Strategies to overcome the ill - effect of delayed north-east monsoon

In traditional rainfed farming with the help of North East monsoon rain farmers may be advised to go in for CO 25 sorghum, K 4 sorghum (Anna district) and K tall, IS 3541, COH 3 and K 5 sorghum , WCC 75, CO 7 and ICMS 7703 cumbu, CO1 and COH1 maize under normal season of sowing.  If sowings are delayed beyond December, CO 26 sorghum is to be encouraged.

Farmers need to avoid traditional long duration varieties since the monsoon delayed.  CO 25 sorghum will be ideal.  For rainfed ragi CO 11, CO 12, Paiyur 1 and local types may be preferred depending upon the situation.  Inter-cropping ragi with CO(RG) 5 may be encouraged. In rainfed red soil, pulses like cowpea can be raised as companion crop with base crop of sorghum.

In black soil → cowpea + sorghum, cluster bean + cumbu can be recommended.

In dry farming area :  Spraying Kaolin @ 3% (Vegetative to grain formation) or 2% lime wash for maize and sorghum will reduce transpiration loss  which results in higher water use efficiency.

Sorghum crop can be raised either for fodder (or) for ratoon based on the midterm dry spell. For seed hardening treat sorghum seeds with 2% KH₂PO₄ and cumbu with 2% KCl.

Agro - climatic zonewise recommendation of crops for delayed monsoon

Agro Climatic Zones	Soil	Normal monsoon( September)	Delayed monsoon (October)	Delayed monsoon (normal)
Western Zone	Rainfed black cotton soil	Sorghum, Cumbu	Sunflower	Panivaragu, Horsegram, samai
	Rainfed red soil	Sorghum+ Cowpea	Sunflower	Horsegram
Northwestern zone	Rainfed red soil	Sorghum	-	Fodder sorghum + fodder cowpea
	Rainfed black soil	Medium duration Sorghum + pulses	-	-
Northeastern zone	Rainfed red soil	Cumbu+ Red gram	-	-
Southern zone	Rainfed red soil	Groundnut	Minor millets (varagu, kudiraivali)	-
	Rainfed black  soil	Sorghum (upto September middle)	Cumbu and minor millets (upto October last)	-
		Sorghum dual purpose	Fodder sorghum, cumbu grain	-
	Black soil (well irrigated)	Paddy	Cumbu + Pulses	-

Strategies to mitigate drought during cropping season  

1. Adopt pre-monsoon sowing
2. Seed hardening
3. Proper depth of sowing
4. Mid-season correction
5. Gap filling
6. Mulching (soil, dust, straw)
7. Foliar spray of anti - transpirants.

Technologies for rainfed farming

• Moisture conservation practices
• Seed hardening
• Pre-monsoon sowing
• Farm mechanization for line sowing and intercultural operations
• Mid season moisture stress management
• Integrated nutrient management
• Integrated pest management
• Integrated farming system

1. Moisture conservation practices:The problem of soil erosion is assuming a serious proportion in dry lands. Hence the adoption of appropriate land management practices like summer ploughing, broad bed furrow , Tied ridging and in red soils land management practices viz., Chisel / Summer ploughing, Compartmental bunding, Soil dust mulching, farm pond and water shed based approach will improve the water storage capacity of the soils.
2. Seed Hardening: In rainfed farming areas are often prone to failure of monsoon and the prevalence of drought or moisture stress condition leads to disarranged physiological functions. Pre sowing hardening of seeds with water or chemicals intended for crop growth regulation will induce early germination and better root and shoot growth. This technique modifies the physiological and biochemical nature of seeds to resist the drought.

• Pearl Millet / Cotton / Sunflower - 2% KCl
• Sorghum / Maize - 2% KH2PO4
• Black gram - 100 ppm ZnSO4
• Green gram - 100 ppm MgSO4
• Gingelly - Water soaking for 3 hours

3. Pre monsoon sowing: Pre monsoon sowing of crops under rainfed condition just 15 days before the onset of monsoon rains has many advantages. The sowing operations under rainfed condition are very easy. Very first shower of monsoon is better utilized.

