The National Bureau of Soil Survey & Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP) named 21 different agroecological zones across the country. This agroecological zone was classified based on soil physiography, landforms, climate conditions, and the length of the growing period (LGP) in days. For more detailed understanding these 21 agroecological zones of India were further divided into 60 sub-zones. This classification helps in better planning and management of land and agricultural resources based on climatic conditions.
LIST OF AGROECOLOGICAL ZONES OF INDIA
| S.NO | AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES | STATES REPRESENTED |
| 1 | Western Himalaya I | Laddakh and Gilgit * The climate is cold and dry condition. * Soil type is loamy skeletal soils (Montane type of soil). |
| 2 | Western Himalaya II | J&K, HP, northwest hilly area of U.P * Himalayas region, montane type of soil is found. * The characteristics of montane soils include sandy loam and clay. |
| 3 | Western plains | West Rajasthan, Southwest Haryana, Punjab, Kutchha peninsula * The Soil type in West Rajasthan is a hot sandy desert. |
| 4 | Deccan plateau I | Raichur, Ballary part of Karnataka & Anantpur of Andra * Hot arid with deep loamy and clayey mixed Red and Black soils. |
| 5 | North plain and central highland | Part of the north plain, central highland, and Gujarat plains * Northern plain with deep loamy alluvium-derived soils. * North Gujarat Plain hot dry semiarid with deep loamy Gray Brown and alluvium-derived soils. |
| 6 | Central (Malwa) highland and Kathiawada peninsula | West MP, east Rajasthan and Gujarat, Kathiawada * Central Kathiawada Peninsula, hot, dry semiarid with shallow and medium loamy to clayey black soils. * Coastal Kathiawada Peninsula, with deep loamy coastal alluvium-derived soils. |
| 7 | Central highland (Malwa & bundelkhand) | Central highland including dist of Raipur, Sagar, Bhopal, Sehore, Shajapur, Hoshangabad * Madhya Bharat Plateau with medium and deep, clayey Black soils. |
| 8 | Deccan plateau II | West Maharashtra, North Karnataka * Hot dry semi-arid with shallow and medium loamy Black soils. |
| 9 | Deccan plateau and Eastern ghat | A Major part of Andra Pradesh * Eastern ghat and South Telangana Plateau, semi-arid with deep loamy to clayey mixed Red and Black soils. |
| 10 | Eastern Ghat(TN upland) and Deccan plateau | TN upland, West Karnataka * Tamil Nadu Uplands: hot dry semi-arid with moderately deep to deep, loamy to clayey, mixed Red and Black soils. |
| 11 | Deccan Plateau and Central Highland (Bundelkhand) | Bundelkhand part of MP, North Vidarbha * Bundelkhand Plateau, hot dry subhumid with deep loamy to clayey mixed Red and Black soils. |
| 12 | Eastern plateau (Chhatisgarh region) | Part of the eastern plateau covering Chhattisgarh state, Palamu of Jharkhand, and Kaimur of Bihar. * Chattisgarh has hot moist/dry subhumid with deep loamy clayey Red and Yellow soils. |
| 13 | Eastern (Chhotanagpur) Plateau and Eastern Ghat | Chhotanagpur plateau of Jharkhand, West of WB, Eastern Ghat of Orissa, Baster region of MP * Eastern Ghat and Chhotanagpur plateau have hot moist subhumid with deep loamy Red and Lateritic soils. |
| 14 | Northern Plains | West Himalaya * Himalayas, warm to dry sub-humid transitional with medium to deep loamy to clay Brown Forest and Podzolic soils. |
| 15 | Eastern plains | Northeast UP, North Bihar, Eastern Himalaya * North Bihar, hot dry to moist sub-humid with deep, loamy alluvium-derived soils. |
| 16 | Assam & Bengal Plains | Plains of Bramhaputra and Ganges river, part of Assam & WB * Plains of Bramhaputra, hot humid with deep, loamy to clayey alluvium-derived soils. |
| 17 | North Eastern Hills (Purwanchal) | Northeast states of Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, South Tripura * Nagaland Hill is warm to hot moist humid with medium to deep loamy to clayey Red and Lateritic soils. |
| 18 | Eastern Himalaya | Northern part of WB, North Assam, Most part of Arunachal, Sikkim * Darjeeling and Sikkim have warm humid with shallow to medium deep loamy Red Hill soils. |
| 19 | Eastern Coastal Plain | East coast plain, Gangetic delta to Kavery delta * Hot moist sub-humid to humid with deep loamy to clayey Coastal and alluvium-derived soils. |
| 20 | Western Ghat & Coastal Plain | West coast of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala * Karnataka and Kerala Coastal plain, hot with deep, clayey to loamy acidic coastal alluvium-derived soils. |
| 21 | Islands of Andaman, Nicobar & Lakshadweep | Andaman, Nicobar & Lakshadweep groups * A&N group of Islands, and humid with loamy to clayey Red and Yellow and Red Loamy soils. * Lakshadweep, medium deep loamy to sandy Black and Littoral soils. |
Agroecological region as per NBSS&LUP
21
Agroecological region according to the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)
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