A STUDY ON CROP COMBINATION REGIONS IN CHAMARAJANAGARA DISTRICT: A SPATIO-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS

Agriculture occupies an important status in economy of Chamarajanagara District. Chamarajanagara District is the southern-most district in the state of Karnataka. Chamarajanagara district is consisting of 4 taluks - Chamarajanagara, Gundlupet, Kollegala and Yelandur. The crops are generally grown in different crop combination in Chamarajanagra District. In this research paper made an attempt has been made to study crop combination regions. Crop combination is varies in various talkus of this district are closely influenced by fertility of soil, amount of rainfall, irrigation facilities and topographical features. Selected eleven crops have been identify for the crop combination region in the study area and Weaver's (1954) method is used for identify the different crop combination regions. Based on this method crops- fruits, cotton, bajra and paddy are plays major role in the district because these are stands in first position in the ranking of crops. Out of the four taluks of Chamarajanagara district in 2005-06 Gundlupet taluk having monoculture crop combination,i.e. cotton, Chamarajanagara and Kollegala taluk having 2 crop combination i.e.,fruits+jowar, maize+bajra respectively and Yelandur taluk has 3 crop combinations i.e., Sugarcane+paddy+ maize. In 2014-15 Kollegala taluk having monoculture crop combination, i.e. bajra, Chamarajanagara and Gundlupet taluk having 2 crop combination i.e., fruits+jowar, cotton +vegetable respectively and Yelandur taluk has 3 crop combinations i.e., paddy +Sugarcane+fruits. Such types of study represents real situation of cropping pattern in Chamarajanagara District and helps to planners and agricultural scientist for agricultural planning in tehsil level.