Climate

Agro-ecological zones
On the basis of rainfall, physiography, soils, floods etc., 5 agro-ecological situations (AES) were identified with an aim to study and analyze the problem, prospects and the needs of the farmers under ATMA. The AES-IV is having the highest area visually 156682 ha (52%) followed by AES-II with 63275 ha (21%), AES-I with 61769 ha (20.5%), AES-III with 10546 ha (3.5 %) and AES-V with 9039 ha (3.0).
Table  2: Block-wise coverage under each AES


Name of AES

Area of AES

Name of blocks
fall in the AES

Area of Blocks

Selected represented village of AES

ha

%

ha

%

Foothill (AES-I)

61769

20.5

Dhemaji

3397.30

5.50

 

Jamming

Bordoloni

14206.87

23.00

Sissiborgaon

19148.39

31.00

MSTD, Jonai

25016.44

40.50

Low and Flood affected (AES-II)

63275

21.0

Dhemaji

12338.63

19.50

 

Kuwaphala Betoni

Bordoloni

9491.25

15.00

Sissiborgaon

23411.75

37.00

Machkhowa

7276.62

11.50

MSTD, Jonai

10756.75

17.00

Sand deposited area (Coarse) (AES-III)

10546

3.5

Dhemaji

3163.8

30.00

 

 Garmara Rahdhala

Bordoloni

316.38

3.00

Sissiborgaon

5483.92

52.00

Machkhowa

158.19

1.50

MSTD, Jonai

1423.71

13.50

Medium land (AES-IV)

156682

52.0

Dhemaji

19166.77

12.23

 

Maicha Chapori

Bordoloni

22169.20

14.15

Sissiborgaon

42031.74

26.83

Machkhowa

8656.19

5.52

MSTD, Jonai

64658.10

41.27

Sand deposited area (Fine silt) (AES-V)

9039

3.0

Dhemaji

2882.50

31.89

 

Goroimari

Bordoloni

1244.30

13.77

Sissiborgaon

3225.20

35.68

Machkhowa

361.00

3.99

MSTD, Jonai

1326.00

14.67

Information on rainfall pattern
The district receives a good amount of rainfall throughout the year, with maximum down pour during May to August and minimum during November to February. The number of maximum and minimum rainy days also follows similar trend. This data indicates prevalence of moisture stress condition during the major part of the year and thereby the farmers are practicing their tested traditional practices due to fear of failure.
Table  3: Information on rainfall pattern of the district

 

Month

Rainfall (in mm) and days (in no)

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Rainfall

days

Rainfall

days

Rainfall

days

Rainfall

days

Rainfall

days

January

12.30

2

27.15

9

9.04

2

39.00

6

77.00

8

February

72.05

7

23.10

4

54.33

11

24.04

4

160.00

11

March

34.13

7

53.20

11

79.58

13

169.00

15

262.00

19

April

147.25

18

355.31

19

162.24

15

228.00

16

289.00

17

May

195.26

12

22.64

12

270.46

22

1320.00

26

492.00

22

June

562.38

24

291.38

23

560.47

23

567.00

26

892.70

21

July

471.40

19

744.26

26

996.49

26

878.09

29

708.84

22

August

598.33

20

584.05

18

409.12

29

946.00

24

459.67

29

September

564.31

20

270.27

13

456.12

25

606.00

18

162.96

12

October

218.20

11

99.04

5

331.00

15

534.00

10

80.20

10

November

26.06

4

63.03

4

13.00

2

-

-

45.70

4

December

10.06

2

-

-

7.00

1

68.00

3

-

-

Total

2911.73

146

2533.43

144

3348.85

184

5379.13

177

3630.07

175

Information on temperature and relative humidity
Information on temperature and relative humidity is not available with any source. However, the temperature reaches upto 37 0 C during July to August and goes down to 10 0 C during the month of January. Similarly, relative humidity of the district varies from 70 % to 90%.
 Demographic pattern

Total population of the district is 5,71,944 (as per 2001census) consisting of 2,94,643 male and 2,77,301 female population with the sex ratio of 941 females per thousand male which is higher than the state average of 935 females per thousand males. Out of the total population per cent of ST population is 47.29% and SC population is found 5.33% and rest are general population. The literacy per cent of the district is 64.48% which is higher than the state average of 63.25%. more over, male literacy rate is higher (74.41%) than the female literacy rate (53.51%). Total workers population is 250146 nos. out of which percentage of cultivators and agricultural labourers are 72.88% and 7.28% in the district.
Table 4 : Block wise demographic information of district

Blocks

Population

% of literacy

Male (no.)

