General Conditions for Cultivation of Crops
where to sell? When to sell? Whom to sell to? crop/cropping systems with his existing resources
What form to sell in? What price to sell for?
• Do you get real time market information and
market intelligence on proposed crops?
Policies and schemes
• Do Government policies favour your crops?
• Is there any existing scheme which incentivises
your crop?
• Are you eligible to avail those benefits?
Public and private extension influence
Do you have access to Agricultural Technology
Management Agency (ATMA)/ Departmental
extension functionaries to get advisory?
• Do you know Kissan Call Center?
• Do you have access to KVKs, Agricultural Uni-
versities and ICAR organizations?
• Do you subscribe agricultural magazines?
• Do you read agricultural articles in newspa-
pers?
• Do you get any support from input dealers, Ag-
ribusiness Companies, NGOs, Agriclinics and
Agribusiness Centers?
Availability of required agricultural
inputs including agricultural credit
• Do you get adequate agricultural inputs such as
seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and implements in
time?
• Do you have access to institutional credit?
Post harvest storage and processing
technologies
• Do you have your own storage facility?
• If not, do you have access to such facility?
• Do you have access to primary processing facil-
ity?
• Do you know technologies for value addition of
your crop?
• Do you have market linkage for value added
products?
• Are you aware about required quality standards
of value added products of proposed crops?
F armers need to answer all the above questions
while making decisions for choosing a crop/
cropping pattern. During this decision making pro-
cess, farmer cross check the suitability of proposed
4 Farmer’s Handbook on Basic Agriculture
and other conditions. Thereby, they justify choosing
or rejecting a crop/cropping systems. This process
enables the farmers to undertake a SWOT analysis
internally which in turn guides them to take an ap-
propriate decision.
1.4. Climatic factors
Climate and agriculture
• Monsoon is a key source of water in agriculture
• Most of our rivers are seasonal fed by the mon-
soon; even irrigated agriculture depends on
monsoon.
• Cropping pattern has evolved over years based
on climate.
• Market forces influence cropping patterns in
recent times.
Climatic factors and crops
• Rainfall drives water availability and deter-
mines sowing time (rainfed crops).
• Temperature drives crop growth, duration and
influences milk production in animals.
• Temperature and relative humidity influence
pest and diseases incidence on crops, livestock
and poultry.
• Wet and dry spells cause significant impact on
standing crops, physiology, loss of economic
products (e.g. fruit drop).
• Extreme events (e.g. high rainfall, floods, heat /
cold wave, cyclone, hail, frost) cause enormous
losses of standing crops, livestock and fisheries.
Climate and seasons
• Rainy (June-September) season also known
as Kharif, supports most of the rainfed crops
(coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds, etc.).
• Post-rainy (October-February) season also
known as Rabi, supports the irrigated or stored
moisture grown crops (wheat, mustard, chick-
pea, etc.).
• Summer season (March-May) supports short
duration pulses and vegetables.
• Rabi production is more assured, has a higher
yield and reduces pest and disease related prob-
lems.
• Over time, with irrigation development, the
contribution of Kharif is declining and Rabi is
increasing.