INTRODUCTION

Crop intensification and crop diversification are the budge words in

agricultural scenario at the national and international level. During the period
of green revolution when there was a need of enhancing total food grain
production, emphasis was given on increasing the cropping intensity and crop
productivity but in long term, this approach digressed from the principles of
crop production where the basics of crop rotation and crop sequences play an
important role.
Under such situations, approach of diversification has been envisaged as
a new strategy towards enhancing and stabilizing productivity, making Indian
agriculture export competitive and increasing net farm income and economic
security. Agriculture and crop diversification is now almost a normal feature of
stable agriculture and progressive farm management in most of the extensive
agricultural parts of the world (Joshi et al., 2004).
Research findings suggest that crops or enterprises get diversified in one
or other way, even without any scientific recommendations (Sharma et al.,
2002). The magnitude of agricultural diversification shows the impact of
physical, socio-economic and techno-organizational influents. Thus,
diversification in its totality is a dynamic, continuous process to adjust
changing circumstances.
Therefore, in changing agricultural scenario, crop diversification is one
of the ways towards meeting challenges of food, environmental and economic
security of nation and achieving the sustainable agricultural development.

INDIAN AGRICULTURE SCENARIO

Net Cultivated Area : 141 m ha

Irrigated Area : 56 m ha (40%)
Rainfed/Dryland Area : 85 m ha (60%)

TOTAL FOOD GRAIN PRODUCTION

(219 m tonnes)

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

ha)
116 million tones 103 million tonnes
 RAINFED FARMING AREA IN INDIA – (85 m ha)
(68.5 m ha fully rainfed & 18.0 m ha partial rainfed)

% Rainfed area
Regions States
(range)
Jammu & Kashmir,
Cold arid Northern
Uttaranchal and Himachal 60-81
States
Pradesh,
Arid Western States Rajasthan, Gujarat 66-68
Madhya Pradesh,
Semi arid to arid
Maharashtra, Andhra
Central & Southern 76-82
Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil
States
Nadu
Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Sub humid to humid
Jharkhand, Orissa, West 33-73
Eastern States
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.
 Shifts from less profitable and sustainable crop or cropping system to more
profitable and sustainable crop/cropping system.

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 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.
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: Developments of thermo/photo insensitive crop
varieties, facilitates crop diversification. Availability of storage and processing
technology also determines crop diversification. Irrigation through drip or
sprinkler facilitates diversification of fruits and vegetables.
 House hold factors: need for fodder, fuel and other requirements affect crop
diversification. Changing food consumption pattern is favouring non-cereal
crops.
 Institutional and infrastructural factors: farm, buildings, tenancy research,
marketing system, government regulatory polices. Delivery system of inputs,
credit also decides cropping in particular area.
 Price factors: An input/output price, trade polices of government and relative
price of a community, decides nature and extends of crop diversification.

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.
 Reduction in environmental pollution.
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.
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.

REQUIRED STEPS FOR 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.
Table 1: Issues and functions provided by diversification in dryland regions.

Issues Functions provided by diversification

Increased yield, reduce intra seasonal variation and improved
Productivity and
stability through diverse components viz., crop, tree, plant
stability
and animal.
High risk and Risk and cost minimization through yield and income from
high cost annual and perennial mixtures.
Unabated land Minimization of kinds, effect and extent of land degradation
degradation by appropriate land care through alternate land use system.
Inadequate
Staggered employment round the year.
employment
Low profitability High components income generation from various area.
Poor energy
Energy efficient implements.
management
RAU, (Bikaner) Hegde et al., (2003)

Hegde et al., (2003) gives the different issues and functions provided by the crop
diversification.

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.

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.
DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE

Mix
Farming
Animal Sericulture
Husbandry

Low Yielding
Food grain
Crops
Horticulture Forestry

Floriculture

This flowchart shows that the low yielding food grain crops get diversified
through the mix farming, sericulture, forestry, floriculture, horticulture, animal
husbandry etc. to increase the net farm income.

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

Crop and Area in ’00 ha Change

crops in area
component 98-99 01-02 04-05 06-07 (%)
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,
Table 3 State wise crop diversification in context to weather

Weather Traditional Proposed crops to be

State
constraints crops grown taken

Droughts, high Banana, sugarcane,

Tamil Nadu Rice, pulses
temperature onion
Maize, sesame, castor,
Droughts, Upland paddy,
intercropping sugarcane,
Gujarat High coarse cereals,
soybean, vegetables,
temperature Cereals
horticultural crops.
Oilseeds, soybean,
Droughts, high Paddy, coarse horticultural crops,
Maharashtra
temperature cereals, cotton medicinal plants and
flowery culture.

Gov. of India, Dept. of Agril. and Co. Office of Agril. Commissioner, July, 2003.

Table 4 Change in production of different oilseeds in India (Million tonnes)

Change in Percent
Oilseed crops 1981 2000
production change

Groundnut 5.97 6.81 0.84 7.44

Rapeseed and
2.04 5.20 3.17 28.02
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

This table shows that the change in production of different oilseeds in India
(Million tonnes) and it is observed that the highest change in production is observed
in soybean i.e. 54.78% followed by rapeseed and mustard, groundnut and sunflower.
Table 5 Crop diversification programme
Unit: (000’ ha)

Increase in Increase in Increase in

Year
Maize area Pulses area Oilseed 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 compared
236% 94% 86%
to 2002-03

New Delhi Singh (2006)

SHARE OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF GROWTH IN AGRICULTURE IN

INDIA DURING 1980S AND 1990S.

