Agro climatic zones in Odisha || Donwload PDF Free

In this post, we share some Knowledge about Agro climatic zones in Odisha that help to your all Upcoming Odisha competitive Exam.

Name Of The Post	Agro climatic zones in Odisha
Type Of Post	Odisha GK
Help For	All Odisha Competitive Exam
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Odisha, situated on the eastern coast of India, is characterized by diverse physiographic features, including coastal plains, plateaus, and mountainous regions. This diversity, coupled with varying climatic conditions, has led to the demarcation of ten distinct agro-climatic zones in the state. Understanding these zones is crucial for the OPSC exam, as it sheds light on the agricultural practices, crop suitability, and challenges faced by farmers in different regions.

Overview of Odisha’s Climate

Odisha primarily experiences a tropical monsoon climate, with distinct wet and dry seasons.

• Summer (March to June): Extremely hot and humid, especially in interior regions, with temperatures often exceeding 40∘C. Coastal areas experience moderated temperatures due to sea breezes.
• Monsoon (June to September): The southwest monsoon brings the bulk of the annual rainfall (averaging 1200-1500 mm), which is crucial for agriculture. Rainfall distribution is uneven, with higher rainfall in districts like Malkangiri and Koraput, and lower rainfall in western districts like Balangir. This season is prone to floods and cyclones.
• Post-Monsoon (October to November): A transitional period with retreating monsoon winds, often characterized by cyclonic storms originating in the Bay of Bengal.
• Winter (December to February): Mild and pleasant, with cooler temperatures in hilly areas (sometimes below 10∘C). Winter rainfall, though less frequent, is important for rabi crops.

Agro-Climatic Zones of Odisha

The ten agro-climatic zones are delineated based on factors like rainfall patterns, soil types, temperature, and cropping patterns.

1. North-Western Plateau

• Districts Covered: Sundargarh, Deogarh, parts of Sambalpur, and Jharsuguda.
• Climate: Hot and moist sub-humid.
• Soil Types: Red, Brown Forest, Red & Yellow, Mixed Red & Black. Soils are generally acidic, low in organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
• Rainfall: Moderate rainfall.
• Crops Grown: Rice, Greengram, Blackgram, Arhar, Horsegram, Groundnut, Mustard, Wheat, Potato, Sweet potato, Vegetables, Mango, Banana, Citrus, Litchi, Guava, Papaya. Upland soils are suitable for millets and pulses.

2. North-Central Plateau

• Districts Covered: Mayurbhanj, major parts of Keonjhar (except Anandapur).
• Climate: Hot and moist sub-humid.
• Soil Types: Red & Yellow, Mixed Red & Black, Laterite.
• Rainfall: Mean annual rainfall around 1450 mm with about 67 rainy days. 63-67% of rainfall occurs during SW monsoon.
• Crops Grown: Rice, Wheat, Arhar, Greengram, Blackgram, Horsegram, Groundnut, Linseed, Mustard, Mesta, Niger, Sweet potato, Potato, Chilli, Turmeric, Ginger, Vegetables, Mango, Banana, Citrus, Pineapple, Sapota.

3. North-Eastern Coastal Plains

• Districts Covered: Balasore, Bhadrak, parts of Jajpur (except Sukinda), and Anandapur of Keonjhar.
• Climate: Moist sub-humid.
• Soil Types: Red, Deltaic Alluvial, Coastal Alluvial, Saline. These soils have high soluble salts like chlorides and sulphates of sodium and magnesium.
• Rainfall: High rainfall, with variability below 15%.
• Crops Grown: Rice, Greengram, Blackgram, Mustard, Groundnut, Jute, Sweet potato, Potato, Chilli, Vegetables, Mango, Banana, Papaya, Guava, Coconut. Ideal for paddy due to fertile alluvial soils.

