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NORTH WESTERN ZONE

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Districts: Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Perambalur Geographical distribution of area The zone can be broadly divided into three geographical tracts:

  • Part of the tableland (which includes Karnataka State). It is an undulating plateau, studded with rocky patches in the north and east and dense jungles in the south and west. The greater part of Hosur and Denkanikotta taluks and a small portion of Krishnagiri taluk lie in this tract
  • Extension basin intermediate between the Karnataka tableland and the plains, 350-660 m above MSL. This tract comprises roughly the taluks of Krishnagiri, Palacode, Dharmapuri, Pennagaram, Harur and Uthangarai and Pappireddipatti.
  • Tract below 350 m above MSL. It can be divided into two portions by the watershed between the Cauvery and the Vellar river systems, with the taluks of Attur, Rasipuram and Namakkal on the east and Salem, Omalur and Mettur on the west.

Principal crops

  • Cereals – paddy, sorghum, ragi, samai
  • Pulses – horsegram, blackgram, redgram and greengram.
  • Oilseeds – groundnut, gingelly, sunflower and castor
  • Commercial crops – cotton, sugarcane
  • Species and condiments - coriander ,chillies, turmeric
  • Horticultural crops – vegetables, tapioca, mango, potato, banana and onion.

Cropping pattern suggested for different weather situations

1. Dharmapuri district

  • Mean annual rainfall (mm) -864.9
  • Cold weather period (Jan.-Feb) -14.8
  • Summer (March-May) -154.9
  • South West monsoon season (June-Sept) -391.8
  • North East monsoon season (Oct.-Dec.) -303.4

a. Command areas (Krishnagiri reservoir project): Red and Heavy clay soils

Existing

  • Rice (June-Sep.) -rice (Dec.-March)

Normal year

  • Cotton (Aug.-Jan.) - greengram / cowpea (Feb.-April)
  • Bhendi / cluster bean / water melon (June-Sep.) - rice / ragi (Dec.- March)

Moderate drought year

  • Rice (June-Sep.) - rice (Dec.-March)
  • Green manure / pulses / radish/ clusterbean / lab lab / bhendi (May-Aug.) - rice (Aug.-Jan.)

Severe drought year

  • Cowpea / minor millet / fodder (Oct.-Jan.)

b. Well irrigated areas: red and black soils

  • Tapioca (Jan.-Dec.)
  • Groundnut (June-Sep.) - wheat / cole vegetables (Oct.-Feb.) - pulses / gingelly (Feb.-May)
  • Cotton (Aug.-Feb.) - pulses/gingelly (Feb.-May)
  • Tapioca (Jan.-Dec.)
  • Groundnut (June-Sep.) - wheat / cole vegetables (Oct.-Feb.) - pulses / gingelly (Feb.-May)
  • Cotton (Aug.-Feb.) - pulses / gingelly (Feb.-May)
  • Coleus* (June-Nov.) - maize (Dec.-March)
  • Vegetables / gherkins (June-Nov.) - ragi (Dec.-Mar.)
  • Maize (June-Sep.) - groundnut (Oct.-Jan.) – gingelly (Feb.-May)
  • Annual moringa (June planting)
  • Groundnut (Jun-Sept) – sugarbeet* (Nov-Feb) – Sweet sorghum* / gingelly (Feb-May)
  • Pulses (Apr-Jun) – onion (Aug-Dec) – Sweet sorghum* (Jan-Apr)
  • Fodder (Jun-Sept) – jatropha* (Oct. sowing)
  • Sweet sorghum* (Jun-Sept) – sugarbeet* (Nov-Feb) – gingelly (Feb-May)
  • Groundnut (Jun-Sept.) – sugarbeet * (Sep-Feb.) – Sweet sorghum* / gingelly (Feb - May)
  • Pulses (Apr-June) – onion (Aug.-Dec.)-Sweet sorghum* (Jan.-Apr.)
  • Groundnut (Jun-Sept.) – jatropha* (Sept. Sowing)
  • Sweet sorghum* (Jun-Sept.) – sugarbeet* (Sept.-Feb.) – gingelly (Feb.- May)
  • Tapioca (Jan.-Dec.)
  • Groundnut (June-Sep.) - pulses / gingelly (Oct.-Jan.)
  • Cotton (Aug.-Jan.) - pulses (Feb.-April)
  • Rice (Sep.-Jan.) - cotton (Feb.-June)
  • Sugarcane (Nov.-Oct.)
  • Pulses (April - June) - onion (Aug.-Dec.) - sorghum (Jan.-April)
  • Turmeric (May-Jan.)
  • Banana (July-June) – ratoon banana (July-June) – 2 years rotation
  • Groundnut (April-July) - maize (Aug.-Nov.) - ragi (Dec.-March)
  • Fodder / pulses (March - May) - vegetables (June-Oct.) - groundnut (Nov.-Feb.)
  • Ragi / maize / minor millets (June-Sep.) - wheat / clusterbean / lab lab / bhendi (Nov.-Jan.) - capsicum / hybrid tomato (Feb.-May)
  • Jasmine/nerium*/stevia*/agathi (June planting)
  • Fodder (Jun-Sept) – jatropha* (Oct. sowing) (under drip irrigation)
  • Maize (June-Sept.) – jatropha* (Sept. sowing)
  • Sorghum / pearl millet / ragi / clusterbean / lab lab / bhendi /wheat (Aug.-Feb.)
  • Jatropha* (Sept. sowing)

