Agricultural Geography of Haryana: Crop Pattern, Irrigation and Impact of Climate Change

Abstract

Agriculture forms the backbone of Haryana's economy and landscape, engaging a large share of its workforce and shaping the state's distinctive rice-wheat cropping system. This paper presents a geographical analysis of the crop pattern, irrigation base, and emerging climate change impacts across the state. Haryana, often described as the 'wheat basket and rice bowl' of India, contributes substantially to the national foodgrain pool, with wheat and paddy together occupying about two-thirds of its gross cropped area. The study examines the spatial arrangement of major kharif and rabi crops in relation to soil, rainfall, and irrigation availability, and documents the central role of canal and tube-well irrigation, which together cover roughly three-fourths of the net sown area. The paper further reviews scientific evidence on rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and increasingly frequent heat waves and their measurable effect on wheat and rice yields, with studies indicating yield reductions of the order of 10 to 35 per cent under recent heat-wave conditions and further declines projected by mid-century. The paper concludes by underlining the need for crop diversification, heat- and water-stress-resilient varieties, and climate-smart agronomic practices to sustain Haryana's agricultural productivity in a changing climate.