1

SEMINAR ON

For sustainable agriculture

Speaker:
KA DAM SHI VAJ I
BALA BHI M
M.Sc (Agri.) student
Reg. No. 03M/07A

Research Guide Seminar Incharge

Dr.A.S. Karle Dr.A.S.JADHAV
Department Of Agronomy
College of Agriculture
PARBHANI. 2
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INDI AN AG RICULTU RE
SCENA RIO
Net Cul tiva ted Ar ea : 141 m ha
Irr ig at ed Area : 56 m ha
(40 %)
Ra infed/ Dr yla nd Ar ea : 85 m ha
(60 %) TOTAL FOOD GRAIN
PRODUCTION
(219 m tonnes)

KHARIF( Area:74 m ha) RABI (Area: 50 m ha)

116 million tonnes 103 million tonnes
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 RAINFED FARMING AREA IN INDIA – (85 m ha)
(68.5 m ha fully rainfed & 18.0 m ha partial rainfed)
Regions States % Rainfed area
(range)
Cold arid Jammu & Kashmir, 60-81
Northern Uttaranchal and
States Himachal Pradesh,
States Arid Rajasthan, Gujarat 66-68
Western
Semi arid to Madhya Pradesh, 76-82
arid Central & Maharashtra,
Southern Andhra Pradesh,
States Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu
Sub humid to Eastern Uttar 33-73
humid Eastern Pradesh, Bihar,
States Jharkhand, Orissa, 5 5
West Bengal
CONCEPT OF CROP DIVERSIFICATION
A shift of a crop or cropping system to
another crop or cropping system.
Use of resources in best possible way by
changing and modifying the degree, trend
and time options of crop/cropping
activities.
A shift from less profitable and
sustainable crop or cropping system to
more profitable and sustainable
crop/cropping system.
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NEED OF CROP DIVERSIFICATION
Crop diversification has become
an important option to attain
several objectives Viz.
 Natural resources sustainability
 Ecological balance,
 Output growth,
 Buffer stocks,
 Employment generation,
 Risk coverage : Mono cropping
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high risk, etc.
 Thus, the necessity for crop diversification
arises on account of the need for-

Reducing risks associated with yield, market

and prices,
Arresting the degradation of natural
resources and environment and
Attaining the national goals like self-reliance
in critical crop products, earning foreign
exchange and employment generation.

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DETERMINANTS OF CROP DIVERSIFICATION
Number of factors governs nature and
speed of crop diversification.
 Resource endowments:
● Agro climatic conditions
● Soil
● Labour
● Facility of irrigation
 Technological factors
 House hold factors
 Institutional and infrastructural factors
 Price factors
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 The important facts highlighting the
need of crop diversification in India:

For raising farm income.

Sustainable production and income.
Food and nutrient security.
Promotion of export.
Employment generation.
Poverty alleviation.
Judicious use of land and water
resources.
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Priorities for crop diversification in India
1) Changing of resource use efficiency
parameters.
2) Crop rotation effect.
3) Incorporation of crops and technologies.
4) Research on actual farm environment
through farmer participatory mode.
5) Assurance against the risk to farmers
under changing weather and sharp
fluctuation in prices.
6) National issues like nutritional and food
security. 11
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 The important crop diversification
approaches in rainfed areas of India

Crop diversification under assured

irrigation situations.

Crop diversification under water

scarce conditions.

Crop diversification for nutrient

management.
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REQUIRED STEPS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

Crop Diversification
Delineate area : Scientific data base priorities and
target the area.
Choice of alternative crops and technology.
Priority Input / credit supply for alternative crops.
Share the risk of new system.
Market support - Rural uplinking.