c. Rainfed areas: red and black soils

  • Tapioca (May - Jan.)
  • Groundnut + pulses / sunflower / castor / sorghum / ragi / samai/ kudiraivali (May-Oct.) - horsegram (Nov.-Jan.)
  • Tapioca (May-Jan.)
  • Ragi / groundnut / sunflower / castor / sorghum + redgram + mochai / ragi / samai / kudiraivali (May-Oct.) - horsegram (Nov.- Jan.)
  • Rainfed tomato (June-Sep.) - horsegram (Oct.-Dec.)
  • Groundnut spreading /sunflower/redgram/samai (June-Sep.) – horsegram / wheat (Oct.-Dec.)
  • Castor / redgram + pulses (July - Dec.)
  • Samai / fodder / senna* / aloe* /castor (July-Dec.)
  • Castor + pulses (July-Dec.)

2. Salem district

  • Mean annual rainfall (mm) -925.2
  • Cold weather period (Jan.-Feb) -22.6
  • Summer (March-May) -175.6
  • South West monsoon season (June-Sept) -380.0
  • North East monsoon season (Oct.-Dec.) -347.0

a. Command areas: heavy clay and red soils

  • Turmeric (June-March) - fallow
  • Sugarcane (Dec.-Nov.) - ratoon sugarcane (Dec.-Nov.) - rice (Dec.- March)
  • Rice (Aug.-Nov.) - rice (Dec.-May)
  • Rice (Aug.-Nov.) - cotton (Dec.-May) / gingelly / groundnut (Dec.- March)
  • Turmeric (June-March) - fallow
  • Tapioca (Nov.-Oct.) - short time fallow
  • Cotton (Aug.-Jan.) - pulses/groundnut (Feb.-Apr)
  • Sugarcane (Dec.-Nov.) - ratoon sugarcane (Dec.-Nov.) - rice (Dec.- March)
  • Rice (Aug.-Jan.) - cotton (Feb.-June)/gingelly (Feb-­May)
  • Rice (June-Oct.) - ragi / groundnut / gingelly (Nov.-Feb.)
  • Rice (April-Aug.) - rice (Sep.-Jan.) - fodder sorghum (Jan.-March)
  • Groundnut (June-Sep.) - wheat / cole vegetables (Oct.-Feb.) - pulses / gingelly (Feb.-May)
  • Rice (Aug.-Nov.) - cotton (Dec.-May)/ gingelly/ groundnut (Dec.- March)
  • Cotton (Aug.-Jan.)- greengram/cowpea(Feb.-Apr)
  • Bhendi / cluster bean / water melon (June-Oct.) -rice (Dec.-March)
  • Turmeric (Jun.-March) – fallow
  • Green manure / pulses (May-Jul) - rice(Aug.-Jan.)
  • Millets /pulses (June-Aug.) - rice (Aug.-Jan.)
  • Cowpea / fodder sorghum (Oct.-Jan.) - fallow
  • Tapioca (Nov.-Oct.) - short time fallow
  • Groundnut/castor/sunflower (June-Sep.) - ragi/ fodder sorghum (Oct.-Jan.) - fallow
  • Ragi (June-Sep.) - maize (Oct.-Jan.) - hybrid tomato (Feb.-May)
  • Maize (June-Sep.) - wheat / cole vegetables (Oct-Jan) -hybrid tomato/green chillies (Feb-May)
