• Dr.K.Banukumar
• G.Vijayalakshmi
• K. Mythili

: Potential of climate as an agricultural resource has not been used or ever realized. In this context, knowledge on agroclimatology of a region is a valuable tool and it involves evaluation of the factors like climate, terrain, soil etc. Land suitability is a function of crop requirements and soil characteristics. In the present study aims to characterise the agroclimatic elements to identify the potential areas for groundnut, gingelly and niger for Aranthangi block of Pudukkottai district, Tamil Nadu with the aid of Arc GIS 9.1 and Cropwat 8.0 software. Potential area has been identified as ‘high’, ‘moderate’, ‘marginal’ and ‘not advisable’ using GIS tool based on the crop specific threshold limits of the temperature, rainfall, texture, pH, OC and EC. Of which soil texture and its moisture holding capacity are the vital factor determines potential variation of the land. Accordingly, 1.6 % of the area is estimated with higher potential as for as gingelly and groundnut concerned. Another 14, 9 and 1 % of area have comes under moderate potential for gingelly, niger and groundnut respectively. Over 50 % of area the block has been identified with marginally potential for the entire three crops concerned. The potential is variable over the 20 % land, varied between moderate to marginal as for as the all the three crops concerned.

Agroclimate, Crop water requirement, soil characterization, crop specific threshold, Climatic Potential, Cropwat 8.0 and Arc GIS.

"AGROCLIMATIC CHARACTERIZATION FOR RAINFED CROPPING IN ARANTHANGI BLOCK, PUDUKKOTTAI DISTRICT, INDIA", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no.657-664, June 2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1906V95.pdf

"AGROCLIMATIC CHARACTERIZATION FOR RAINFED CROPPING IN ARANTHANGI BLOCK, PUDUKKOTTAI DISTRICT, INDIA", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no. pp657-664, June 2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1906V95.pdf