Agriculture World Magazine March 2017

VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 03 | MARCH 2017 | `70

Narmada Bio chem limited

CONTENT Volume 3 | Issue 03 | March 2017 | `70 Pages 56

08

Sustainable Capacity of India and World

Problems and Prospects of Rainfed Agriculture in India

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Rain Fed Farming In Gujarat

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Problems and Prospects of Rainfed Agriculture In Rajasthan

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Organic farming for preserving soil health

Integrated Farming System For Food And Nutritional Security

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26

46

Rust ProoďŹ ng Wheat Production

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Editorial

The

human and animal popula on increase in India is unabated . This is crea ng serious problem of carrying capacity of India and the world . "Our planet's agriculture is becoming very bleak with steadily declining produc on and shrinking of crop land. At the world level itself the percentage of agriculture land was reduced by 2 percent between 1991‐2013. At world level 2 percent decline amounts to billions of hectares. It is our every day experience that our Indian ci es are engulfing large chunks of agriculture lands for various non agriculture purposes. Similarly a lot of grain growing areas are converted in non grain cul va on.

In mechanical system the produc on curve follows mostly the law of increasing return whereas in biological systems like agricultural and animal husbandry the produc on curve follows the law of diminishing return.

Hence in the use of land and water resources it is important that our consump on should be adjusted to minimum and also to the level of carrying capacity of the produc ve land and water area available "

In India, the yield of rice wheat , an irrigated cropping system is now either declining or stagna ng. Therefore, the increase in agricultural produc on has now to come from rain fed agriculture. The use of agro‐technology developed by the scien sts have the poten al to increase the crop yield to a great extent.

Rain fed areas are not only thirsty but also hungry. Therefore, use of plant nutrient is the key to increase agriculture produc vity. Basal applica on of fer lizer is very important in rain fed areas.

More than 90 percent oilseeds and pulses are grown in rain fed areas. They are energy rich but grown in energy starved condi on. Use of organic manure and fer lizer in combina on with legume crops can be gainfully used for increasing crop produc on.

Disease can cause havoc in reducing crop yield . Therefore, measures like clean cul va on, use of bio logical means of pest and disease control and integrated pest management system will go a long way in enhancing the yield of rain fed areas.

There is great opportuni es for farmers to prac cing organic farming in rain fed areas. Chemical fer lizers are very costly and failure of monsoon can aggravate the loss. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Joyana plans to help the farmers in case of natural calami es like drought , flood or both at the season The present issue of AW is themed on rain fed farming. Ten ar cles on the different facets of rain fed agriculture and allied subjects find place in this issue of AW. Hope, like earlier issues this issue of AW also would be very useful for the readers.

India is a country of youth. The young people have to evolve and adopt effec ve means of popula on control to adjust the carrying capacity of the country. Government of India has announced "the usher of New India" where a lot opportuni es would be created for the youth. But real India lives in the rural areas where Kisans (farmers) dominate. Real development of India is expected to emerge through the development of Krishi(agriculture) and kisans (farmers). In this endeavor, Krishi Jagran (KJ) is likely to play a Key role.

MC Dominic Editor-in-Chief

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Sustainable Capacity

Sustainable Capacity of India and World Dr. K. T. Chandy Retired Professor Envt & Natural Resource Mngmnt with Justice XIM. Bhubaneswar) Email. ktchandysj@gmail.com

,,

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The irony is that when the consump on rate and popula on increases in increasing propor on the land area for produc on on earth remains the same or even decreasing due to diversion of land for purposes other than food produc on.

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Examples of biologically productive n my previous write up I explained areas include lands under all types of briefly the concept of “Carrying Capacity” as the number of people crops for humans and animals, forests for that can be supported by a unit area of all types of forest products, and fishing or productive land or water or both. Related aquaculture water bodies. They do not to this concept are two other concepts: include deserts, glaciers, hill or mountain “Bio-Capacity” and "Ecological Footprint”: slopes, rocky areas and open ocean. bio-capacity is another term for carrying Global hectare is an economic and capacity whereas the ecological conceptual ecological footprint is a construct for estimating in The major cause in measurement of productive hectares as needed per the increase in land and water area required person per year to meet for a person to meet all his all his requirements for his global hectare in requirements in life both for survival and development. developing his survival and There were several countries is development. In the global methods of determination increase in context the “ecological of world hectare by footprint” is expressed in different agencies till 2006 population while in terms of “global hectare” the year the “World the developed (gha). “Global hectare" refers Footprint Net Work countries it is to the amount of biologically (2006)”, was recognized increase in productive land and/or water as the global authority to required per person on the make universally consumption rate in globe/earth. Similarly we can quality and quantity. acceptable estimates of coin the term “country global hectare (gha). Let hectare” when referring to us look at some of the the same concept at a global hectare estimates particular country or even state level. computed since then.