Female (no.)

Workers in No.

Cast wise population

Agril.

Non-agril.

Total

SC

ST

G

Dhemaji

112939

63.57

57853

55086

3822

49560

53382

6468

40578

65893

Sissiborgaon

160347

47.74

82626

77721

4810

75000

79810

10830

6922

80296

Machkhowa

26657

59.87

13472

13185

800

13500

14300

1811

12026

12820

Bordoloni

94898

57.88

46512

46383

2847

40800

43647

6084

88326

44488

MSTD Jonai

143199

54.82

74138

69061

5929

53078

59007

3708

98977

40514

Total

538040

57.26

274601

261439

18208

231938

250146

28901

265134

244011

Information in land use pattern
The total geographical area of the district is 3,01,311 ha, of which 78.69% are cultivable area. Cultivated area is 61.11% out of total cultivable area and 1.58% is still lying as culturable waste, which can be reclaimed and brought under cultivation. Area under forest is 10,324 ha, under non agricultural use is 35,719 ha and under miscellaneous plantation is 3559 ha. Similarly, a small area of 2975 ha is under pasture and 11622 ha area has been demarcated as barren waste land. 

Table  5 : Information of land use pattern (area in ha)


Name of block

Geogra-phical area

Cultivable area

Culti-vated area

Cultiva-ble waste

Current fallow

Forest

Pasture

Non agril. use

Misc. plantation

Barren waste land

Bordoloni

47428

38017

22835

6371

8811

723

-

7823

568

297

Dhemaji

40949

32018

18884

7297

5837

906

-

5930

398

1697

Machkhowa 

16452

12472

9823

1110

1539

441

-

1940

558

1040

Sissiborgaon

93301

76034

44770

13102

18162

2392

863

10183

835

2994

MSTD Jonai

103181

78571

48605

13811

16155

5862

2112

9843

1200

5594

Total

301311

237112

144917

41691

50504

10324

2975

35719

3559

11622

Information on operational land holdings.
The total operational land holdings are 85,906 ha in the district and total cultivable area 1,44,917 ha. The average size of holding is 1.68ha. based on the size od land holdings, resource rich category farmers (vary large, large and medium) are 24.56% and they are holding 44.97% cultivable area. The resource poor category farmers are 75.44% and are holding 55.03% cultivable area. These data indicate that both costly and cheaper farm technology adopter are existed in the district hence these both can be promoted as per location specific needs.
Table 6: Block and category-wise information on operational land holdings


Name of block

Operational holdings (in No. and area in ha)

Vary large (>4 ha)

Large (3-4 ha)

Medium (2-3 ha)

Small (1-2 ha)

Marginal (0.4-1 ha)

Landless (<o.4ha)

No.

Area

No.

Area

No.

Area

No.

Area

No.

Area

No.

Area

Bordoloni

206

1133

1350

4023

1560

4368

4301

7956

4640

3712

1035

320

Machkhowa 

203

1117

560

1668

757

2120

2556

4729

1249

992

605

185

Sissiborgaon

412

2266

1918

5716

2210

6188

6461

11953

6900

5520

1553

460

Dhemaji

202

1111

1875

5587

2176

6093

4857

8985

4867

3894

1313

389

MSTD Jonai

617

3393

3556

10590

3497

9791

11650

21553

10624

8449

2196

656

Total

1640

9020

9259

27584

10200

28560

29825

55176

28280

22567

6702

2010

Information on textural classification of soils
The district lies on northern bank of the river Brahmaputra that extended up to Arunachal Pradesh. It has variety of soil types i.e clay, clay loam to sandy, silt deposited soils. The soils of riverrine tract are mostly unstable, soil that are away from the riverine side are stable an soil formation has been started. The alluvium derived soil near Brahmaputra are influenced by river and soils near foot hills are directly influenced by hills of Arunachal Pradesh and tributaries flowing from these hills. Out of the total geographical area, 9.08% area is of  clay soil, 20.24% of clay loam, 4.42% of alluvial, 20.61% of sandy soil and 45.65% of sandy loam soil type.

