Agriculture of Telangana | Telangana State PSC (TSPSC): Preparation Course - TSPSC (Telangana) PDF Download

Agriculture and Cropping pattern of Telangana

Salient Features of  Indian/Agriculture of Telangana Subsistence 

• Agriculture: Subsistence agriculture is predominant in most parts of India. This traditional form of agriculture, existing for centuries, continues to be a significant practice despite modernization.
• Pressure of Population on Agriculture: Despite urbanization and industrialization, approximately 70% of the population in India is still reliant on agriculture directly or indirectly.
• Mechanization of Farming: The Green Revolution in the late sixties and early seventies marked a significant shift in agricultural practices in India. However, complete mechanization remains a distant goal even after decades of advancements.
• Dependence upon Monsoon: Despite considerable efforts to expand irrigation infrastructure post-independence, only about one-third of the total cropped area in India is irrigated. The remaining two-thirds still rely on monsoons, which are increasingly erratic due to climate change.
• Variety of Crops: India exhibits a diverse range of topography, climate, and soil types, leading to the cultivation of crops suited to both tropical and temperate climates. This diversity is unparalleled globally.
• Predominance of Food Crops: With the necessity of feeding a large population, food crop production remains a top priority for Indian farmers. However, there has been a recent decline in the proportion of land allocated to food crops due to various economically viable alternatives.
• Seasonal Patterns: India experiences three distinct agricultural seasons - kharif, rabi, and zaid. Each season is associated with specific crops; for example, rice is a kharif crop, while wheat is a rabi crop.

Profile of Agriculture of Telangana

• Total Geographical area: 114.84 Lakh hectares
• Gross cropped area: 88 Lakh hectares
• Net cropped area: 61 Lakh hectares
• Gross Irrigated area: 64 Lakh hectares
• Net Irrigated area: 89 Lakh hectares
• Number of Farm Holdings: 54 lakh (Marginal: 41 Lakh, Small: 27 lakh, Others: 86 lakh)
• Average Farm Holding size: 1.12 Hectares
• Average Annual Rainfall: 906.6 mm
• Cropping Intensity: 27%
• Irrigation Intensity: 1.38%

Crops grown in different agro-climatic zones of Agriculture of Telangana

• Telangana cultivates 27 significant crops in both Kharif and Rabi seasons, spanning approximately 53.51 lakh hectares.
• The major crops include Rice (14.19 lakh ha), Maize (6.63 lakh ha), Pulses (6.11 lakh ha), Groundnut (1.89 lakh ha), Cotton (18.13 lakh ha), Chillies (0.83 lakh ha), and Sugarcane (0.41 lakh ha).

Major Crop of Agriculture of Telangana

Rice Crops

• Rice is the primary food crop in India, mainly cultivated during the Kharif or summer season.
• It covers approximately one third of the total cultivated area in the country, providing food for over half of the Indian population.
• A large portion of the Indian population consumes rice as a staple food.
• Temperature: Rice cultivation thrives in hot and humid conditions, requiring a mean monthly temperature of 24°C and an average temperature between 22°C to 32°C.
• Rainfall: Ideally, rice cultivation thrives in regions with rainfall ranging between 150-300 cm. In areas with lower rainfall like Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh, irrigation is necessary for cultivation.
• Soil: While rice can grow in various soil types, deep clayey and loamy soils offer the best conditions. Rice is primarily cultivated in plain areas but can also be grown in unique terrains like below sea level in Kuttinad (Kerala) and hill terraces in northeastern India and Kashmir valleys.

