{"id":10318,"date":"2024-08-13T11:31:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T11:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/?p=10318"},"modified":"2024-08-13T11:37:52","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T11:37:52","slug":"cropping-intensity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/","title":{"rendered":"Cropping Intensity: Meaning, Methods, Spatial Pattern &amp; More"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em><strong>Cropping Intensity in India<\/strong> measures the number of crops grown on the same field within a single agricultural year, reflecting the efficiency of land use. It helps in assessing agricultural productivity and identifying areas where improvements can be made to meet the increasing demand for food. This article aims to study in detail the factors influencing cropping intensity, regional variations, and methods to enhance it for sustainable agricultural growth.<\/em><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_56_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/#What_is_Cropping_Intensity\" title=\"What is Cropping Intensity?\">What is Cropping Intensity?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/#Factors_Influencing_Cropping_Intensity_in_India\" title=\"Factors Influencing Cropping Intensity in India\">Factors Influencing Cropping Intensity in India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/#Methods_to_Increase_Cropping_Intensity\" title=\"Methods to Increase Cropping Intensity\">Methods to Increase Cropping Intensity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/#Spatial_Pattern_of_Cropping_Intensity\" title=\"Spatial Pattern of Cropping Intensity\">Spatial Pattern of Cropping Intensity<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/#Region_I\" title=\"Region I\">Region I<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/#Region_II\" title=\"Region II\">Region II<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/#Region_III\" title=\"Region III\">Region III<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/#Region_IV\" title=\"Region IV\">Region IV<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs\" title=\"Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)\">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cropping-intensity\/#What_is_Cropping_Intensity-2\" title=\"What is Cropping Intensity?\">What is Cropping Intensity?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ab8b487a6cd864771b7784d34a22c9d9\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Cropping_Intensity\"><\/span><strong>What is Cropping Intensity?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It refers to raising the <strong>number of crops<\/strong> from the same field during one agricultural year. It can be expressed through a<strong> Cropping Intensity formula:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Cropping Intensity = Gross Cropped Area\/Net Sown Area x 100<\/strong><strong>.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>gross sown area<\/strong> is the cumulative area (sown more than once) cultivated within a year by various crops.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For example, if a farmer has 100 ha of land and, in the <strong>Kharif <\/strong>season, he cultivates 90 ha of area, 40 ha in <strong>Rabi<\/strong>, and 20 ha in <strong>Zaid<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thus, <strong>Gross sown area = 150 acres,<\/strong> which means that the farmer utilised the total cultivated land 1.5 times or 150%, which is termed the cropping intensity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India has the<strong> largest cultivated land<\/strong> in the world, but the potential to increase the total cultivable area is low.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, the <strong>demand for food and industrial crops<\/strong> has been ever-increasing.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Thus, the only method to increase output is to increase <strong>cropping intensity.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5ec9668a18384596ea7b4df1a84c3804\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Factors_Influencing_Cropping_Intensity_in_India\"><\/span><strong>Factors Influencing Cropping Intensity in India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are 5 derivations for it which have been discussed in the following section:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is <strong>directly proportional<\/strong> to the use of modern inputs and technology.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It tends to be higher where<strong> labour-intensive farming<\/strong> is found.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For example, <strong>West Bengal and Bihar<\/strong> have higher Cropping Intensities because of high labour supplies and unemployed people working on land for livelihood.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Subsistence farming<\/strong> has higher <strong>crop diversity<\/strong> along with intensity.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>E.g., <strong>Northern Bihar, Eastern UP, Malabar west.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>climatic control <\/strong>on intensity is also palpable.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For example, in <strong>wet areas, <\/strong>intensity is higher.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the rich<strong> alluvial soil regions<\/strong> with higher<strong> land capability, <\/strong>it can be varied as follows:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>River valleys<\/strong> and <strong>deltas <\/strong>have high intensity due to water and soil fertility assurance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High population density<\/strong> regions have high intensity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Regions with a <strong>high land-man ratio<\/strong> have low Cropping Intensities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Government policies<\/strong> related to <strong>subsidies and infrastructure facilities<\/strong> also determine cropping intensities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td>State<\/td><td>Cropping Intensity<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Punjab<\/td><td>196%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Haryana<\/td><td>188%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>West Uttar Pradesh<\/td><td>174-175%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tamil Nadu<\/td><td>174-175%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>West Bengal<\/td><td>170%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bihar<\/td><td>165%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b9fb454a337645ea0f0339bb83bdaca6\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Methods_to_Increase_Cropping_Intensity\"><\/span><strong>Methods to Increase Cropping Intensity<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Following are the methods or inputs that are implemented for increasing the <strong>intensity <\/strong>of a region:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Irrigation facilities.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>HYV <\/strong>of crops which have a short growth period.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cropping methods <\/strong>like relief farming, mixed farming, and strip cropping.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use of modern inputs like <strong>chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and weedicides.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Farm mechanisation.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Conservation methods<\/strong> \u2013 soil or water conservation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Commercialisation <\/strong>in trade and <strong>capitalistic farming.