  • Jasmine / stevia* / emplica* / neerium* (June planting)
  • Fodder (Jun-Sept) – jatropha* (October sowing) (under drip irrigation)
  • Maize (June-Sept.) – jatropha* (Sept. sowing)
  • Tapioca (Nov.-Oct.) - short time fallow Rice (Aug.-Jan.) - cotton (Feb.-June) / gingelly (Feb.-May) / groundnut (Feb.-May)
  • Cotton (Aug.-Jan.) - pulses / groundnut (Feb.-April)
  • Groundnut (June-Sep.) - wheat / cole vegetables / ragi (Oct.-Feb.) – pulses/ gingelly (Feb.-May)
  • Coleus* (June-Nov.) - maize (Dec.-Mar.)
  • Vegetables / gherkins (June-Nov.) - groundnut (Dec.-March) - green manure (April-May)
  • Vegetables (Nov.-Feb.) - pulses / gingelly (Feb.-June) groundnut (July-Oct.)
  • Groundnut (Jun-Sept) – sugarbeet* (Nov-Feb) – Sweet sorghum* / gingelly (Feb-May)
  • Pulses (Apr-Jun) – onion (Aug-Dec) – sweet sorghum* (Jan-Apr)
  • Fodder (Jun-Sept) – jatropha* (Oct. sowing)
  • Sweet sorghum* (Jun-Sept) – sugarbeet* (Nov-Feb) – gingelly (Feb- May)
  • Sugarcane (Dec.-Nov.) - ratoon sugarcane (Dec.- Nov.) - rice (Dec.- March)
  • Fodder sorghum/pearl millet/pulses (July-Oct.) - wheat (Nov.-Feb.)
  • Jatropha* (Sept. sowing)
  • Tapioca (June-Feb.)
  • Groundnut + pulses (May-Sep.) - sorghum + pulses (Oct.-Feb.)
  • Rainfed tomato (June-Sep.) – horsegram (Oct.-Jan.)
  • Sorghum/maize/ragi/pearl millet (May-Sep.) - Pulses (Oct.-Jan.)
  • Groundnut + castor (June-Jan.)
  • Tapioca (June-Feb.)
  • Groundnut + pulses (May-Sep.) - sorghum + pulses (Oct.-Feb.)
  • Rainfed tomato (June-Sep)-horsegram (Oct.-Jan.)
  • Sorghum / ragi / maize / pearl millet (May-Sep.) - pulses (Oct.-Jan.)
  • Groundnut + castor (June-Jan.)
  • Castor (May-Sep.) - pulses (Oct.-Jan.)
  • Spreading groundnut / sunflower / castor / redgram (June-Sep.) – horsegram (Oct.-Jan.)
  • Castor (May-Sep.) - pulses (Oct.-Jan.)
  • Pearl millet / sorghum + pulses/maize + greengram (May-Aug.) – horsegram (Oct.-Jan.)
  • Castor + pulses (May-Jan.)
  • Sorghum/pearl millet/ragi/minor millets/pulses/ fodder (May-Dec.)
  • Castor + pulses (July-Jan.)

3. Namakkal district

  • Mean annual rainfall (mm) -779.8
  • Cold weather period (Jan.-Feb) -17.5
  • Summer (March-May) -154.3
  • South West monsoon season (June-Sept) -317.0
  • North East monsoon season (Oct.-Dec.) -291.0

