List of India's Agro-Climatic Zones: A Comprehensive Overview

Zone 1: Western Himalayan Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures range from 5°C to 30°C in July. Winter brings severe cold, with temperatures dropping to between 0°C and -4°C in January.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall varies between 1,000 to 2,000 mm, with significant differences depending on altitude and orientation. The region experiences heavy rainfall during the southwest monsoon season.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include rice (cultivated in terraced fields), maize, wheat, potato, and barley. Temperate fruits like apples and pears are grown in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Tea plantations are emerging in the Garhwal-Kumaon hills.

• Location: The region covers Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and parts of Uttaranchal (Kumaun-Garhwal areas). The topography is varied, with high mountains, valleys, and duns. Perennial streams such as the Ganga, Yamuna, Jhelum, Chenab, Satluj, and Beas provide water resources.

Zone 2: Eastern Himalayan Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures range from 25°C to 33°C in July, while winter temperatures are cooler, ranging from 11°C to 24°C in January.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall ranges from 1,500 to 3,000 mm, with high variability across the region. Extremely high rainfall occurs during the monsoon, especially in regions like Mawsynram and Cherrapunji.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include rice, potatoes, maize, and tea. Fruits like oranges, pineapples, limes, and lychees are also grown. Shifting cultivation, known as jhum, is practiced for sustenance crops.

• Location: The region includes Sikkim, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Arunachal Pradesh, Assam hills, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. The topography is rugged, with thick forest cover, and the climate is sub-humid with annual rainfall exceeding 200 cm.

Zone 3: Lower Gangetic Plains Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures in July range from 26°C to 41°C, while winter temperatures in January range between 9°C and 24°C.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall varies from 1,200 to 1,800 mm. The region experiences moderate to heavy rainfall during the monsoon season.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include rice (grown multiple times per year), jute, maize, potatoes, and pulses. Banana, mango, and citrus fruits are also cultivated. Additional activities include pisciculture and poultry farming.

• Location: The region covers Eastern Bihar, West Bengal, and the Assam valley. It features alluvial plains with adequate groundwater storage, and irrigation is primarily managed through wells and canals.

Zone 4: Middle Gangetic Plains Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures in July range between 26°C and 41°C. In winter, January temperatures vary from 9°C to 24°C.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 mm, with moderate monsoon rainfall that shows significant variation across the region.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include rice, maize, millets, wheat, gram, barley, peas, and mustard. Potatoes and pulses are also widely cultivated.

• Location: This region encompasses Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (excluding the Chotanagpur plateau). The topography consists of fertile alluvial plains drained by the Ganga River, with irrigation primarily through tube wells and canals.

Zone 5: Upper Gangetic Plains Region

• Temperature: July temperatures range from 26°C to 41°C in summer, while winter temperatures in January range between 7°C and 23°C.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall varies between 800 and 1,200 mm. The region experiences moderate monsoon rainfall, with a reliance on water-intensive irrigation practices.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include wheat, rice, sugarcane, millets, maize, gram, barley, oilseeds, pulses, and cotton. Multiple cropping patterns, such as rice-potato-wheat, are common.

• Location: The region covers central and western parts of Uttar Pradesh. The topography features sandy loam soil with high irrigation intensity, supported by canals, tube wells, and wells

Zone 6: Trans-Gangetic Plains Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures in July range from 26°C to 42°C, while winter temperatures in January range from 7°C to 22°C.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall ranges from 700 to 1,000 mm, with low to moderate monsoon rainfall and a heavy reliance on irrigation.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include wheat, sugarcane, cotton, rice, gram, maize, millets, pulses, and oilseeds. Horticulture and fodder crops are also cultivated.

• Location: The region includes Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, and the Ganganagar district of Rajasthan. The topography is semi-arid, with modern farming techniques supported by private tube wells and canals.

Zone 7: Eastern Plateau and Hills Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures in July range from 26°C to 34°C, while winter temperatures in January range from 10°C to 27°C.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall varies between 800 and 1,200 mm, with moderate monsoon rainfall that is unevenly distributed.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include rice, millets, maize, oilseeds, ragi, gram, and potatoes. Pulses and high-value crops are also cultivated.

• Location: This region includes the Chotanagpur plateau, Rajmahal hills, Chhattisgarh plains, and Dandakaranya. The topography is characterized by plateau regions with red and yellow soils, and water resources are limited due to non-perennial streams.

Zone 8: Central Plateau and Hills Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures in July range from 26°C to 40°C, while winter temperatures in January range from 7°C to 24°C.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall varies between 600 and 1,200 mm, with irregular monsoon rainfall that necessitates reliance on seasonal rains.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include millets, gram, barley, wheat, cotton, and sunflower. Groundnut and high-value crops are also cultivated.

