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