a. Command areas (Mettur stanely reservoir and canals): red and heavy clay soils

  • Rice (June-Sep.) - rice (Oct.-Feb.)
  • Rice (June-Sep.) - green manure (Oct.-Nov.) - Rice (Dec.-May)
  • Rice (June-Sep.) - groundnut (Nov.-March)
  • Sugarcane (Nov.-Oct.) - ratoon sugarcane (Nov.-Oct.) (2 years rotation)
  • Banana (July-June)
  • Banana (Dec.-Nov.)
  • Betel vine (Jan.-Dec.)
  • Bhendi / cluster bean / water melon (June-Sep.) -rice (Dec.-March)
  • Cotton (Aug.-Jan.) - greengram / cowpea (Feb.-April)
  • Rice (June-Sep.) - rice (Oct.-Feb.)
  • Rice (June-Sep.) - green manure (Oct.-Nov.) - rice (Dec.-March)
  • Sugarcane (Nov.-Oct.) - ratoon sugarcane (Nov.-Oct.) 2 years rotation
  • Banana (Dec.-Nov.)
  • Rice (June-Sep.) - groundnut (Nov.-March)
  • Betel vine (Jan.-Dec.)
  • Green manure/pulses (June-July)-rice (Aug.-Jan.)
  • Pulses (June-Aug.) - groundnut (Nov.-Feb.)
  • Tapioca (Dec.-Nov.)
  • Sorghum/cowpea/minor millets /fodder (Oct-Jan.)
  • Fodder / pulses (May-Aug.) - groundnut (Sep.-Dec.)
  • Coleus* (June-Nov.) - maize (Dec.-March)
  • Tapioca (Jan.-Dec.)
  • Groundnut (June-Sep.) - pulses / gingelly (Oct.-Jan.)
  • Cotton (Aug.-Jan.) - pulses (Feb.-April)
  • Rice (Sep.-Jan.) - cotton (Feb.-June)
  • Sugarcane (Nov.-Oct.- ratoon sugarcane (Nov.-Oct.)
  • Pulses (April-June) - onion (Aug.-Dec.) - sorghum (Jan.-April)
  • Turmeric (May-Jan.)
  • Banana (July-June) - ratoon banana (July-June) – years rotation
  • Groundnut (Apr-Jul)-maize(Aug-Nov.)-ragi (Dec-Mar)
  • Groundnut (Jun-Sept) – sugarbeet* (Nov-Feb) – Sweet sorghum* / gingelly (Feb-May)
  • Pulses (Apr-Jun) – Onion (Aug-Dec) – Sweet sorghum* (Jan-Apr)
  • Fodder (Jun-Sept) – jatropha* (Oct. sowing)
  • Sweet sorghum* (Jun-Sept) – sugarbeet* (Nov-Feb) – gingelly (Feb - May)
  • Groundnut(Jun-Sept.)–sugarbeet*(Sep-Feb.)-Sweet sorghum*/gingelly (Feb-May)
  • Pulses (Apr-June) – onion (Aug.-Dec.)-Sweet sorghum* (Jan.-Apr.)
  • Groundnut (Jun-Sept.) – jatropha* (Sept. Sowing)
  • Sweet sorghum* (Jun-Sept.) – sugarbeet* (Sept.-Feb.) – gingelly (Feb.- May)
  • Ragi/maize/groundnut (June-Sep.) - wheat / cole vegetables (Oct.- Feb.) - pulses / gingelly (Feb.-May)
  • Fodder / pulses (May-Aug.) - groundnut (Sep.-Dec.)
  • Cotton (Aug.-Jan.) - fallow
  • Vegetables (May-Aug.) - maize (Aug.-Nov.)
  • Arali / stevia* / Jatropha* /agathi (Sep.-June)
  • Annual moringa (June sowing)
  • Fodder(Jun-Sept) – jatropha* (Oct. sowing) (under drip irrigation)
  • Maize (June-Sept.) – jatropha* (Sept. sowing)
  • Sorghum / pearl millet / pulses (Aug.-Feb.)
  • Wheat (Nov.-Feb.)
  • Jatropha* (Sept. sowing)
  • Tapioca (June-May)
  • Groundnut + castor / pulses (May-Jan.)
  • Groundnut + castor (May-Jan.) -horsegram (Oct.­Jan.) as an intercrop
  • Sorghum + pulses (June-Dec.)
  • Tapioca (June-May)
  • Rainfed tomato (June-Sep.) - horsegram (Oct.-Dec.)
  • Groundnut + castor / pulses (May-Jan.)
  • Groundnut + castor (May-Jan.) -horsegram (Oct.­Jan.) as an intercrop
  • Sorghum + pulses (June-Dec.)
  • Tapioca (June-May)
  • Spreading groundnut + castor (May-Jan.) -horsegram (Oct.-Jan.) as an intercrop
  • Sorghum / maize / pearl millet / pulses (May-Oct.)
  • Castor + pulses (June-Feb.)
  • Minor millet + pulses / castor / fodder / pulses (July-Dec.)
  • Perennial crops : 20 % of cultivable area Mango, amla, anona, tamarind, sapota, gliricidia, simarouba
  • Dairy, sheep and poultry
  • Sericulture
  • Biofuel crops are recommended only with industrial tie-up
  • Medicinal plants are recommended only with buy back arrangement