A spatiotemporal analysis of Punjab's agricultural diversification

Abstract

The Indian state of Punjab is well known for its prosperous agrarian position. The amount of different sorts of crops a farmer is cultivating on a specific plot of land is indicated by crop diversification. We have attempted to assess crop diversification for the various agro-climatic zones of Punjab in the current study. We measured the degree of agricultural diversification using the Herfindahl Index and the Entropy Index for the various years, and we then charted the pattern over time. The findings for both indexes show that farmers are shifting their focus away from other crops and towards wheat, paddy, and vegetables. This suggests monoculture, which suggests that farmers are switching from crop diversity to crop specialization. We have also made an effort to draw attention to the issue of the state's declining water level and deteriorating situation. Wheat, paddy, and vegetables are grown specifically because they use more water and have a negative impact on biodiversity in Punjab, where farmers are highly dependent on groundwater levels.