Question

Describe three important characteristics of rice cultivation in India.

Answer 1

Hint: India ranks second in the rice production of the world after China. Rice is the main agricultural crop in India and being an agrarian economy, the livelihood of many people depends on the cultivation of rice. It is not only the main food crop but also the staple food of a large number of Indian people.

Complete Answer:
Rice in India is mainly grown in the eastern part of the country along the primary deltas, the Indo-Gangetic plains, along the foothills of the Himalayas, along the rivers in the peninsular region, the southern parts, the western and the eastern coastal strips; it is also cultivated in the western part of the country in the summer and with the help of irrigation.
Some of the features of rice cultivation can be enumerated as follows,
Firstly, it is a tropical plant which requires high temperature and high rainfall. The plainland of India is characterised by hot and humid monsoon type of climate, experiencing an annual temperature of $20^\circ C$-$27^\circ C$ and getting an annual rainfall of 250-300cm. Rice plants need $20^\circ C$-$22^\circ C$ of temperature during the sowing season, $23^\circ C$-$25^\circ C$ during the growing season and $25^\circ C$-$30^\circ C$ during the harvesting, which the temperature of India can provide.
Secondly, the vast plainland with clay and sand brought by the rivers makes the land fertile as well as increases the water retention capacity that is very much required by the plants as they best grow in waterlogged areas. It can tolerate alkaline as well as acid soils.
Thirdly, as India is a very populous state, many people thrive on rice cultivation as their livelihood, thus plenty of labours are easily available. It provides sustenance to a large group of people in India.

Note: West Bengal is the largest rice producing state of India, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. In the financial year 2018-29, India exported around 4.4 million metric tons of Basmati rice. Thus, through rice cultivation India earns a major part of her foreign currency as well.