Assessing cropping system dynamics over three decades: remote sensing and GIS insights in Murshidabad-Jiaganj Block

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2025-01, Vol.197 (2), p.164, Article 164
• Main Authors: Mohammad, Lal, Bandyopadhyay, Jatisankar, Mondal, Ismail, Altuwaijri, Hamad Ahmed, Khatun, Sarbhanu, Hossain, SK Ariful, Juliev, Mukhiddin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agriculture; Agriculture - methods; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Climate change; Climate models; Cropping systems; Crops, Agricultural - growth & development; Cultivated lands; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Economic development; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Farming systems; Food security; Geographic Information Systems; Geographical information systems; Irrigated lands; Landsat; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Remote sensing; Remote Sensing Technology; Satellite imagery; Seasons; System dynamics
• ISSN: 1573-2959; 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-13545-7

Agriculture is a significant contributor to the country’s economic development. We used multiple Landsat images from 1990 to 2021 in the Murshidabad-Jiaganj Block to assess changes in the agricultural system and their underlying causes. The Rabi season saw a 10.99% growth in agrarian regions from 1990 to 2000 and an 8.86% increase in 2010, yet it declined by 28.12% in 2021. During the summer, the cultivated lands diminished by 26.63%, 19.43%, and 19.64%, while in the Kharif season, they declined by 21.78%, 15.68%, and 11.99% from 1990 in the years 2000, 2010, and 2021, respectively. The agricultural area had 36.82%, 34.16%, and 19.01% increases between 1990 and 2021, respectively. Regarding direction, farmland acreage decreased in all zones except the SSE, which had a 0.95% increase. Mono-, double-, and triple-cropping systems have decreased in area, while multi-cropping systems have experienced increases of 43.51%, 4.50%, and 18.49% in 1990–2021, respectively. The multi-cropping system has a good correlation with all agroclimatic factors. The reduction of irrigated lands post-2009 significantly affected the agriculture system. The fall in agricultural employment in recent decades is attributable to migration seeking higher-paying occupations. The advancement of accurate remote sensing–based modeling is crucial for mitigating food security risks, particularly those posed by climate change, and informing policy decisions.