• Location: The region covers Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand, the Bhander plateau, the Malwa plateau, and the Vindhyachal hills. The topography features mixed red, yellow, and black soils, with a strong emphasis on water conservation due to limited water resources.

Zone 9: Western Plateau and Hills Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures in July range from 24°C to 41°C, while winter temperatures in January range from 6°C to 23°C.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall ranges from 500 to 900 mm, with sparse and uneven monsoon rainfall.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include jowar, cotton, sugarcane, rice, bajra, wheat, gram, and pulses. Oranges, grapes, and bananas are also grown.

• Location: The region includes the southern Malwa plateau and the Deccan plateau (Maharashtra). The topography is characterized by red soil with low irrigation coverage and a focus on efficient water use.

Zone 10: Southern Plateau and Hills Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures in July range from 26°C to 42°C, while winter temperatures in January range from 13°C to 21°C.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall varies between 800 and 1,200 mm, with variable monsoon rainfall and significant dry periods.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include coffee, tea, cardamom, and spices. Groundnut and soybean are also cultivated.

• Location: The region covers southern Maharashtra, Karnataka, western Andhra Pradesh, and northern Tamil Nadu. The topography is semi-arid, with dry land farming predominating, and water resources are limited, emphasizing tank irrigation and water-saving devices.

Zone 11: East Coast Plains and Hills Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures in May range from 26°C to 32°C, while winter temperatures in January range from 20°C to 29°C.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall varies between 1,000 and 2,000 mm, with high rainfall during the southwest monsoon and some coastal regions experiencing heavy precipitation.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include rice, jute, tobacco, sugarcane, maize, millets, groundnut, and oilseeds. Spices and fisheries are also important in the region.

• Location: The region covers the Coromandel and Northern Circar coasts. The topography is characterized by alluvial, loam, and clay soils, with water management issues related to alkalinity and the need for improved irrigation.

Zone 12: West Coast Plains and Ghats Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures in July range from 26°C to 32°C, while winter temperatures in January range from 19°C to 28°C.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall varies between 2,000 and 4,000 mm, with some areas receiving exceptionally high precipitation, especially during the monsoon.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include rice, coconut, oilseeds, sugarcane, millets, pulses, and cotton. Plantation crops and spices are also cultivated.

• Location: The region covers the Malabar and Konkan coasts, as well as the Sahyadris. The topography is humid, with coastal alluvial and laterite soils, and the region receives high rainfall but needs improved water management.

Zone 13: Gujarat Plains and Hills Region

• Temperature: Summer temperatures in July range from 26°C to 42°C, while winter temperatures in January range from 13°C to 29°C.

• Rainfall: Annual rainfall varies between 500 and 900 mm, with variable monsoon rainfall leading to regions of both scarcity and surplus.

• Crops Grown: Main crops include groundnut, cotton, rice, millets, oilseeds, wheat, and tobacco. The region is an important producer of oilseeds.

• Location: The region covers Kathiawar and the fertile valleys of the Mahi and Sabarmati rivers. The topography is arid and semi-arid, with various soil types and a focus on canal and groundwater management.

Zone 14: Western Dry Region

• Temperature: In summer, temperatures in June range from 28°C to 45°C. During winter in January, temperatures range between 5°C and 22°C.

• Rainfall: The region experiences extremely low rainfall, with annual precipitation less than 25 cm. The rainfall is highly erratic and unreliable, leading to severe water scarcity.

• Crops Grown: Given the arid conditions, the main crops grown in this region include drought-resistant varieties such as pearl millet (bajra), moth beans, cluster beans (guar), and groundnuts. Livestock rearing, particularly of camels and goats, is also a significant activity.

• Location: The Western Dry Region covers the arid and semi-arid areas of Western Rajasthan. The topography is characterized by sandy dunes and rocky terrain, with minimal vegetation. Water scarcity is a major challenge, and traditional rainwater harvesting techniques, like khadins and nadis, are employed to address this issue.

Zone 15: The Islands Region

• Temperature: In Port Blair, the summer temperature in July is around 30°C, while in winter, January temperatures hover around 25°C. The region maintains relatively consistent temperatures throughout the year due to its equatorial location.

• Rainfall: The region experiences heavy rainfall, characteristic of an equatorial climate, contributing to lush vegetation. The annual rainfall is substantial, leading to high humidity and dense forest cover.

• Crops Grown: The main crops grown in this region include coconut, arecanut, tropical fruits like bananas and papayas, and spices. Fisheries are also a significant economic activity, given the proximity to rich marine resources.

• Location: The Islands Region includes the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea. The topography features coral atolls, dense tropical forests, and a vast coastline. Agricultural activities are limited by the geography, but the region focuses on improving crop productivity, water management, and developing the fisheries sector. There is a strong emphasis on introducing multi-purpose fishing vessels and enhancing infrastructure for storage and processing.