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Table 1: Issues and functions provided by diversification
in dryland regions.
Issues Functions provided by diversification
Productivity Increased yield, reduce intra seasonal
and stability variation and improved stability through
diverse components viz., crop, tree, plant
and animal.
High risk and Risk and cost minimization through yield and
high cost income from annual and perennial mixtures.
Unabated Minimization of kinds, effect and extent of
land land degradation by appropriate land care
degradation through alternate land use system.
Inadequate Staggered employment round the year.
employment
Low High components income generation from
profitability various area.
Poor energy Energy efficient implements.
management
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RAU, (Bikaner) Hegde et al., (2003) 14
 Key determining factors:
Farmers Angle
 Profit margin of new system

 Availability of market for produce

 Ease of operation / cultivation /

storage
 Risk factor / technology available

 Other compelling reasons to shift for a

new system

 Incentive, if any.
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Over all strategies for crop diversification
Diversion of high water requiring crops to
less water intensive crops.
Diversion of cotton to pulses, oilseeds and
maize in light textured and shallow soils.
Replacement of low yielding low value
coarse cereals to high yielding high value
crops like pulses.
Inter cropping or mixed cropping be
promoted in dry areas.
Shift high risk crops with short duration
pulses and drought resistant oilseeds
crops. 16
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POSSIBLE ADDITION OF AREA TO DIFFERENT CROPS
Area - mha
Prod.- m t
Present area Additional area through Expected
(2005-06) diversification Additional
Crop Production
Pulses 23.12 2.5 1.57
Oilseeds 23.32 3.00 2.50

Maize 6.87 0.5 1.00

Horticulture 15.70 2.5* -

Other (Fodder - 1.5 -

etc)

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DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE
Mix
farming
Animal Sericulture
Husbandry

Low Yielding
Horticulture Food grain Forestry
crops

Floriculture
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 Table 2: Crop wise area in Maharashtra state (Agronomical crops)

Crop and crops Area in ’00 ha Change in

component 98-99 01-02 04-05 05-06 area (%)

Jowar (k.) 2385 1768 1383 673 -71.78

Bajara (k.) 9206 8556 7999 7701 -16.34

Small millets 193 113 129 123 -36.26

Total pulses (k.) 7523 7152 6789 5834 -22.45

Rabi jowar 663 622 441 545 -17.79

Total rabi pulses 887 1468 515 1264 42.50

Groundnut (k.) 18149 18131 18507 19245 6.03

Groundnut (s.) 887 1277 370 605 -31.79

Sesame 2497 3007 3796 3719 48.93

Castor 3881 3483 3047 3305 -14.84

Cotton 14104 16585 17498 19063 35.16

Wheat 6060 7014 4701 7274 20.03

Tobacco 1218 1037 855 713 -41.46

Directorate of Agriculture,
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Table 3: State wise crop diversification in context to weather
State Weather Traditional Proposed crops
constraints crops to be taken
grown
Tamil Nadu Droughts, Rice, pulses Banana,
high sugarcane, onion
temperature
Gujarat Droughts, Upland Maize, sesame,
High paddy, castor,
temperature coarse intercropping
cereals, sugarcane,
Cereals soybean,
vegetables,
horticultural crops.
Maharashtra Droughts, Paddy, Oilseeds, soybean,
high coarse horticultural crops,
temperature cereals, medicinal plants
cotton and flowery
culture.
Gov. of India, Dept. of Agril. and Co. Office 20
of Agril. Commissioner, July, 2003. 20
Table 4: Change in production of different oilseeds in
India (Million tonnes)
Oilseed 1981 2005 Change in Percent
crops production change
Groundnut 5.97 6.81 0.84 7.44
Rapeseed 2.04 5.20 3.17 28.02
and
mustard
Sunflower 0.098 0.79 0.69 6.16
Soybean 0.30 6.45 6.19 54.78
Other 1.57 1.97 0.40 3.54
Total 10.0 21.31 11.31 100.0

NCAR Annual Report 2005-06

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 Table 5: Crop diversification programme
Unit : (000’ ha)

Increase in
Increase in Increase in
Year Oilseed
Maize area Pulses area
area
2002-03 15.92 134.96 104.04
2003-04 20.97 205.44 125.59
2004-05 27.67 226.08 151.38
2005-06 53.59 261.20 192.02
Increase 236% 94% 86%
compared
to 2002-03

New Delhi Singh (2006)

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 SHARE OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF GROWTH IN
AGRICULTURE IN INDIA DURING 1980S AND 1990S.
1980s 1990s

Crop Diversification in India: Nature, Pattern and Drivers, P. K. Joshi

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Ta ble 6: Ar ea chan ges from foo d g rai n t o non fo od g ra in
c rops (mil li on he ctares)