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Sustainable Capacity

In 2004 the total number of global hectares estimated was 11.3 billion providing an average of 1.8 global hectares per person. But after a gap of 12 years in 2016 the same went up to 13.4 billion averaging about 2.4 global hectares per person though the world population went up from 6.4 to 7.4 billion in the same period, implying an increase of 18.6% in the consumption pattern of the people. This global overshoot means that humanity is already There was an using 2.4 times more global increase of resources than sustainably 18.6% in the allowed and available. In 2004 consump on itself humanity was using 1.8 pa ern of the times more the global people resources. That means from the between 2004 � beginning of this century 2016. onwards we are in effect 'living on the capital of the planet rather than on its income'. increase in productivity or production This overshoot for higher income greater than the sustainable level, 5) countries is much more than the overall increase in the cost/price of consumer global averages. On an average the low items while all other factors remain the income countries have a typical footprint of same, 6) increase in the waste of consumer 1.0 global hectare per capita while the items, 7) decrease in the productivity of the average for high income countries is 6.1 land and/or water. But the major cause in global hectares. The United Kingdom is the increase in global hectare in developing typical among the developed countries countries is increase in population while in having 6.12 global hectares per head as the developed countries it is increase in per estimation in 2016. Thus an increase in consumption rate in quality and quantity. global hectare from 1.8 to 6.12 within the For example the increase in global/country duration of 12 years (2004-2016) mean that hectare in England is due to increase in the we would already be needing a planet earth quantity and quality of consumer items 3.4 (6.12/1.8) times bigger than the present whereas in India the increase in countryone to support the total world population of hectare is primarily due to increase in 7.4 billion heads if everyone population. However one thing were to have a living standard should be very clear to us that equivalent to those in United 'as time goes on due to The simplest Kingdom. increase in population as well as individual consumption rate, form of Here it should be there will be increase in the remembered that the increase determination global/country hectare though in global hectare may occur of carrying the productivity of the land and due to several possibilities: 1) water remains the same or capacity for increase in population while being depleted'. consumption per head remains ordinary people the same, 2) increase in the is on the basis Carrying Capacity in individual consumption while the population remains the of grain India same, 3) increase both in requirement.

Now let us look at the population as well as individual carrying capacity of our country consumption in quantity, 4)

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“Footprint”.

a little more closely. Already there are too many opinions on the topic that anyone listening to them would really get confused: a country of confusion leading to Invisible Injustices. So let me put the determination of carrying capacity of our country in its simplest form. Carrying Capacity is the number of people that can be supported by a unit area of productive land (hectare). It also means the minimum area of land required per person per year termed as

Higher manufacturing and higher energy use will result in the greater carbon footprint per person (the amount of greenhouse gas equivalent to carbon‐dioxide emi ed per person). Hence a balance between land footprint and carbon footprint has to be maintained by regula ng the consump on level of every human being in the affluent countries.

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Ours is a grain (cereal and millet) based food consumption-country and about 80% of the consumption cost of any one in India is on the grains. Hence on the basis of per hectare yield we estimate the land area required per person for his grain requirement per year. On the same land all other requirements like pulses, vegetables, spices and even some fruits can be grown as intercrop or as second or third crop. So the estimation of land required per head per year for cereals and millets would be the easiest way of estimating the carrying capacity of our country and even for many other countries where people are having grain based food consumption. We in India cultivate cereals on an area of 98.7 million hectares and millets on 21.3 million hectares making up to a total of 120 million hectares under grains producing a total of 252 millions tones at an average yield (productivity) of 2.1 tons per hectare. Correlating the productivity with per head per year consumption requirement of grain, we can estimate the land area required for production of grain per head per year.

Now the per head require-ment of grains in a family of five to six vary from 350 to 650 grams per day per head making it an average of 500 per day per person considering all the losses of grains from threshing floor to the mouth of the consumer. This 500 gram also includes all other forms of grains a person consumes such as bakery and processed cereal and millet products which the upper class (economically) people consume. Hence 500 gm per day person is a simple and accurate estimation of food grain requirement for our country. From this per day requirement and production per hectare we can estimate the per head per year requirement of the grains and the land area required for producing that much grain. This method is probably the simplest method of estimating “country hectare” of a nation like ours. Step by step estimation

