1.3. Factors Affecting the Cropping Pattern

The cropping pattern and crop diversification in a particular geographical area depends on different categories of factors. All the factors vary in their impact on the crops under different circumstances and times. These factors have been differently classified by different researchers/

institutions. For example, World Bank (1990) has put forward a detailed list of factors under the broad categories of agronomic, economic and policy factors in this regard as determinants of cropping system strategies as mentioned in the table below.

All these factors are interrelated and their relative importance changes over time.