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>An increase in <strong>cropping intensity<\/strong> would give farmers more <strong>cash\/buying power,<\/strong> enabling them to cultivate more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-68cfd8ffb2281b64d9a8c3d1a61df8cd\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Spatial_Pattern_of_Cropping_Intensity\"><\/span><strong>Spatial Pattern of Cropping Intensity<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>India can be divided into <strong>four regions\/zones<\/strong> based on the <strong>intensity<\/strong>. The different zones shown in the table are discussed below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Region<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Cropping Intensity<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>CroppingIntensityIndex<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>I<\/td><td>Very high Cropping Intensity<\/td><td>&gt;175<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>II<\/td><td>High Cropping Intensity<\/td><td>150-175<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>III<\/td><td>Moderate Cropping Intensity<\/td><td>125-150<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>IV<\/td><td>Low Cropping Intensity<\/td><td>&lt;125<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fa6b378fc7eeffd86d0c580df073f165\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Region_I\"><\/span><strong>Region I<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This region has the highest <strong>Cropping intensity.<\/strong> It includes the states of <strong>Punjab, Haryana, and West Bengal.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The<strong> Punjab and Haryana plains are sub-humid alluvial regions <\/strong>with <strong>good alluvial soil<\/strong> and moderate to high<strong> land capability.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After the <strong>Green Revolution,<\/strong> the use of <strong>modern inputs, technology,<\/strong> and <strong>irrigation facilities increased considerably.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The area has developed <strong>rural infrastructure, command area development, government incentives and finance, capitalistic farming, <\/strong>and larger<strong> land holdings <\/strong>with <strong>farm mechanisation.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This region has diversified its <strong>cropping pattern from wheat monoculture,<\/strong> and in addition to wheat, <strong>rice, cotton, sugarcane, oilseeds, and grams<\/strong> are also cultivated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Productivity, agricultural output, per-capita yield, and per-capita money income<\/strong> from land are very high.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-eedc959e4a0d1cba8fa2acf814f33a2c\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Region_II\"><\/span><strong>Region II<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This region has a high <strong>Cropping Intensity <\/strong>but lower than <strong>Region I.<\/strong> It includes the areas of <strong>UP, Bihar, Assam, Kerala,<\/strong> and<strong> Tamil Nadu.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These regions have <strong>humid climatic conditions<\/strong> with <strong>good fertile soil, <\/strong>which makes the <strong>land capability high.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This area comes under<strong> land class I, <\/strong>which can be cultivated <strong>three times a year<\/strong> without the land fertility deteriorating.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hydrology supports agriculture<\/strong> throughout the year, with soil renewal almost every year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Partial use of <strong>modern inputs and technology<\/strong> and partial <strong>mechanisation <\/strong>have made agriculture in the region sustainable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>carrying capacity of land<\/strong> is very high; however, productivity is less as compared to Tamil Nadu and Punjab due to <strong>social factors, <\/strong>which include <strong>high population density,<\/strong> low<strong> land-to-man ratio, and subsistence farming,<\/strong> which has resulted in high intensity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>major crops are rice, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, and maize.<\/strong> Due to agriculture&#8217;s subsistence nature, there is greater <strong>diversification<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f3257302a827569961ffb2706a3f28a0\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Region_III\"><\/span><strong>Region III<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This region has<strong> moderate Cropping Intensity.<\/strong> It includes the areas of <strong>Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These regions have <strong>sub-humid to semi-arid climatic conditions. <\/strong>The <strong>soil capability<\/strong> is moderate, and after <strong>irrigation<\/strong>, it can provide greater yield.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>land-to-man ratio<\/strong> is moderate to high, and the<strong> land&#8217;s carrying capacity<\/strong> is low.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There is a need to expand <strong>dry-land agriculture.<\/strong> Major crops grown are <strong>millets, groundnuts, tobacco, and oilseeds.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In areas where<strong> irrigation is possible,<\/strong> i.e., river valleys and deltas, the <strong>Cropping Intensity<\/strong> is 190%, e.g., <strong>Krishna Godavari delta, tube well-irrigated region<\/strong> of Maharashtra, and <strong>Kaveri basin<\/strong> of Karnataka.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-67f40345aeb868ab3fba5ca6240a73e5\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Region_IV\"><\/span><strong>Region IV<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This region has <strong>low Cropping Intensity. <\/strong>It includes the areas of <strong>Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan,<\/strong> the <strong>North Eastern States, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, and Jharkhand.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These states have <strong>physiographic or climatic constraints.<\/strong> They exhibit <strong>highly diversified cropping patterns.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Socio-economic factors<\/strong> like<strong> tribal economies and environmental hazards<\/strong> such as <strong>landslides, excessive rainfall, and cloud bursts <\/strong>are key constraints in the region&#8217;s agriculture development.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Productivity <\/strong>is low in these states. The <strong>per-capita agricultural labour output and the total money value earned from agriculture<\/strong> are low.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The p<strong>er-hectare yield<\/strong> of the region is <strong>moderate to poor.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d0adc4bd9eb2e9b9b187dc32f0e06642\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cropping intensity serves as a vital measure of agricultural productivity, indicating how effectively land resources are utilised throughout the year. The varying levels of cropping intensity across different regions of India reflect a complex interplay of factors, including climate, soil fertility, technology, and socio-economic conditions. By addressing the regional disparities and implementing appropriate methods to enhance cropping intensity, India can better meet its agricultural needs and achieve sustainable growth in food production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-618812723183593a2c916a1fd5800128\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs\"><\/span><strong>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1723545911267\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Cropping_Intensity-2\"><\/span><strong>What is Cropping Intensity?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p><strong>Cropping intensity<\/strong> refers to the number of times crops are grown and harvested in a given area of land within a year.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cropping Intensity in India measures the number of crops grown on the same field within a single agricultural year,..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":10330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,832],"tags":[73],"class_list":["post-10318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-geography","category-indian-geography","tag-gs-1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10318"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10333,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10318\/revisions\/10333"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}