ramakrishna, Y.S. andRao, G.G.S.N. (1982 )Agricultural droughts and crop production in the Indian arid zone.Archives for Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology, Series B. 31:405-411Based on a rational approach, agricultural droughts were studied forthe period 1901-75 for 5 selected regions in the Indian arid regionusing the AE/PE values during different phenophases. Theproductivity of pearl millet and kharif pulses crops, the two majorrainfed crops in this region, was assessed under differentagricultural drought situations.56 Sen, A.K. (1972)Agro-climatic regions of Rajasthan. Annals of Arid Zone. 11: 31-40The paper aims at classifying and mapping agro-climatic regions ofRajasthan. To find out the indices of quantitative relation betweenagriculture production and climate of Rajasthan three methodsdealing with the study of the climatic elements, availability of waterat various levels and present cropping pattern, respectively, werestudied and different indices for agro-climatic zonation forRajasthan were worked out. By faithful correlation of these indicesthe state has been divided and mapped into five macro and tenmicro agro-climatic regions. Each region is homogenous with its ownclimatic and agricultural peculiarities.57 Sen, A.K. and Gupta, K.N. (1982)Agro-ecological regions of western Rajasthan. Journal of AridEnvironments. 5: 221-234This work aims at classifying and mapping the agro-ecologicalregions of western Rajasthan. The quantitative relationship betweenagricultural characteristics and environmental factors in the aridzone were determined by close examination of three variables: (i)topoclimatology including local climate, topography, drainage,ground water and soils; (ii) cropping patterns including thedelineation of the area of one crop or a related group of crops; (iii)agrodemography. These variables have been used to generate avariety of indices which, in turn, have formed the basis ofsubdivision of the area into agro-ecological zones. Based on therelationships between these indices, the region has been mappedinto two macro-and four micro-agro-ecological units. These mappingunits are of homogeneous agricultural fitness. Finally, thecharacteristics and agricultural peculiarities of the regions (reflectedby topoclimatology including soil, ground water cropping pattern,