Patterns of Crop Concentration and Diversification of Kongu Uplands, Tamil Nadu, India

In the present study the spatial patterns of agricultural crops in Kongu Uplands has been outlined through the statistical techniques of crop concentration and diversification. The study is at block level which covers eighty-one blocks of eight Districts viz., Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Karur, Tiruchirappalli, Namakkal, Salem and Dindigul. The study area covers an area of approximately 26,000 sq. km. The statistical techniques plays significant role in assessing the dominating positions of crops in a particular area. Bhatia’s Location Quotient method and Gibb’s Martin’s quantitative technique has been adopted for computing the crop concentration and the diversification index respectively. Jowar, Coconut, Ground Nut, Paddy, Maize, Fodder Crop and Sugar Cane are identified to be the highly concentrated crops in the study area in which jowar and Coconut covers large portions of the cropped land area. The crop diversification of seventy-five blocks is high, five blocks are moderate and one block is low, which clearly suggests that Kongu Uplands is highly diversified with crops.