Crop/crops 1952-53 1964-65 1985-86 2004-05

component
Oilseeds 11.20 15.14 17.42 26.23
Cotton 6.27 8.00 8.02 9.11
Jute+Mesta 0.76 1.24 1.26 1.08
Sugarcane 1.79 2.36 2.79 4.05
Tobacco 0.34 0.42 0.43 0.471
Coconut 0.65 0.82 1.07 1.831
Potato 0.25 0.42 0.74 1.261
Others 14.24 11.39 13.67 22.67
Total 35.50 39.90 45.40 66.70

Gov t. of Ind ia (2005)24

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Tab le 7: Ar ea u nder other non-food gra in cr ops

(mil lio n hect ar es)

Crops/ Crop groups 1985- 2004-
86 05
Spices 1.47 2.90
Plantation crops 0.88 1.30
Other vegetables 3.38 4.61
Fruits 2.83 3.37
Guar seed 2.27 2.12
Other including fodder 2.84 8.01
crops
Total 13.67 22.67

Gov t. of Ind ia (2005)25

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 Table 8: Food grain production: Targets and achievement
(Million Tonnes)
2001-2002 2007-2008
Item Target Achieve- % of Target Achieve- % of
ment achieve- ment achieve
ment ment
Rice 92 92 100 93 94 101
Wheat 78 71 91 78 74.81 95.9
Coarse 33 35 106 33 36.07 109.3
cereal
Pulses 15 14 93.3 16 14.44 90.95
Total 218 211 96.7 220 219.3 99
Food
grains
Pooled 96.8 99
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Source: Ministry of agriculture 26
Table 9: Certain applications of biotechnology for crop
diversification
Species Characters need Strategies to improve
modification traits
Zizyphus Anti digestion Metabolic pathway,
factors, dwarf, wide hybridization,
seedless, ploidy embryo rescue,
level, fruit borer mutation and micro
propagation.
Pomegranate Soft seeded, dwarf, Mutation, micro
fruit cracking, virus propagation shoot tip
free material culture.
Amblica Dwarf, Vit. C, fruit Regeneration,
officinalis drop, frost mutation, gene
resistance. transformation
Cucumis Alkaloid, more pulp ACC gene
and keeping quality
Citrullus Seedless Polyploid
Prickly pear Toxins, spines Mutation
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ICAR W inter School , (2004) 27
CASTOR, A SUBSTITUTE OF PEARL MILLET IN 28
GUJARAT

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 CASTOR IN CROP DIVERSIFICATION
SCENARIO
It is an important non edible oil seed crop,
earns valuable foreign exchange.
High yield potential under irrigated
conditions (30- 35q/ha).
Also higher yield potentials under dry lands.
Economically remunerative crop as compare
to existing crop sequences.
Suitable for crop rotation and maintenance
of fertility as castor posses long tap root
system. 29
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Table 10: Yield, monetary returns and benefit:cost ratio of
castor- based intercropping systems under dryland conditions.
Treatment Mean yield (kg/ha) Mean Benefit:
(1995 to 2002) Monetary cost ratio
Main crop Inter crop Returns
(Rs/ha)
Sole castor 653 - 8496 1.60
Castor+Mothbean(1:2) 580 48 7960 1.81
Castor+Ridgegourd 581 1918 13312 2.13
Castor+Bittergourd 536 229 7426 1.76
Castor+Smoothgourd 531 242 7877 1.73
Castor+Clusterbean 546 1171 15308 1.97
Castor+Dolichos lablab 524 - 6809 1.52
CD (P= 0.05) 3552

Solapur (Maharashtra) Koli et al.,

(2004)
Prices (Rs/q): castor seed, 1300; moth bean, 1500; ridge gourd, 400; bitter gourd, 400;30
30
smooth gourd, 400; cluster bean, 700
 Table 11: Impact of HYVs of pearl millet on area, production and
productivity in India
Table Area (Million ha) Production (Mill. t) Productivity(kg/ha)
Pre- Post-HYV Pre-HYV Post-HYV Pre-HYV Post-HYV
HYV

