Among the rabi crops, wheat, together with barley and oats, jowar and gram, are the main base crops among the rabi cropping patterns. Generally, wheat and gram are concentrated in the subtropical region in northern India, whereas the rabi sorghum is grown mostly in the Deccan. The extent of these areas in different states is as follows;

In several sugarcane-growing areas, mono-cropping is practised, and during the interval between the crops, short duration seasonal crops are grown. In U.P., Bihar, Punjab and Haryana, wheat and maize are the rotation crops. rice is also grown in some areas. In the southern states, namely Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, ragi, rice and pulses are grown along with sugarcane. In Maharashtra, pulses, jowar and cotton are grown.

In the potato-growing region, maize, pulses, wheat are the alternative crops. in the tobacco-growing areas, depending on the season and the type of tobacco, jowar, oilseeeds and maize are grown in rotation. in the jute-growing areas, rice is the usual alternative crop.

In the case of plantation-crops, intercropping with pulses and fodder crops is common. Spices and condiments are generally grown on fertile soils. Chillies are rotated with jowar, whereas onion, corriander, turmeric and ginger are grown as mixed crops with other seasonal crops.

Mixed Cropping. Crops mixtures are widely grown, especially during the kharif season. Pulses and some oilseeds are grown with maize, jowar and bajra. Lowland rice is invariably grown unmixed, but in the case of upland rice, several mixtures are prevalent in eastern Uttar Pradesh, with Chotanagpur Division of Bihar and in the Chhatisgarh Division of Madhya Pradesh. During the rabi season, especially in the unirrigated area of the north, wheat and barley and wheat and gram or wheat + barley + gram are the mixtures of grain crops. Brassica and safflower are grown mixed with gram or even with wheat. Mixed cropping was considered by researchers a primitive practice, but now many researchers regard mixed cropping as the most efficient way of using land. Several new mixtures have recently been suggested. They ensure an efficient utilization of sunshine and land. Breeders are developing plant types in pulses and oilseeds, with good compatibility with row crops.

The future of cropping patterns. With the increase in population, the irrigated area is increasing and with advances in agricultural science, most of the extensive cropping patterns are giving way to intensive cropping. The development in minor irrigation works has especially provided the farmes with opportunities to crop their land all the year round with high-yielding varieties. This intensive cropping will require an easy and ready availability of balanced fertilizers and plant protection chemicals and an appropriate price policy for inputs and agricultural produce.

India is a country of small farmers. In the future the size of the holdings will diminish further. The country has to produce enough for its people without deteriorating the quality of the environment.

This is the challenge of the future for the farmers, agricultural scientists, extension workers and administrators.