Agro-Ecological Delineation for Promoting Sustainable Agriculture.
2022
Velayutham, M. | Mandal, D.K. | Mandal, C.
In pursuing research in sustainable agriculture there is an urgent need of audit of basic resources in terms of agro-ecological regions to enrich the knowledge of natural resource availability, energy efficiency, soil conservation, nutrient retention, loss of genetic diversity (Dover and Talbot, 1978). Agro-ecological region means a homogenous land unit in terms of climate, soils and length of growing period (LGP) or moisture availability period, suitable for a particular type of flora or fauna to thrive (FAO, 1983, NBSS and LUP, 1992). Essence of this method lies in superimposition of four basic maps like soils, physiography, climate and length of growing period. FAO based LGP concept has been tested and criteria for agro-ecological delineation has been developed at different levels. Five types of LGP in India h as been identified while characterising the LGP, namely normal, year round dry, year round moist, intermediate and bimodal type. LGP has been correlated with Thornthwaite moisture index for classifying bioclimates through much simpler LGP classes. Based on the above principle India has been divided into 20 agro-ecological regions and 60 agro-ecological exercise will be helpful in delineating agro-ecological exercise at lower level and understanding constraint based research.
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