Rajasthan 4.13 4.28 0.87 2.54 188 470

Maharashtra 1.73 1.58 0.47 1.02 270 646
Gujarat 1.57 0.99 0.58 1.09 370 1125
U. P. 1.07 0.82 0.57 1.03 534 1240
Haryana 0.78 0.56 0.25 0.59 315 1131
Karnataka 0.62 0.32 0.31 0.17 505 516
A. P. 0.51 0.10 0.29 0.10 593 1047
T. N. 0.51 0.16 0.12 0.23 234 1448
M. P. 0.19 0.15 0.11 0.16 597 1091
India 11.32 9.03 3.67 6.67 324 730
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Pre-HYV=1955-66, Post-HYV=2000-03 ICA R Win te r School, 2004 31
Ta ble 12: Ex amp le of p artial cro p divers ifi ca ti on in ri ce -wheat
system (rice equi valent yield , q/ha)
Pooled
Cropping system 1995-96 2000-
01 Rainy Winter Summer Total

Rice-wheat 78.3 81.2 46.3 33.5 -- 79.8

Rice-wheat- 86.3 89.7 48.7 48.3 34.3 5.4
greengram
Rice-berseem 110.0 113.8 48.2 63.6 -- 112.3

Rice-potato- 126.3 135.9 55.9 61.9 19.4 131.1

greengram
Rice-Indian 94.4 100.9 47.9 30.9 18.8 97.6
mustard
CD (p=0.05) 6.63 9.89 1.56 6.58 2.67 7.50
Price (Rs/q): rice grain 800, rice straw 20, wheat grain 550, wheat straw 50, berseem
40,potato tuber 200, Indian mustard grain 1200, Indian mustard stover 20, green gram 32
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1200. Sharma and Sharm a (2 002)
 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
It is always desirable to change the crops and
cropping system in certain years.
The choice of crops or cropping system depending
upon price, soil fertility and pest build up will be
desirable.
Synthesize or decide the most suitable system on
considering productivity.
Choice of suitable variety is very important to fit in
the system with high productivity.
Under the diversified intensive system of cropping,
contingent planning is also important. Therefore,
suitable adjustments should to be made as per
emerging needs and prospects. 33
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CONSTRAINTS IN CROP DIVERSIFICATION
1) Over 117 m.ha (63 percent) of the cropped area in the
country is completely dependent on rainfall.
2) Sub-optimal and over-use of resources.
3) Inadequate supply of seeds and plants of improved
cultivars.
4) Fragmentation of land holding less favoring
modernization and mechanization of agriculture.
5) Poor basic infrastructure like rural roads, power,
transport, communication etc.
6) Inadequate post-harvest technologies .
7) Very weak agro-based industry.
8) Weak research - extension - farmer linkages.
9) Decreased investments in the agricultural sector over the
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years.
 GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND STRATEGIES FOR
CROP DIVERSIFICATION
Implementing National Agriculture Insurance Scheme.
 Operationalzing Technology Mission on Cotton.
 Provision of Capital Subsidy of 25 percent for
Construction / Modernization / Expansion of Cold
Storages and Storages for Horticultural Produce.
 Creation of Watershed Development Fund.
 Strengthening Agricultural Marketing.
 Seed Crop Insurance.
 Seed Bank Scheme.
 Cooperative Sector Reforms.
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 CONCLUSION
Crop diversification or crop shift is a new
paradigm of sustainable agriculture. Crop
diversification is not only a shift from traditional and
less remunerative crop (s) to more remunerative crop
(s) but it is a demand driven, need based situation
specific and national goal seeking continuous and
dynamic concept and involves spatial, temporal, value
addition and resource complementary approaches.
However, crop substitution and addition of more crops
in existing cropping system has been the major
approach of diversification in India. The nature of crop
diversification is has been mainly from low value
coarse cereals to high value oilseeds and other food
grains.
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 FUTURE THRUST:
 Inclusion of high value crops through horizontal and
vertical diversification approach.
 Need to synthesize high potential cropping systems and
evaluate both on station and on farm in farmers
participatory approach.
 The crop varieties short in duration with high potential
yield and most suited for the synthesized systems needs to
be identified.
 The location specific approaches and full packages need to
be prepared.
 For arid and semi arid areas the crops and cropping
systems for long term sustainability should be preferred.37

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