Crop and variety selection for cropping system management

This presentation contains the detail information about the crop and variety selection for cropping system management.

1. Crop and variety selection for cropping system management PRESENTED BY AKSHAYA S K 2023004007

2. INTRODUCTION : Cropping System = A planned pattern of crop production over time on a given land area.
Why Important? Proper selection of crops and varieties ensures:
Efficient resource utilization (light, water, nutrients)
Improved soil health
Pest and disease management Increased farm profitability and resilienc e

3. GOALS OF CROP AND VARIETY SELECTION: Enhance productivity per unit area and time
Promote sustainability and biodiversity
Maximize input-use efficiency (Fertilizer, Water)
Minimize pest and weed infestations
Suitability to local agro-climatic conditions
Meet food, fodder, fuel, and cash needs

4. FACTORS AFFECTING CROP SELECTION: 1. Agro-climatic conditions Rainfall pattern, soil texture, pH, temperature
Ex: Millets for dryland, paddy for irrigated areas 2. Soil characteristics Fertility, drainage, salinity, organic matter
Ex: Groundnut prefers sandy loam; paddy needs clayey soils 3. Water availability Irrigated vs Rainfed crops
Ex: Sugarcane needs 1500-2500mm/year; blackgram <500mm

5. FACTORS AFFECTING VARIETY SELECTION: 1. Duration Short, medium, long; synchronize with rainfall or irrigation availability
E.g., ADT 36 (105 days), CO 51 (115 days) rice for Tamil Nadu 2. Yield potential High-yielding vs traditional varieties 3. Resistance/Tolerance Biotic: pests (e.g., BPH-resistant rice), diseases (e.g., rust-resistant wheat) Abiotic: drought, flood, salinity, temperature extremes

6. INTERCROPING CONSIDERATION: Choose crops with different growth habits

Ex: Tall + short, deep + shallow rooted Examples: Maize + Cowpea
Sugarcane + Onion
Sorghum + Pigeonpea Varieties must be non-competitive and mutually beneficial

7. SEQUENTIAL CROPPING SELECTION: Ensure synchronization of crop durations
Avoid allelopathic effects (e.g., sorghum before sensitive crops)
Early maturing varieties help increase cropping intensity
Ex: Rice (110 days) → Chickpea (95 days) → Sunflower (85 days)

8. SPECIAL SITUATIONS: 1. Dryland farming Crops: Millets, pulses, oilseeds Varieties: Short duration, drought hardy 2. Saline/Alkaline soils Crops: Barley, cotton, mustard
Varieties: Salt-tolerant (CSR series for rice) 3. Hilly terrain Crops: Maize, buckwheat, rajma
Varieties: Cold-tolerant, early maturing

9. CHALLENGES IN CROP AND VARIETY SELECTION: Climate change and erratic monsoons
Pest/disease mutations
Input availability mismatch
Limited localized research recommendations
Market price uncertainty

10. CONCLUSION: Crop and variety selection is site-specific and goal-oriented
Climate-resilient varieties
System-appropriate crop choices
Input efficiency and economic returns
Use of modern tools + traditional knowledge ensures success in cropping system management