How Many Agro-Climatic Zones are in India

Introduction

Based on agro-climatic characteristics, including soil type, climate, including temperature and rainfall and its variation, and availability of water resources, the country has been broadly categorised into fifteen agricultural areas. It is an expansion of climatic classification that takes agricultural appropriateness into consideration. India is geographically organised into 15 agro-climatic areas. These are further divided into 72 sub-zones, which are more uniform. The 15 agricultural climate zones are:

Zone 1: Western Himalayan Region

1. It encompassese frigid (0°C to -4°C in January).

2. 150 cm of rain falls on average each year. Along the steep slopes, vegetation is arranged in zones of differing heights.

3. While hill slopes have thin, brown, mountainous soils, valleys and dunes have substantial layers of alluvium.

4. Due to heavy rainfall and the snow-covered mountain peaks of the Ganga, Yamuna, Jhelum, Chenab, Satluj, and Beas, the area features permanent streams.

5. They offer cheap hydroelectric electricity for industries and agriculture as well as irrigation water for canals.

6. Important crops include maize, wheat, potatoes, and barley.

Zone 2: Eastern Himalayan Region

1. Sikkim, the Darjeeling region of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, the Assam Hills, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura make up the Eastern Himalayan region.

2. Rugged topography, dense forest cover, and a sub-humid environment (temperatures between 25°C and 33°C in July and 11°C to 24°C in January) are its defining features.

3. The soil is less fertile, thickly stratified, and brownish.

4. In over 1/3 of the farmed area, shifting agriculture (Jhum) is practised, and food crops are primarily grown for sustenance.

5. The principal crops are rice, potatoes, maize, tea, and fruits like oranges, pineapples, limes, and litchi.

Zone 3: Lower Gangetic Plains Region

1. Eastern Bihar, West Bengal, and the Assam valley make up this area. The yearly rainfall average in this area ranges from 100 cm to 200 cm. The temperature ranges from 9°C to 240°C in January and from 26°C to 41°C in the month of July.

2. With a high water table, the area has enough groundwater storage capacity. The two primary irrigation sources are wells and canals.

3. In some areas of the region, the issue of waterlogging and marshy regions is severe.

4. The primary crop that occasionally produces three succeeding crops (Aman, Aus, and Boro) in a year is rice.

5. Other significant crops include jute, maize, potatoes, and legumes. Improvements in rice farming, horticulture (banana, mango, and citrus fruits), pisciculture, poultry, livestock, forage production, and seed supply are among the planning plans.

Zone 4: Middle Gangetic Plains Region

1. Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are included (except the Chotanagpur plateau). The Ganga River and its tributaries drain this lush alluvial plain.

2. While January's average temperature ranges from 9°C to 24°C, July's average temperature ranges from 26°C to 41°C.

3. The yearly rainfall ranges from 100 cm to 200 cm. The area has a significant groundwater resource as well as surface runoff in the form of perennial rivers, both of which are used for irrigation through wells, canals, and tube wells.

4. Important crops include rice, maize, and millet in the Kharif season and wheat, gram, barley, peas, mustard, and potato in the Rabi season.

Zone 5: Upper Gangetic Plains Region

1. The centre and western regions of Uttar Pradesh are included in this area.

2. The sub-humid continental climate ranges in temperature from 7° to 23°C in January and 26° to 41°C in July, with an average annual rainfall of 75–150 cm.

3. It has sandy loam soil. It has a 144 per cent crop intensity and a 131% irrigation intensity.

4. Wells, canals, and tube wells are the primary sources of irrigation. Wheat, rice, sugarcane, millets, maize, gram, barley, oilseeds, pulses, and cotton are the principal crops in this heavily farmed area.

Zone 6: Trans-Gangetic Plains Region

1. Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, and the Ganganagar area of Rajasthan make up the Trans Ganga Plain.

2. The average annual rainfall is between 70 cm and 125 cm, and the climate is semi-arid, with temperatures in January ranging from 7°C to 22°C and in July between 26°C and 42°C.

3. The main irrigation methods are provided by private tube wells and canals.

4. Wheat, sugarcane, cotton, rice, gram, maize, millets, pulses, and oilseeds are a few important crops.

Zone 7: Eastern Plateau and Hills Region

1. The Chotanagpur plateau, Rajmahal Hills, Chhattisgarh plains, and Dandakaranya are all included in it.

2. The region experiences summer temperatures of 26°C to 34°C, winter temperatures of 10°C to 27°C, and annual rainfall of 80 cm to 150 cm.

