Land is the most important natural resource of a country because all economic activities, especially agriculture, depend on it. India has a total geographical area of about 3.28 million square kilometres, which is about 2.4 per cent of the world's land area, but it supports about 17 per cent of the world's population. The land resources of India are under great pressure because of the large population, and the careful planning and use of land is essential for the food security and economic development of the country.
Land use refers to the way in which land is used for different purposes, such as agriculture, forestry, grazing, industry, settlement and transport. The pattern of land use in a region depends on the physical characteristics of the land, the technology available, the economic conditions and the government's land policies. The study of land resources and agriculture in India is essential for understanding the country's economy and its food security.
The land resources of India are classified into different categories by the Ministry of Agriculture. The net sown area is the land actually cultivated for crops, which is about 46 per cent of the total geographical area of India. The forest area covers about 23 per cent of the total area, and the area under non-agricultural uses, such as roads, railways and settlements, is about 8 per cent. The area under permanent pastures and grazing, miscellaneous tree crops, and culturable wasteland forms the remaining categories.
The land use pattern of India has changed significantly over the years. The net sown area increased until about 1970 because of the expansion of cultivation, but it has since stabilised because there is very little new land that can be brought under cultivation. The area under non-agricultural uses has increased rapidly because of urbanisation, industrialisation and the construction of roads and railways. The fallow lands and wastelands have declined, but the pressure on land continues to increase with the growth of population.
Land degradation is the decline in the quality of land, which reduces its capacity to support crops and vegetation. The major causes of land degradation in India are deforestation, overgrazing, waterlogging, salinisation, soil erosion, the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, mining and urbanisation. Soil erosion, the removal of the fertile topsoil by wind and water, is the most widespread form of land degradation in India, affecting the Himalayan region, the Chambal ravines and the coastal areas.
The conservation of land is essential for sustainable agriculture. The methods of soil conservation include contour ploughing, terrace farming on slopes, strip cropping, shelter belts and afforestation. In the desert regions of Rajasthan, the stabilisation of sand dunes and the planting of shelter belts have helped control wind erosion. The reclamation of saline and alkaline soils, the prevention of waterlogging and the sustainable use of chemical inputs are the other measures needed for land conservation in India.
Agriculture in India is of several types. Subsistence farming is practised for the farmer's own needs, and it dominates the agriculture of India. In subsistence farming, the farmer grows food crops such as rice, wheat, millets and pulses for the family, using traditional methods and family labour. Commercial farming is practised for the market, and it is growing in importance, especially in the Punjab-Haryana belt and in the southern states. Commercial crops include cotton, sugarcane, oilseeds and plantation crops.
Mixed farming combines the cultivation of crops with the rearing of livestock, and it is common in the areas where dairying and agriculture are combined. Plantation farming is the cultivation of a single crop on large estates, and in India it is practised for tea, coffee, rubber and spices in the hilly and humid regions. The Green Revolution of the 1960s transformed Indian agriculture by introducing high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice, chemical fertilisers and irrigation, which greatly increased food production and made India self-sufficient in food grains.
The cropping pattern of India is determined by the monsoon, the soil and the irrigation facilities. The kharif crop is sown with the onset of the monsoon in June-July and harvested in September-October; the main kharif crops are rice, jowar, bajra, maize and cotton. The rabi crop is sown in October-December and harvested in April-June; the main rabi crops are wheat, gram, peas and mustard. The zaid crop is grown in the short summer season between the rabi and kharif seasons, and it includes watermelons, cucumbers and fodder.
Rice is the staple food crop of India, grown mainly in the high-rainfall areas of the eastern and southern parts of the country and in the irrigated plains of Punjab and Haryana. Wheat is the second most important food crop, grown in the cool and dry climate of the northern plains during the rabi season. Millets such as jowar and bajra are grown in the dry regions of the Deccan plateau, and pulses are grown across the country. Among commercial crops, cotton is grown in the black soil of the Deccan, sugarcane in the tropical regions, and tea in the hill slopes of Assam and West Bengal.
Indian agriculture faces several serious problems. The fragmentation of landholdings into small and uneconomic plots reduces the efficiency of farming. The dependence on the monsoon makes agriculture uncertain, and droughts and floods cause frequent crop failures. The low productivity of many crops, the inadequate supply of credit, the lack of modern inputs, and the poor marketing facilities keep farm incomes low. The excessive use of chemical inputs has degraded the soil and polluted the water.
The institutional problems of Indian agriculture include the absence of a strong extension service, the low level of rural infrastructure and the persistence of intermediaries in the marketing of produce. The economic problems include the dependence on a large workforce for a declining share of the national income, the low level of rural incomes and the increasing indebtedness of farmers. The solution to these problems lies in the provision of irrigation, the consolidation of landholdings, the spread of high-yielding technology, the improvement of credit and marketing, and the diversification of agriculture into horticulture, dairying and fisheries.
| Category | Approximate Share of Area |
|---|---|
| Net Sown Area | About 46 per cent |
| Forest Area | About 23 per cent |
| Non-agricultural Uses | About 8 per cent |
| Fallow and Wastelands | Remaining share |
| Season | Sowing | Harvesting | Main Crops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kharif | June-July | September-October | Rice, jowar, bajra, cotton |
| Rabi | October-December | April-June | Wheat, gram, mustard |
| Zaid | Summer between seasons | Short summer crop | Watermelon, cucumber |
Land is the foundation of India's agricultural economy, and its careful use is vital for the food security of more than a billion people. The net sown area of about 46 per cent and the forests of about 23 per cent are the two largest land use categories, but the growing area under non-agricultural uses is putting pressure on farmland. Land degradation through erosion, salinisation and deforestation threatens the productivity of the soil and demands conservation measures. Indian agriculture, with its kharif, rabi and zaid seasons and its subsistence, commercial and plantation farming, supports the largest share of the population, yet it faces problems of fragmented holdings, monsoon dependence and low productivity. The future of Indian agriculture depends on irrigation, modern technology, better credit and marketing, and the sustainable use of land and water resources.
Keywords: Land resources, land use, net sown area, land degradation, soil erosion, kharif, rabi, zaid, Green Revolution, problems of agriculture.