 

Table  7: Information on type of soil existed in the district


Blocks

Clay

Clay loam

Alluvial soil

Sandy soil

Sandy loam

Area

%

Area

%

Area

%

Area

%

Area

%

Dhemaji

2047

5

8190

20

2457

6

10237

25

18018

44

Sissiborgaon

6531

7

23325

25

4665

5

16797

18

41986

45

Machkhowa

3290

20

4936

30

-

-

823

5

7403

45

Bordoloni

-

-

14228

30

-

-

9486

20

23714

50

MSTD Jonai

15478

15

10318

10

6191

6

24763

24

46431

45

Total

27346

11.75

60997

23

13313

5.6

62106

18.4

137552

45.8

Information on problematic soil of district
The soils of the district are generally acidic in nature and mild in severity. Micronutrient deficiency especially of boron and molybdenum is found sever. Besides this, occurrence of flood is a regular phenomenon during the month of June to August/September every year with varying severity affecting human life, field crops, horticultural crops, livestock and fish tanks and various other infrastructures. Sand and silt deposition accompanied by soil erosion is also of common phenomenon along with the flood. Iron toxicity is also persisting mildly. The data indicates that due care have to be taken for correction of existing disorder by applying needed correctives and adoption of proper varieties/crops.
Table  8: Information on problematic soil in the district


Blocks

Extent of problem ( Area in ha and severity in terms of M/S/VS viz. “ 25% is mild, 25-50% is sever and >50% is very sever)

Micronutrient deficiency

Silt/Sand deposited areas

Acidic

Soil erosion

Iron toxicity

Area

Severity

Area

Severity

Area

Severity

Area

Severity

Area

Severity

Dhemaji

2850

M

2460

M

4750

M

7750

S

3164

M

Sissiborgaon

3570

M

5600

M

6540

M

16500

S

5484

M

Machkhowa

950

M

200

M

1270

M

2560

S

158

M

Bordoloni

2520

M

50

M

3065

M

8500

S

316

M

MSTD Jonai

5760

M

320

M

8750

M

40660

S

13424

M

Total

15650

 

9630

 

24350

 

75970

 

22546

 

Information on irrigated and rain fed areas
The district has cultivated area of 1,44,917 ha, of which about 99.10% area is rain fed. Out of total five blocks, no one has major and medium sources of irrigation except two blocks viz. Dheaji and Sissiborgaon which has medium source of irrigation over 45 ha areas only. The total arrigated area in the district is 0.90%, which is spread over all five blocks. There is another weakness that whatsoever irrigation potential has been created in the district under various sources such as medium irrigation projects, shallow tube wells, tanks and ponds is not able to irrigate the projected area. This situation putting the cultivation of high value crops more risky and also limits the adoption of intensive cultivation
Table  9: Information on rainfed and irrigated areas with sources

Blocks

Rainfed area (ha)

%

Irrigated area (P=Projected and A=Actual irrigated area)

Medium

STW

Tank

Pond

P

A

%

P

A

%

P

A

%

P

A

%

Bordoloni

20314

99.80

-

-

-

40

32

80.00

-

-

-

25

20

80.00

Machkhowa

6977

99.86

-

-

-

92

63

68.48

-

-

-

15

12

80.00

Dhemaji

16816

99.11

25

25

100

120

105

87.50

3

3

100

10

6

60.00

Sissiborgaon

40270

98.78

20

20

100

503

425

84.49

4

4

100

18

13

72.20

MSTD Jonai

42841

9957

-

-

-

480

410

83.42

3

3

100

20

16

80.00

Total

127218

99.09

45

45

100

1235

1035

83.81

10

10

100

88

67

76.13