Net sown area is a term used in agriculture to represent the total area sown with crops and orchards. It is the physical extent of land on which crops are sown and harvested. The net sown area includes the land under fruit trees and orchards, and it represents the total area sown once and/or more than once in a particular year, i.e., the area is counted as many times as there are sowings in a year. However, crops sown more than once in the same year are counted only once.

On the other hand, gross cropped area (GCA) is the cumulative area sown once and also more than once in a given year. It refers to the total area sown once and/or more than once in a particular year, i.e., the area is counted as many times as there are sowings in a year. The gross cropped area is the piece of land on which a crop is grown twice, and the area is counted twice.

In India, the total stock of agricultural land resources (i.e., total cultivable land) can be estimated by adding net sown area, all fallow land, and cultivable barren land. However, the scope of bringing additional land under net sown area is limited.