Question

Which crop is having the maximum irrigated area in India ?

• A. Wheat
• B. Rice
• C. Cotton
• D. Sugarcane

Hint:

Highest % Irrigated Area among crops in India: 1. Wheat ($\sim 95\%$) 2. Sugarcane ($\sim 94\%$) 3. Rice ($\sim 60\%$) 4. Cotton ($\sim 38\%$)

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks which major crop in India has the highest proportion/percentage of its cultivated area under irrigation, as well as the highest dedicated total irrigated land coverage among major field crops.

Step 2: Key Statistical Facts on Irrigated Area in India:

• Wheat Irrigation Coverage: Over $93--95\%$ of the total wheat area in India is under assured irrigation (mostly through tubewells and cals during the Rabi season).

• Rice Irrigation Coverage: Around $58--60\%$ of total rice area is irrigated; significant rainfed lowland rice exists in eastern/coastal India.

• Sugarcane: Highly irrigated ($\sim 94--95\%$), but total gross area under sugarcane ($\sim 5\text{ Mha}$) is far smaller than wheat ($\sim 31\text{ Mha}$).

• Cotton: Only about $35--40\%$ of cotton area is irrigated, mostly rainfed in central and southern India.

Step 3: Detailed Explation:

• Wheat is primarily grown during the dry winter (Rabi) season, making it almost entirely dependent on artificial irrigation.

• Wheat accounts for both the highest percentage of irrigated area relative to its total cropped area ($\sim 95\%$) and the largest net absolute irrigated area ($\sim 30\text{ Mha}$) among food crops in India.

• Therefore, wheat leads among all major field crops in total irrigated coverage.

Step 4: Fil Answer:
Wheat holds the maximum irrigated area in India. Thus, option (A) is the correct choice.