3. There are sporadic patches of laterites and alluviums among the red and yellow soils.

4. Because of the region's plateau topography and non-perennial streams, its water resources are insufficient.

5. Crops like rice, millets, maize, oilseeds, ragi, gram, and potato are grown using rainfed agriculture.

Zone 8: Central Plateau and Hills Region

1. This area includes Vindhyachal Hills, Bhander Plateau, Malwa Plateau, Bundelkhand, and Baghelkhand.

2. The weather ranges from semi-arid in the west to sub-humid in the east, with temperatures in July of 26°C to 40°C and in January of 7°C to 24°C, respectively, with an average annual rainfall of 50 cm to 100 cm.

3. Red, yellow, and black coloured soils are used to grow crops including millets, gram, barley, wheat, cotton, and sunflowers.

4. Water resources are scarce in the area.

Zone 9: Western Plateau and Hills Region

1. This includes the Deccan plateau and the southern portion of the Malwa plateau (Maharashtra).

2. This area of the particular soil experiences temperatures in the range of 24 to 41 degrees Celsius on July, 6 to 23 degrees in January, and 25 to 75 centimetres of yearly rainfall, on average.

3. Forests barely cover 11% of net sown areas, which is 65 per cent.

4. Only 12.4% of the area is covered by irrigation.

5. Jowar, cotton, sugarcane, rice, wheat, gram, pulses, potato, groundnut and oilseeds are the principal crops.

Zone 10: Southern Plateau And Hills Region

1. While January's temperature ranges from 13°C to 21°C, July's temperature ranges from 26°C to 42°C, and the annual rainfall ranges from 50 cm to 100 cm.

2. With only 50% of the land under cultivation, 81 percent of it is used for dryland farming, and only 11% of it is heavily cropped, the climate is semi-arid. The majority are small millets and low-quality grains.

3. The Karnataka plateau's high slopes are used for the cultivation of coffee, tea, and cardamom.

Zone 11: East Coast Plains and Hills Region

1. The Coromandel and Northern Circar, two significant Indian coastal plains, are located in this area.

2. Here, the weather is sub-humid, with temperatures in May ranging from 26°C to 32°C and in January from 20°C to 29°C, respectively, with an average annual rainfall of 75 cm to 150 cm.

3. Alluvial, loamy, and clay soils are all threatened by alkalinity.

4. The region produces 20.33 per cent of the nation's rice and 17.05 per cent of its groundnuts.

5. Rice, jute, tobacco, sugarcane, maize, millets, groundnuts, and oilseeds are major crops.

Zone 12: West Coast Plains and Ghats Region

1. Laterite and coastal alluvials cover this area, which stretches over the Sahyadris, Malabar, and Konkan coasts.

2. It rains more than 200 cm each year in this humid area, and the average July and January temperatures range from 26 to 32 degrees Celsius.

3. The principal crops include rice, coconut, oilseeds, sugarcane, millet, lentils, and cotton.

4. Additionally well-known in the area are the plantations that grow spices and food products on the Ghats' hillside slopes.

Zone 13: Gujarat Plains and Hills Region

1. The Mahi and Sabarmati rivers' lush valleys, as well as Kathiawar, are located in this area.

2. It is a dry and semi-arid terrain with average annual precipitation of 50 to 100 cm with monthly temperatures ranging from 26 to 42 degrees Celsius in July to 13 to 29 degrees Celsius in January.

3. In the plateau region, soils are abundant, in the coastal plains' alluvium, and in Jamnagar's red and yellow soils.

4. The principal crops include wheat, cotton, millets, oilseeds, groundnuts, rice, and tobacco.

5. It is a key region for the production of oilseeds.

Zone 14: Western Dry Region

1. West of the Aravallis, it includes Rajasthan's western region.

2. It is characterised by a dry, hot climate, irregular rainfall (less than 25 cm annually on average), significant evaporation, extreme temperature swings (June 28°C to 45°C and January 5°C to 22°C), the absence of perennial rivers, and sparse vegetation.

3. Deep below water is frequently brackish.

4. Drought and famine are frequent occurrences.

5. The ratio of landmen is high. Only 1.2% of the land is covered by forest. The percentage of land covered by pastures is equally low, at 4.3%.

6. Nearly 42% of the total area is made up of arable waste and fallow fields.

Zone 15: The Islands Region

1. The equatorial-climate Andaman-Nicobar and Lakshadweep are included in the island region.

2. The average temperature at Port Blair in July and January is 30°C and 25°C, respectively, with less than 300 cm of rain falling annually.

3. Sandier soils can be found along the coast, whereas clayey loam can be found in valleys and on lower slopes.

4. Rice, maize, millets, pulses, areca nut, turmeric, and cassava are the principal crops.

5. Coconut trees cover over half of the area.

6. The region is covered with dense forests, and agriculture is still in its infancy.

Conclusion

Agriculture and farming must be tailored to the demands and resources that are available. To increase the farmer's income and socioeconomic development, agro-processing clusters and agro-based companies that are peculiar to the area must be fostered.