1980s 1990s

Crop Diversification in India: Nature, Pattern and Drivers, Joshi P. S. (2004)

This pie-chart shows the share of different sources of growth in agriculture in

India during 1980s and 1990s. Out of which diversification contributes 26.6% during
1980s while which is increased up to 30.7% during 1990s.
Table 6 Area changes from food grain to non food grain crops (million hectares)

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
Govt. of India (2005)

Table shows the area changes from food grain to non food grain crops (million
hectares) during pre-green revolution period, green revolution period and post-green
revolution period. It is observed that area under non food grain changes vigorously
during the post green revolution period. Out of other food grains area under oilseeds
was changes considerably i.e. from 17.42 to 26.23.

Table 7:Area under other non-food grain crops (million hectares)

Crops/ Crop groups 1985-86 2004-05

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 crops 2.84 8.01

Total 13.67 22.67

Govt. of India (2005)

Table shows the area under other non-food grain crops (million hectares) and
it observed that, area under spices, vegetables and fruits changes considerably during
2000-01 as compared to 1985-86.
Table8: Food grain production: Targets and achievement (Million Tonnes)
2001-2002 2007-2008
Item
% of % of
Achieve- Achieve-
Target achieve- Target achieve
ment ment
ment ment
Rice 92 92 100 93 94 101
Wheat 78 71 91 78 74.81 95.91
Coarse 33 35 106 33 36.07 109.3
cereal
Pulses 15 14 93.3 16 14.44 90.25
Total 218 211 96.7 220 219.3 99
Food
grains
Pooled 96.8 99

Source: Tenth plan data and ministry of agriculture

From this table it is observed that per cent achievement of food grain
production was decline during 2005-06 i.e. 83.2% as compare to the 2001-02 i.e. 96.8.

Table 9: Certain applications of biotechnology for crop diversification

Characters need
Species Strategies to improve traits
modification
Anti digestion factors, Metabolic pathway, wide
Zizyphus dwarf, seedless, ploidy level, hybridization, embryo rescue,
fruit borer mutation and micro propagation.

Soft seeded, dwarf, fruit Mutation, micro propagation

Pomegranate
cracking, virus free material shoot tip culture.

Amblica Dwarf, Vit. C, fruit drop, Regeneration, mutation, gene

officinalis frost resistance. transformation
Alkaloid, more pulp and
Cucumis ACC gene
keeping quality
Citrullus Seedless Polyploid
Prickly pear Toxins, spines Mutation
ICAR Winter School, (2004)

CASTOR IN CROP DIVERSIFICATION SCENARIO

o It is an important non edible oil seed crop, earns valuable foreign exchange.
o High yield potential under irrigated conditions (30- 35q/ha).
 o Also higher yield potentials under dry lands.
o Economically remunerative crop as compare to existing crop sequences.
o Suitable for crop rotation and maintenance of fertility as castor posses long tap
root system.
Table 10 Yield, monetary returns and benefit: cost ratio of castor- based
intercropping systems under dryland conditions.

Mean yield (kg/ha) Mean

(1995 to 2002) Monetary Benefit:
Treatment
Main Returns cost ratio
Inter crop (Rs/ha)
crop
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;smooth gourd, 400; cluster bean, 700
Koli et al., (2004) studied yield, monetary returns and benefit: cost ratio of
castor- based intercropping systems under dry land conditions. It shows that Castor +
Cluster bean treatment is statistically significant that of other treatments in mean
monetary returns (Rs/ha) and treatment Castor+Ridgegourd gives the highest Benefit:
cost ratio as compare to other treatments.

Table 11: Impact of HYVs of pearl millet on area, production and productivity in
India
Area (Million ha) Production (Mill. t) Productivity(kg/ha)
Table Pre- Post- Pre- Post- Pre- Post-
HYV HYV HYV HYV 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

Pre-HYV=1955-66, Post-HYV=2000-03 ICAR Winter School, 2004

Table shows impact of HYVs of pearl millet on area, production and

productivity in India and it observed that area under the post HYV in Gujarat is less as
compare to pre HYV although production and productivity is high under post HYV.

Table 12: Example of partial crop diversification in rice-wheat system

(rice equivalent yield, q/ha)

Pooled
2000-
Cropping system 1995-96
01 Rainy Winter Summer Total

Rice-wheat 78.3 81.2 46.3 33.5 -- 79.8

Rice-wheat-green
86.3 89.7 48.7 48.3 34.3 5.4
gram
Rice-berseem 110.0 113.8 48.2 63.6 -- 112.3
Rice-potato-green
126.3 135.9 55.9 61.9 19.4 131.1
gram
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
Sharma and Sharma (2002)

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 1200.

Sharma and Sharma (2002) studied example of partial crop diversification in

rice-wheat system (rice equivalent yield, q/ha) and they observed that Rice-potato-
green gram cropping system is significantly superior for year 1995-96, 1996-97 and
for pooled analysis as compare to other cropping systems.

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.
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 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.
 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.

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.
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