Methods of Wheat Production:
The work in the wheat fields begins after the rainy season, i.e. in the month of October or November. At this time the land is moist and soft. The fields are ploughed and the soil is broken several times, with the help of either a tractor or an ox-pulled plough.
The seeds are sown in rows either by broadcasting, dibbling or drilling methods. At the time of sowing, the soil has enough moisture needed for the growth of plants.
The grain starts appearing by the end of February and the harvesting begins before the hot summer month. In South India, the crop ripens a bit earlier. At the time of harvesting, the grain is hard and the stalk is brittle. Harvesting in South India is done mostly by hand. In the north-western parts of India, harvesting machines are now being used widely. The combine harvesters are preferred as it can do harvesting as well as thrashing and packing.
Image Source: nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu
Areas of Wheat Production:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
India is the fourth largest producer of wheat in the world, after Russia, USA and China. Wheat is grown on about 17 per cent of the total cropped area in India.
The wheat production, area under wheat cultivation and the yield per hectare have recorded rapid increase, particularly after the Green Revolution in 1967. The yield of wheat, about 2500 kg per hectares, is still very low, when compared with other wheat producing countries like Russia, USA, Australia and China.
Wheat production is mainly confined to the north-western states of India like Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. These states account for about 55 per cent of land under wheat cultivation and about 70 per cent of the total wheat production in India. This region is thus called the ‘granary of India’.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The other important wheat producing states are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The area under wheat cultivation in the drier region is increasing due to the extension of irrigation facilities.
About one-third of the total wheat production in India is for trade. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are surplus wheat producing states and supply it to deficit states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, etc. India is now self-sufficient in wheat production and exports small quantities of wheat.