Pulses

• Various leguminous crops play a significant role in providing essential proteins to India's vegetarian population, which has limited protein sources compared to meat and fish consumers. Additionally, these crops serve as valuable components in cattle feed, offering both forage and grain concentrates. Furthermore, leguminous crops possess the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, thereby aiding in soil fertility maintenance and restoration through crop rotation.
• India boasts a wide variety of pulses, including gram, tur or arhar (Pigeon Pea or Red Gram), urd (black gram), mung (green gram), masur (lentil), kulthi (horse gram), matar (peas), among others. However, among these, gram and tur or arhar hold greater significance.
• Gram, in particular, stands out as the most crucial pulse crop, contributing approximately 37% of production and covering around 30% of the total pulse-growing area in India. It is primarily cultivated as a rabi crop, sown between September and November and harvested between February and April. Gram is often grown as a sole crop or intercropped with wheat, barley, linseed, or mustard.
• Certain geographical conditions are conducive to gram cultivation, including a mild, cool, and relatively dry climate with temperatures ranging between 20°C and 25°C. Adequate rainfall, typically between 40-45 cm, is favorable for gram cultivation, while loamy soils provide an ideal growing environment.

Cotton

• Cotton holds paramount importance as a fiber crop not only in India but globally as well. It serves as a crucial raw material for the cotton textile industry and its seeds find utility in the Vanaspati oil industry. Additionally, cotton seeds are utilized as fodder for milch cattle to enhance milk production.
• Primarily a kharif crop, cotton is cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Certain geographical conditions conducive to its growth include:
  1. Temperature: Cotton thrives in tropical and sub-tropical climates, necessitating consistently high temperatures ranging from 21°C to 30°C.
  2. Rainfall: Ideal cotton-growing regions typically experience a minimum of 210 frost-free days annually. The crop requires a moderate amount of rainfall ranging from 50 to 100cm. However, irrigation can compensate for inadequate rainfall, especially in areas receiving less than 50cm of precipitation. Adequate rainfall at the beginning of the season, followed by sunny and dry weather during ripening, greatly benefits crop yield.
  3. Soil: Cotton cultivation is closely associated with black soils found in the Deccan and Malwa plateaus. Nevertheless, it also thrives in alluvial soils of the Satluj-Ganga plain and red and laterite soils in the peninsular region.

Groundnut

• Groundnut is a crucial oilseed in India, cultivated predominantly as a kharif crop, with 90-95% of the total area dedicated to this season.
• Thriving in tropical climates, groundnut requires temperatures between 20°C to 30°C for optimal growth.
• For successful cultivation, groundnut necessitates 50-75 cm of rainfall.
• Groundnut is highly vulnerable to frost, drought, prolonged rain, and water stagnation, requiring a dry winter during ripening.
• Well-drained light sandy loams, red, yellow, and black soils are ideal for groundnut cultivation.
• Constituting half of India's major oilseeds, groundnut positions itself as a significant crop. India stands as the second-largest producer globally, following China.
• The top three states contributing to groundnut production are Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu.

Jowar

• Jowar is cultivated as both a kharif and rabi crop.
• For kharif cultivation, it thrives in regions with a mean monthly temperature ranging from 26°C to 33°C.
• As a rabi crop, it can be cultivated in areas where the mean monthly temperature remains above 16°C.
• During its growing period, jowar requires rainfall of more than 30 cm but doesn't thrive in regions with rainfall exceeding 100 cm.
• Jowar is primarily a rainfed crop, well-suited for dry farming areas where irrigation is not practiced.
• Excessive moisture and prolonged droughts are detrimental to its optimal growth.

Department of Agriculture of Telangana  Government

• The Department of Agriculture in Telangana aims to support farmers by providing agricultural extension services, disseminating up-to-date technical knowledge, introducing high-yield varieties, conducting demonstrations, and offering training to enhance agricultural productivity.
• It also focuses on forecasting agricultural input requirements, managing their production, and ensuring timely supply of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, tools, and credit to farmers.

Vision

• To empower every farmer to achieve sustainable and profitable agricultural productivity.

Mission of the Department

• Achieve a 6% growth rate and enhance returns on investment for farmers through improved technology, effective extension services, mechanization, marketing partnerships, adequate credit, and crop insurance.
• Ensure compliance with quality standards for inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, along with enforcing regulations such as the Dangerous Machines Regulation Act.
• Perform additional support functions including soil testing, conservation, surveys, credit assessments, media production, farmer training, disaster management, crop insurance, mechanization, and providing technical assistance to various agencies.