What is meant by agro-climatic zone? Discuss its significance in context of sustainable crop production. (200 Words)
Refer - Financial Express
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
K. V. A 6 years
Pls review
IAS Parliament 6 years
Good answer. Try to provide rough sketch of agro-climatic zones of India. Keep Writing.
IAS Parliament 6 years
KEY POINTS
An “Agro-climatic zone” is a land unit in terms of major climates, suitable for a certain range of crops and cultivars. The planning aims at scientific management of regional resources to meet the food, fiber, fodder and fuel wood without adversely affecting the status of natural resources and environment.
Existing situation
· More than 40% of India faces drought this year with half of this area set to experience severe to exceptional drought, it is alarming that 60% of India’s districts are not drought-ready, as per a 2018 paper by researchers at two IITs, Indore and Gandhinagar only 241 of India’s 634 districts are drought-resilient.
· Farmers sowing crops ill-suited to a region’s soil type and water availability, a water-deficient Maharashtra dedicating two-thirds of its irrigation water to sugarcane, grown on just 4% of the state’s cultivated area, or a Punjab growing most of India’s rice for exports when West Bengal has an economic water productivity for the crop that is 2.5 times higher.
Significance of agro-climatic zone
· The non-crop based development possibilities like dairy, poultry etc. can be exploited for increasing employment and income of the people.
· Features like watershed development, soil conservation, and groundwater development can be intimated.
· Features like watershed development, soil conservation, and groundwater development can be intimated.
· More balanced growth can be attained by proper utilization of local resources involving local people.
· To detail the institutional, marketing, agro-processing and infrastructure support required for more promising patterns of development, agro-climate planning is of utmost importance.
