Analysis of cropping pattern and crop rotation using multi-date, multisensor and multi-scale remote sensing data: case study for the state of West Bengal, India

The repetitive cultivation of an ordered succession of crops (or crop and fallow) on the same land defined as crop rotation has a significant role on sustainability of agricultural practice. This paper highlights the methodology used to map seasonal cropping pattern and crop rotation of West Bengal state in India. Multi-date, remote sensing data of IRS WiFS and Radarsat SAR were used to map seasonal cropping patterns, which were combined to derive the crop rotation map. Three distinct crop-growing seasons could be identified. The main one coinciding with monsoon from June-October, followed by winter crop season from November-February and the summer one March-June. It was feasible to classify seven major crops using the SAR and WiFS data sets. Rice is the dominant crop in wet season occupying more than 75 per cent of net sown area. Mustard, potato, wheat, gram, rice are the major dry season crops. Rice-rice, rice-potato, rice-wheat, rice-mustard, rice-gram, and jute-rice were the major two crop rotations. Rice-fallow was the dominant practice accounting for 55 per cent of area.