North east monsoon is the prime source for water resources of Tamil Nadu.  In general north east monsoon rainfall mostly commenced on first week of October.  In many of the black soil areas, sowing will be done immediately after the receipt of the monsoon, which leads to difficulties in sowing operation and also loses of considerable amount of soil moisture.  To avoid this we may prefer pre-monsoon sowing  / dry sowing of seeds 10 days before onset of monsoon.  By this operation, we ensure good crop establishment and better crop growth and development and consequently higher crop production.  In Coimbatore district, the following crops viz., sesamum, maize, pearl millet and cotton may be recommended for dry land sowing.  Normally sowing of seeds at third week of September is highly suitable in Coimbatore district.  To get better results of dry seeding, hardening the seeds with recommended chemical is necessary and also sowing will be done with implement at optimum depth.

4. Farm mechanization: Sowing in time is an important criterion to get optimum plant population and to achieve maximum returns in rainfed farming. Since a large areas have to be covered with this objective, several labour saving implements for sowing like seed drills, or modified seed drills or seed cum fertilizer drill have been designed and available for sowing of rainfed crops. The bullock drawn seed drills can cover one or two hectares of land per day where as the tractor drawn seed drill can be used  to cover 3 to 4 hectares.

5. Management practices for mid season correction: Dry spells during crop period are common in rainfed agriculture. The adverse effect of moisture stress can be mitigated to avoid total crop failure by adopting the following management options like reduction of plant stand, use of organic mulches, weed control and use of antitranspirants.

6. Integrated Nutrient Management (INM): Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) will be essential fro sustaining food grain production which could be supplied through fertilizers supplemented by organic sources such as FYM enriched FYM, on farm vermin compost, crop residue, macro and micro nutrients and biofertilizers (Azospirillum, Phosphobacteria, Rhizobium)

7. Intercultural operations: The intercultural operations after sowing of crop can be done effectively by using the following labour saving implements.

• Long handled weeders
• (Star and peg type)
• Wheel Hoe
• Power Weeder
• Korai kothu (Animal drawn)

8. Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Indiscriminate use of pesticides results in problems like residue, resistance in insects, air, water and soil pollution with depletion of natural enemies. Hence the integration of other control methods viz., seed treatment with pseudomonas and Trichoderma, growing trap crops (Groundnut + Castor / Sunflower / Bhendi) use of light traps, use of sex attractants, use of antifeeders will result in pest control.

9. Harvesting :The following equipments can be effectively used for  harvesting the economic produce.

Groundnut harvester
             Fodder Sorghum harvester

Groundnut stripper, Maize sheller,

                        Sunflower  thresher, Castor Sheller

 

DRYLAND AGRICULTURE : PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES

IMPORTANCE OF RAINFED AGRICULTURE

• Contributes 60 % of world's food from 80% of cultivated land
• Almost all population growth (95%) take place in tropical developing countries
• Home of world's poor and malnourished people
• Yields from rainfed crops are low in semi-arid tropical agro-ecosystem
• Green revolution drove away food shortage of 1960's but at cost
• In India 2/3^rd of 142 m.ha land are rainfed (arable crop land is declining)
• Urbanization and industrialization lead to reduction in arable land

            Although, there are bountiful factors to pull down dry land production, water is the single most component obtained significance to reduce yields.  As the stability in dryland food production could not be achieved, we need to look into the problems and perspectives of dryland agriculture.

Major issues

• Reduced water/moisture availability for crops
• Commercialization of agriculture
• Yield and price risks

Constraints in dry land agriculture to be sorted out

Soil based

• The major soil type in dryland areas are Alfisols in India and Tamil Nadu.  The enriched coarse fraction in these soils reduces the water holding capacity and poor soil fertility. 
• In case of vertisols, due to high clay content water logging and trafficability are of serious concern.
• Carry over soil moisture (COSM) is of important concern for post rainy season crops where there is a brief spell of rainy period.
• Vertisols have high carry over soil moisture (COSM) than alfisols

Other soil related problems include,

1. Excess soil slope
2. Runoff
3. Water logging
4. Salinization
5. Terrain formation
6. Low biological activity
7. Soil crusting
8. Low Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)
9. Subsoil hard pan etc.

 

Climatic constraints

            The determinates of atmospheric risk include rainfall, temperature, wind and aridity.  The processes are aberrant weather, drought, length of growing period, high temperature and wind erosion.

