Question

The seasonal water requirement of rice, sugarcane and jute crop are in the sequence of:

• A. Rice > Sugarcane > Jute
• B. Sugarcane > Rice > Jute
• C. Jute > Rice > Sugarcane
• D. Rice > Jute > Sugarcane

Hint:

While sugarcane has the highest seasonal water requirement, rice has the highest daily water use rate due to continuous percolation and evaporation losses under flooded conditions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The seasonal water requirement of a crop is the total depth of water needed to meet its evapotranspiration demands, losses, and special operations (like land preparation) over its entire growing period.
This parameter depends on the crop's physiological characteristics, leaf area, growing duration, and local climate.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us compare the seasonal water requirements of the three crops:
1.Sugarcane: Sugarcane is a long-duration crop that occupies the field for 12 to 18 months.
Due to its long growing period and high biomass production, its seasonal water requirement is very high, typically ranging from \( 1500\text{ mm} \) to \( 2500\text{ mm} \).
2.Rice: Rice is typically grown over a period of 4 to 5 months.
Although it is grown under ponded (flooded) conditions, its seasonal water requirement ranges from \( 900\text{ mm} \) to \( 1500\text{ mm} \), which is lower than that of sugarcane due to its shorter growing season.
3.Jute: Jute is a fibre crop grown during the hot, humid season for about 4 months.
It has a moderate seasonal water requirement of approximately \( 500\text{ mm} \) to \( 700\text{ mm} \).
Comparing these values, the correct descending order of seasonal water requirement is:
\[ \text{Sugarcane } > \text{ Rice } > \text{ Jute} \]

Step 3: Final Answer:
The seasonal water requirement follows the descending sequence of Sugarcane > Rice > Jute.