Geo-Analyst ( ISSN 2249-2909), Vol.1, No.2 2011 CROP DIVERSIFICATION OF BIRBHUM DISTRICT: A SPATIO TEMPORAL ASSESSMENT Surajit Let Abstract: !or "alan#e$ a%ri#ultural $e&elo'(ent, a%ri#ultural $i&ersi)i#ation is ne#essary in t*e te#*nolo%i#ally "a#+,ar$ #ountries li+e In$ia. -ntro'y an$ .erry/s (easure &alues o) #ro' $i&ersi)i#ation in t*e .ir"*u( $istri#t a"out 0.30 an$ 0.32 res'e#ti&ely "ut t*at is 1uite lo, in ,est .en%al (2I-30.44 an$ 2I.30.49) in 2005-00. 6*is is )oun$ in %reat $is'arities in inter "lo#+ a$(inistrati&e units. 7isera"le "a#+,ar$ness o) a%ri#ultural $i&ersi)i#ation in $i))erent "lo#+s is "e#ause o) *y$ro-'*ysi#al, e#ono(i# "arriers, la#+ o) #ultural (oti&ation an$ 'ro-a#ti&e an$ 'ost *ar&estin% te#*nolo%i#al su''orts ,it* asso#iate$ #ulti&ation te#*nolo%ies. 6*e lo' si$e$ ten$en#y o) ri#e (ono #ulture $ue to i%noran#e a"out t*e nee$ o) a%ri#ultural $i&ersi)i#ation is "asi#ally res'onsible )or su#* situation. 6*is 'a'er tries to atte('t a s'atio-te('oral stu$y o) #ro' $i&ersi)i#ation in .ir"*u( 2istri#t o) 8est .en%al. Key Words: Technology, Monoculture, Economy, Irrigation, Development Introduction: In t*e 6*ir$ 8orl$ 9ountries like In$ia, ,*ere (an-lan$ ratio is *i%* enou%*, a%ri#ultural $i&ersi)i#ation es'e#ially in ter( o) #ro' $i&ersi)i#ation is &ery (u#* ne#essary. At t*e sa(e ti(e, In$ian a%ri#ulture is the %a("le o) (onsoon i.e., to %et ri$ o) )ro( *el'less $e'en$en#y on seasonal (onsoon rain)all, irri%ation )a#ilities : one o) t*e (ost e))i#ient in)rastru#ture te#*nolo%i#al ai$s is earnestly re1uire$ so t*at a%ri#ultural e#ono(y is esta"lis*e$ in t*e stron% relati&e 'lat)or(s. I) $i))erent ;i%* <iel$in% Verities (;<V) o) see$s, 'ro'er )ertili=ation, auto(ation in a%ri#ulture, in)or(ation, "an+in% )a#ilities are $ully 'ro&i$e$ a##or$in% to justi)ie$ 'attern o) lan$ use, a%ri#ultural $i&ersi)ication is 'ossible to a#*ie&e. In In$ia, t*rou%* $e#linin% o&er t*e years, a%riculture ,it* a 19.4> #ontribution to t*e Gross 2o(esti# ?ro$u#ts (G2?) still 'ro&i$es li&eli*oo$ su''ort to a"out t,o t*ir$s o) t*e #ountry/s 'o'ulation. (San, @, ?at*a+, 2000). 6*e se#tor 'ro&ides e('loy(ent to A5.0> o) t*e #ountry/s ,or+ )or#e an$ is t*e sin%le tar%et 'ri&ate se#tor o##u'ation. So, 'ro'er nutrition s*oul$ "e 'ro&i$e$ to t*is se#tor e&en u' to (i#ro le&el to $yna(i#ally sta"ili=e t*e a%ri#ultural e#ono(y. 9ro' $i&ersifi#ation ,it* t*e aid o) 'ro'er te#*nolo%i#al %ui$an#e is to "e a %oo$ a''roa#* to sustain t*e e#ono(y. .ut $ue to se&ere 'au#ity o) seasone$ *ar(ony o) $if)erent te#*nolo%i#al (o$es, ina$e1uate o) $if)erent a#+no,le$%e(ent a"ut justi)ie$ #ro' #*art, lo' si$e$ ten$en#y to *a&e in&ol&e$ in ri#e (ono#ulture #olle#ti&ely *a&e %i&en a (isera"le $e#eleratin% status o) #ro' $i&ersi)i#ation to 8... ,*ere t*e 'icture is too (isera"le in 7urs*i$a"a$ $istri#t. Location:- .ir"*u( $istri#t is one o) t*e lar%est $istri#ts in 8... #arryin% 4A4A.00 s1. +(. o) %eo%ra'*i#al area an$ is lo#ate$ in t*e ,estern 'art o) 8est .en%al. 6*e a"solute lo#ation o) t*is $istrict is ran%in% )ro( 23C32D30EN latitu$e to 24C3AD0EN latitu$es an$ )ro( 40CAD2AE- to 44C01D40E- lon%itu$e (!ig. 1). !i%. 1 23 Geo-Analyst ( ISSN 2249-2909), Vol.1, No.2 2011 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fesear#* s#*olar, 2e't. o) Geo%ra'*y, Vis&a-.