4. East & South Coastal Plains

• Districts Covered: Cuttack (P), Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Ganjam (P), Khurda, Nayagarh.
• Climate: Hot and humid.
• Soil Types: Saline, Red, Mixed Red & Black, Laterite, Alluvial.
• Rainfall: High rainfall.
• Crops Grown: Rice, Maize, Greengram, Blackgram, Jute, Groundnut, Mustard, Sesamum, Horsegram, Vegetables, Potato, Sugarcane, Chilli, Mango, Banana, Coconut, Guava, Citrus, Cashew.

5. North-Eastern Ghats

• Districts Covered: Phulbani, Rayagada, Gajapati, parts of Ganjam, small patches of Koraput.
• Climate: Hot and moist sub-humid.
• Soil Types: Brown Forest, Red, Mixed Red & Black, Laterite, Alluvial.
• Rainfall: Significant rainfall, particularly in Phulbani and Phiringia regions.
• Crops Grown: Rice, Maize, Jowar, Ragi, Sugarcane, Horsegram, Greengram, Cotton, Blackgram, Mustard, Niger, Groundnut, Turmeric, Mesta, Sweet potato, Chilli, Ginger, Vegetables, Mango, Jack fruit, Citrus, Pineapple, Sapota, Coconut.

6. Eastern Ghats Highland

• Districts Covered: Major parts of Koraput, Nabarangpur.
• Climate: Warm and humid.
• Soil Types: Red, Mixed Red & Black, Mixed Red & Yellow. Predominantly red and yellow laterite and lateritic soils, often highly leached and acidic.
• Rainfall: Highest rainfall in the state (>1600 mm annually).
• Crops Grown: Rice, Maize, Ragi, Jowar, Small millets, Horsegram, Castor, Arhar, Gram, Groundnut, Mustard, Cotton, Mesta, Turmeric, Ginger, Sweet potato, Vegetables, Mango, Jack fruit, Guava, Ber, Cashew. Suitable for horticulture and forest-based agriculture.

7. South-Eastern Ghats

• Districts Covered: Malkangiri, parts of Koraput.
• Climate: Warm and humid.
• Soil Types: Red, Black, Laterite.
• Rainfall: High rainfall.
• Crops Grown: Rice, Maize, Ragi, Horsegram, Wheat, Blackgram, Greengram, Groundnut, Niger, Sesamum, Mesta, Sweet potato, Pea, Chilli, Vegetables, Ginger, Mango, Banana, Guava, Ber, Pineapple, Cashew. Known for diverse cropping patterns.

8. Western Undulating Lands

• Districts Covered: Kalahandi, Nuapada, Nawarangpur (Dabugaon).
• Climate: Hot and moist sub-humid.
• Soil Types: Red, Mixed Red & Black. Soils are coarse-textured and highly drought-prone in higher reaches.
• Rainfall: Comparatively low rainfall during the monsoon season.
• Crops Grown: Rice, Maize, Wheat, Jowar, Arhar, Greengram, Blackgram, Horsegram, Gram, Groundnut, Mustard, Cotton, Sugarcane, Vegetables, Lathyrus, Onion, Mango, Papaya, Guava, Banana. Widely grows cotton.

9. Western Central Table Lands

• Districts Covered: Bargarh, Sonepur, Bolangir, Sambalpur.
• Climate: Hot and moist sub-humid.
• Soil Types: Mixed Red & Black, Red & Yellow.
• Rainfall: Low rainfall.
• Crops Grown: Rice, Wheat, Arhar, Greengram, Blackgram, Horsegram, Gram, Groundnut, Mustard, Mesta, Sugarcane, Chilli, Potato, Vegetables, Mango, Banana, Guava, Ber, Cashew.

10. Mid Central Table Lands

• Districts Covered: Dhenkanal, Angul, parts of Cuttack & Sukinda.
• Climate: Hot and moist sub-humid.
• Soil Types: Red, Laterite, Mixed Red & Black.
• Rainfall: Moderate rainfall.
• Crops Grown: Rice, Maize, Greengram, Blackgram, Arhar, Sesamum, Groundnut, Mustard, Onion, Vegetables, Sugarcane, Chilli, Mango, Litchi, Citrus, Guava, Sapota, Pineapple.