Question

“Modern technology in agriculture has broken the traditional cropping pattern based on rainfall distribution”. Give examples in support of this statement.

Answer 1

1. Expansion of Irrigation Facilities: Earlier, water-intensive crops like rice were grown only in high rainfall areas such as West Bengal, Odisha, and Kerala. Now, due to canal irrigation and tube wells, rice is grown in Punjab and Haryana, which are not naturally suited for it.
2. Use of High-Yielding Variety (HYV) Seeds: HYV seeds need more water and fertilizers but give higher production. With irrigation and fertilizers, wheat and rice are now grown in areas that were earlier used for coarse grains like millets.
3. Fertilizers and Pesticides: Modern inputs like chemical fertilizers have made even less fertile lands suitable for crops. This has reduced dependence on natural soil fertility and rainfall.
4. Multiple Cropping and Off-Season Crops: With the help of irrigation and technology, farmers now grow 2 to 3 crops in a year. Vegetables and fruits are grown throughout the year using greenhouses and drip irrigation, even in dry areas like Maharashtra and Rajasthan.