A Status on Cropping Intensity, Irrigation Intensity and Crop Diversification Indices in Dharmapuri, Namakkal and Salem Districts of the North Western Agro-climatic Zone in Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Natural disasters easily drain surface water. Currently, groundwater is the most important source of freshwater in all of the world. In 2020, the proportion of extractable groundwater usage in the world (69 percent), India (62 percent) and Tamil Nadu (76 percent) for agriculture purposes only; the remaining share was obtained by the domestic and industrial sectors. The present study was conducted with the objective of examining the interaction of irrigation on cropping intensity and crop diversification in the north western agro-climatic zone. Statistical data pertaining to the sources of irrigation, cropping area and irrigation area were obtained from the Season and Crop Report of Tamil Nadu for the period of 2005-06 to 2019-20. The findings show that groundwater is the primary irrigation resource, and that with the adoption of modern agricultural practices, irrigation intensities are decreasing, despite increasing crop intensity and diversification in the north western agro-climatic zone.