Agro-Ecology Specific Crops and Cropping Systems for Higher Productivity and Profitability

Indian agriculture, characterized by diverse environmental conditions and a wide variety of soils, requires a systematic appraisal of agro-ecological regions. This assessment is essential to evaluate the yield potential of various crops and crop combinations within these regions or zones. Such evaluations help formulate actionable plans that promote crop diversification, facilitate the dissemination of agricultural research and technologies to other homogeneous areas, and determine crop suitability for optimizing land use. The sustainability of agricultural production is fundamentally dependent on ecological factors. As rainfed agriculture is risky due to weather aberrations, proper crop selection based on the bio-physical and climatic factors of a given area is an essential pre-requisite for enhancing crop productivity and profitability. Selecting suitable crops and varieties will not only help increase production but also will help in increasing cropping intensity and thus income.