East Zone State Profiles: Assam, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal

Assam, the major tea growing state of India, occupies a geographical area of 7.8 million hectares of which total cropped area is 3.9 million hectares. Only 14.4% of the gross cultivated area are irrigated and the average cropping intensity of the state 145%. The major soils of Assam belong to Inceptisols (49.3%), Entisols (32.3%), Alfisols (12.3%) and Ultisols (6.1%). The most typical characteristics of Assam soil is acidity, where pH of the soils generally ranges between 4.2 to 5.8. Organic matter content of majority soils are medium to high. The available N, P₂O₅ and K₂O content of the soils of Assam varies between medium and low. The total foodgrain production in the state stands at 4.0 million tonnes, with average foodgrain yield of 1465 kg/ha. The average yields of crops are below potential. Besides dependence on traditional varieties and cultural practices, very low use of nutrients is the major reason for stagnation/decline of crop productivity in the state. The population growth rate of Assam has been about 107.4% from 1961 to 1991 as compared to 92.7% in the country. The population of the state has reached an all time high mark of 26.6 million, with a population density of 340 persons per sq. km. The state has to produce 10.5 million tonnes of rice (Mt), 0.34 Mt of oilseeds, 1.95 Mt fruits, 4.47 Mt of vegetables and 0.33 Mt of spices by the end of this decade to feed the burgeoning population, which is about 2.5 fold increase from the present level. The targeted production of rice, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables and spices by 2025 are 13.5, 0.751, 3.27, 5.86 and 0.52 Mt, respectively. Fertilizers provide any essential plant nutrients that the soil cannot supply in adequate amounts and appropriate proportions. Imbalanced and inadequate supply of required nutrients produce low yields, low quality crops, results in low fertilizer use efficiency and low farmer profit. It also results in further depletion of the most deficient nutrients in the soil. Once the critical level of a nutrient is reached, yields fall dramatically even though large aggregate amounts of other nutrients may have been applied. The importance of adequate and balanced fertilizer use must be realized to increase crop yields in the state.

The consumption of fertilizer nutrients in Assam, the key to realize the high potential of modern varieties, however has been one of lowest in the country. However, it is heartening to know that fertilizer consumption is steadily increasing in the state over the last decade. The consumption of total fertilizer nutrients at 161 thousand tonnes during 2004-05 slipped by 15% compared to the previous year. Consumption of N, P₂O₅ and K₂O at 81.1, 41.4 and 38.5 thousand tonnes during 2004-05 recorded a negative growth of 10.2, 19.6 and 19.1% respectively compared to 2003-04. NPK use ratio in 2004-05 is 2.1:1.1:1. Kharif: Rabi share in total consumption is 48:52 in 2003-04. The consumption of total nutrient per unit of gross cropped area went down from 47.9 kg in 2003-04 to 40.7 kg in 2004-05.

Latest Crop Production Statistics of Assam

Parameters	Rice	Wheat	Maize	Small Millets	Totals cereals	Gram	Tur (Arhar)	Total Pulses	Total Foodgrains	Total Oilseeds	Sugarcane	Jute#
Area	2454	90	19.6	8.5	2628.8	2.5	7.2	118.5	2747.3	307.5	27.2	68.2
Production	3255	91	13.9	4.4	3957.9	1.3	5.1	66.1	4024	155.6	1011.4	682.4
Productivity	1326	1011	709	518	1506	520	708	558	1465	506	37184	1801

Area ('000 ha); Production ('000 tonnes); Productivity (kg/ha); # Production and Productivity in 1000 bales of 180 kg each


Nutrient balance sheet for major crops of Assam (1998-99)