*arati, Santini+etan, 8est .en%al G o! cono"ic condition o# t$ stud% ar a:! .ir"*u(, stu$$e$ ,it* "us*y s*ru"s o))ers an un$ulatin% lan$s#a'e an$ '*ysio%ra'*i#ally it is an a$ja#ent to t*e 'lateau )rin%e o) 9*ottana%'ur. 6*e re%ion is a $ual "len$ o) rollin% 'lateau (a$e u' o) laterite an$ %an%eti# allu&ial 'lains, ,*i#* is *i%*ly #on$u#i&e )or #ulti&ation. ;en#e t*e e#ono(y o) t*e $istrict is (ainly a%ri#ulture "ase$ an$ a"out 3,329.0As1.+(. o) lan$ is #ulti&ate$ *ere. 6*e $ry ,eat*er o) .ir"*u( is *i%*ly a$&erse to t*e a%ri#ulture t*ere)ore the irri%ation 'roje#ts *a&e "een un$erta+en to in$u#e t*e a%ri#ultural $e&elo'(ent ,*i#* is t*e "a#+"one o) t*e rural e#ono(y. As (ost o) t*e lan$ is $ry an$ t*e ri&ers are only rain)e$, t*e a%ri#ulture is su''orte$ neit*er "y rain nor "y rivers $urin% non (onsoon 'erio$. ;en#e irri%ation is t*e only ,ay out o) t*is 'ro"le(. Lan$ ,it* irrigation )a#ilities in 2001-02 ,as 2053.9 s1. +(. Fi#e is t*e (ajor #ro', #ulti&ate$ *ere. A'art )ro( ri#e, le%u(en, ,*eat, #orn, etc are also 'ro$u#e$. In re#ent ti(es, t*e %o&ern(ent *as o'ene$ u' a nu("er o) a&enues )or t*e eG'ansion o) *orti#ulture, t*ere"y (a+in% it an i('ortant sour#e o) t*e %ross in#o(e o) t*e $istri#t. Ob& cti' s o# t$ stud%:! i. 6o eGa(ine s'atio-te('oral 'attern o) a%ri#ultural $i&ersi)i#ation in t*e $istri#t. ii. Felational analysis "et,een te#*nolo%i#al status an$ #ro' $i&ersi)i#ation 'rioriti=in% irri%ation )a#ilities. iii. 9o('arati&e strati%ra'*i# analysis o) #ro' $i&ersi)ication o) 8est .en%al an$ .ir"*u( in te('oral )as*ion. Databas and M t$odolo)%:! 6*e ,or+ is (ainly "ase$ on se#on$ary $ata, o"taine$ )ro( Statisti#al A"stra#ts, Go&t. o) In$ia, an$ 9entre )or 7onitorin% In$ian -#ono(y Go&t. o) 8est .en%al, A%ricultural 2e&elo'(ent H))i#e o) .ir"*u( $istri#t. Si('le statisti#al tools *a&e "een use$ to analy=e t*e $ata. 6o esti(ate t*e le&el o) #ro' $i&ersi)ication ;art/s -ntro'y In$eG an$ .erry/s In$eG *a&e "een use$. 6,o in$i#es *a&e "een #o('ute$ to (easure the eGtent o) $i&ersi)ication, &i=. i. .erry/s In$eG (2I.) "ase$ on .erry(1901) an$ ii. -ntro'y In$eG(2I-) as su%%este$ "y ;art(1901) 2I. is #o('ute$ "y usin% t*e e1uation 2I.31-Σ? 2it 2I- is #o('ute$ "y usin% t*e )or(ula 2I- 3Σ I?it G In (1J?it)K 8*ere ?i stan$s )or 'ro'ortion o) area un$er t*e i t* #ro' at ti(e 'oint.L 2I. or DI- is eG'e#te$ to in#rease in t*e eGtent o) $i&ersi)i#ation an$ &i#e-&ersa. 2 DI. is #o('ute$ "y usin% t*e e1uation 2I. 3 1:∑? it 2 2I- is #o('ute$ usin% t*e )or(ula 2I- 3∑I? it M In (1J?it)K 8*ere, ?i stan$s )or 'ro'ortion o) area un$er t*e ith #ro' at ti(e 'oint t. DI. or 2I- is eG'e#te$ to in#rease ,it* in#rease in t*e eGtent o) $i&ersi)i#ation an$ &i#e-&ersa. A#tual $e%ree o) $i&ersi)i#ation to (aGi(u( $i&ersi)i#ation 'ossi"le )or a %i&en nu("er o) #ro's is (easure$ )or .erry/s In$eG as 2I.JI1:(1Jn)K, ,*ile )or -ntro'y In$eG as DI-JIn(n) 7ore t*e -ntro'y or .erry/s (easures &alue eG'e#te$ is t*e result or ot*er,ise. Status o# Cro* Di' rsi#ication in Birb$u" District+ , st B n)a(: 6*e (ain #ro' o) 8est .en%al is rice ,*i#* #arries (ore t*an 50 'er #ent o) t*e Gross 9ro''e$ Area. .ut, ten$en#y o) ri#e $o(inan#e *as in#rease$ to so(e eGtent sin#e 1994-9A to 2005-00 "e#ause ri#e #o&ere$ area *as in#rease$ 24 Geo-Analyst ( ISSN 2249-2909), Vol.1, No.2 2011 )ro( 50> to 00> (ta"le 1).