• Erratic /uncertain rainfall
• Absence of rainfed eco-zoning for planning and technology transfer

Among all the determinants, rainfall has relatively higher share to impose atmospheric risk in dryland agriculture.  The rains are very erratic, uncertain undependable and unevenly distributed in nature.  Therefore dryland agriculture becomes gamble with the monsoon and rainfall.  Very often the crop failure due to uncertain rainfall is the rule of dry farming.  It may be stated that rainfall shortage is the serious bottleneck in dryland agriculture.

 Crop management constraints

• Lack of in-situ moisture conservation
• Improper sowing method and population maintenance
• Poor weed management
• Poor drought management
• Inadequate/imbalanced input use
• Poor plant protection measures
• Absence/low level of farm mechanization

 

Measures to be taken to address the problems in dryland agriculture

Global Problem - Needs local solution

• Holistic systems approach
• Collective efforts of all the stakeholders
• Knowledge driven management systems
• Convergence
• Better participatory methods that encourages farmer participation and policy options that can provide appropriate incentives for community co-operation to minimize land degradation
• A multi-institutional development model (consortium) for working in watersheds that provides better ways to link developmental agencies and research organizations for increasing the incomes and improving livelihood of rural people.
• Crop management techniques viz., moisture conservation through land configuration (Broad -bed furrow /compartmental bunding/tied -ridging etc.,)
• Moisture conservation practices
• Seed hardening
• Pre-monsoon sowing
• Farm mechanization for sowing and other intercultural operations
• Mid season moisture stress management
• Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Integrated Farming System (IFS)

TECHNOLOGIES FOR DRYLAND CULTIVATION

 In India, dry land agriculture shares about 70% of total cultivable area, where as in Tamil Nadu it contributes 50% of total cultivable land. Out of total food grain production, dry land agriculture contributes about 42% in India.  Among the different crops, cereals and pulses, oil seeds and cotton are being cultivated respectively in about 90%, 75% and 70% under rainfed. Our food grain production enhanced from improved to self sufficiency by various innovative technologies developed by agricultural scientist for the past 30 years.  However, the productivity of food grain is very low in dry land agriculture (<750 kg/ha).  But we are in a position to meet out our food grain requirements for ever growing population of our country through rain fed crops by adopting improved dry land technologies. 

Arable land and forest area available in India.

 

Particulars	India	America
Arable land (ha)	< 0.2	1.3
Forest (ha)	0.1	1.9

 

Improved Agricultural Technology for Changing Scenario:

At present the total cultivable land is 143 m ha, it is estimated that it would shrink / reduce to 137 m. ha in 2050.  Out of 143 m ha cultivable land, 108 m, ha is coming under dryland.  Due to strong competition from raising population, industrialization and urbanization our present cultivable land are in declining trend.  To over come/ compensate this we have to develop and adopt some innovative technologies to maintain required level of grain production.

 Land preparation

In dry land area, land preparation is an essential operation before taking up  sowing.  During off season / summer season, by practicing summer ploughing, we have to increase the water holding capacity of the soil and reduce the menace of weed, pest and diseases, simultaneously improve the crop growth environment.  We can also conserve the soil moisture by adopting various land preparation methods, such as, broad fed furrow, basin listing /scooping to enhance the yield of the dry land crops.

 

Pre-monsoon sowing                                                               

North east monsoon is the prime source for water resources of Tamil Nadu.  In general north east monsoon rainfall mostly commenced on first week of October.  In many of the black soil areas, sowing will be done immediately after the receipt of the monsoon, which leads to difficulties in sowing operation and also loses of  considerable amount of soil moisture.  To avoid this we may prefer pre-monsoon sowing  / dry sowing of seeds 10 days before onset of monsoon.  By this operation, we ensure good crop establishment and better crop growth and development and consequently higher crop production.  In Coimbatore district, the following crops viz., sesamum, maize, pearl millet and cotton may be recommended for dry land sowing.  Normally sowing of seeds at third week of September is highly suitable in Coimbatore district.  To get better results of dry seeding, hardening the seeds with recommended chemical is necessary and also sowing will be done with implement at optimum depth.

 

Advantage of pre-monsoon sowing - Aruppukottai

 

Pre-monsoon sowing	Yield (kg ha-1)
	Cotton	Sorghum
Dry seeding at 2 weeks before onset of monsoon	419	2033
Sowing immediately after receipt of rainfall	210	1848
Sowing at 2 weeks after receipt of rainfall	120	629