Page 29 - index

moderately acidic, and have relatively low cation exchange capacity. The soils are generally
shallow on the ridges and plateaus. Rainfed farming is the traditional practice with cultivation of
rice, pulses (moong, black gram and pigeon pea) and groundnut. In rabi season, rice (at places)
and wheat are cultivated mostly under irrigated conditions. Extensive deficiency of B
(59.5%) particularly in Chhotanagpur Plateau and Garhjat Hills, was recorded. Deficiency for
Zn ranged from 14.5 to 29.4% with highest magnitude in the Garhjat Hills, Dandakaranya and
Eastern Ghats. The deficiency of Fe varied from nil to 14.2% with maximum extent in the
Eastern Ghats. D eficiencies of Cu (13.4%) and Mn (6.0%) were also noticed in Eastern Ghats.

Map 3. Cu deficiency status in the soils of different AESRs of India

Eastern Plain

The Eastern Plain is hot sub-humid (moist) AER, comprised of two AERs which cover
north-eastern Uttar Pradesh and northern Bihar including foothills of central Himalayas.
It occupies an area of 11.1 m ha, representing 3.4 per cent of the total geographical area of
the country. Mainly rainfed agriculture is prevalent with cultivation of rice, maize, pigeon
pea and moong in kharif season. In rabi season, wheat, lentil, pea, sesame, and at some
places, groundnut is grown on residual soil moisture. The important cash crops such as
sugarcane, tobacco, chillies, turmeric, coriander and potato are also grown in this region with
supplemental irrigation. Widespread deficiency of Zn (41.2%), Fe (20.4%) and B (33.9%)
particularity in the North Bihar and Avadh Plains were recorded. Mn deficiency was
restricted to prevalent in foot hills of central Himalayas.