A Geographical Analysis Of Spatio - Temporal Variation In Cropping Intensity & Concentration Of Irrigated Crops In Dhule & Nandurbar Districts (ms). Nandurbar Districts (ms).

Abstract:-Cropping intensity means the ratio of Net Area Sown to the Gross Cropped Area. There are only two
ways to satisfy the increasing food and other agricultural demands of country's rising population; either expanding
the net area under cultivation or intensify cropping over the existing area. The net sown area of the country has risen
by about 20 % since independence and has reached a point where it is not possible to make any appreciable
increase. Thus; raising the cropping intensity is the only viable option left. Thus, higher cropping intensity means
that a higher portion of the net area is being cropped more than once during one agriculture year. During triennium
of 1991-93, the index of intensity of cropping for the study area as a whole is 107.65 per cent. Shirpur tahsil has the
highest cropping intensity of 15.46 per cent, followed by Akkalkuwa 110.09 per cent and Taloda tahsil 110.39 per
cent. During 2001–03, index of cropping intensity were 104.27 per cent. Shahada tahsil has the highest cropping
intensity of 107.96 per cent, followed by Shindkheda tahsil 106.38 per cent and Shirpur tahsil 104.60 per cent. It
shows declined in cropping intensity during investigation period. In general, higher the crop concentration index,
higher is the level of interest in the production of that crop. Here only those irrigated crops have been analyse whose
index value is 1.00 and more than 1.00 for the period of triennium 2001-03.