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Sustainable Capacity

method is as follows: Average produc on per hectare in India (produc vity of grain‐252/120) Average grain required per head per year (500gm x 365) 182.5 kg/1000 Hence the average area required to produce 0.1825 tones= 1/2.1x0.1825 In terms of the cost of food items the land area required per head is also The ra o between the cost of food and nonfood items is Hence the land area required to produce nonfood items will be 0.087x5 Per head area required for food + nonfood items is 0.435+0.087 The “Country Footprint” in India is also the same The carrying capacity of one hectare of land in India =1x1/0.522 Hence the carrying capacity of 120 m ha of grain cropped land 120x2 Grain based carrying capacity of (land) in our country is only The number of people depending on (water) fishing in India is The number of people depending on forests (World Bank, 2006) is TOTAL MAXIMUM CARRYING CAPACITY OF INDIA (240+14+275)

= 2.1 tones = 0.1825 tones = 0.087 hectare = 0.087 = 1:5 = 0.435 hectare = 0.522 hectare = 0.522 hectare = 1.9 or 2 persons = 240 m people = 240 million = 14 million = 275 million = 529 MILLION

Hence the maximum carrying capacity of our country is much less than half or 42.3% of the present population of 1250 million.

India has only one‐twel h (6.1/0.522 =11.68) of the consump on rate (land foot‐ print‐ 0.522 ha) of the developed countries

Our planet's agricultural future is becoming very bleak with steadily declining produc vity and shrinking of cropland. At the world level itself the percentage of agricultural land was reduced by 2% between 1991 and 2013. At the world level 2% decline amounts to billions of hectares. It is our everyday experience that all our Indian ci es are engulfing large chunks of agricultural land for various nonagricultural purposes. Similarly a lot of grain growing areas are converted into non‐grain cul va on areas.

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(6.1‐ global footprint) signifying the long way it has to go on the path of development to reach the standard of developed countries. However the carrying capacity of the land in our country is 12.2 mes (2/1x1/6.1) more than that of the developed countries in Europe, America Japan etc. Then how is the footprint of developed countries is 11.68 mes higher than India? It is because, their high consump on rate is maintained by off‐land incomes like manufacturing, services and higher export advantages which brought in a substan al income through export of their goods and services. Higher manufacturing and higher energy use will result in the greater carbon footprint per person (the amount of greenhouse gas equivalent to carbon‐dioxide emi ed per person). Hence a balance between land footprint and carbon footprint has to be maintained by regula ng the consump on level of every human being in the affluent countries.

The carbon footprint in the developed countries is also about 12 mes higher than the developing countries like ours. Higher land footprint also is indica ve of the high degree of environmental impact and greater degree of development of the people with increased carbon footprint.

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Concluding Remark Both at the global and our country level we humans are func oning at very high degree of risk in their carrying capacity. The carrying capacity is offset by over consump on rate in the developed countries while in developing countries it is the burgeoning popula on that offset the carrying capacity. At the na onal (India) level the op mum carrying capacity is around 42 per cent of our present popula on of 1250 million. At the global level also the key problem is uncontrolled increase of popula on.

According David Pimentel & Co. of Cornell University the "Op mum popula on" that the earth can support with a comfortable standard of living is less than 2 billion. But the world popula on has already crossed 7.4 billion. The predic on is that in 50 years me from now, as many as 3 billion people will be malnourished and vulnerable to all types of killer diseases: that amounts to 40% of the total popula on.

Already in India about 45% of popula on is malnourished and are vulnerable to all types of killer diseases so much so all the pharmaceu cals in the world are having the maximum markets for their medicines.

Our planet's agricultural future is becoming very bleak with steadily declining produc vity and shrinking of crop land. At the world level itself the percentage of agricultural land was reduced by 2% between 1991 and 2013. At the

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world level 2% decline amounts to billions of hectares. It is our everyday experience that all our Indian ci es are engulfing large chunks of agricultural land for various nonagricultural purposes. Similarly a lot of grain growing areas are converted into non‐grain cul va on areas.

Simultaneously a lot of forest lands are converted into non‐agriculture use endangering the eco‐system at the global as well as each country level. A lot of natural water bodies are being filled up or destroyed for construc on and other purposes. As a result there is acute water scarcity in some parts of our country which affects the food produc on. Kerala is the best example of both for grain and water scarcity. In spite of the high rainfall and of having large tracts of wetland for paddy cul va on the “God's Own Country” is experiencing worst shortage of food grain and water even for drinking. Yet the “state hectare” equivalent to global hectare is very high like any other developed country in the world in addi on to a peculiar way of behaviour which belongs to “Devils Own People”. (“Gods Own Country but Devils Own People” even at the consump on level: eg. highest liquor consuming popula on in India and perhaps in the world and also very high investment in gold, clothes, medicare and housing: Injus ce Invisible). All these will increase the 'state hectare” and “na onal hectare.

The whole world is moving more and more from a biological sense of living to a mathe‐ ma co‐mechanical sense of living and the resul ng opera onal and behavioral system.

Even at the school level mathema cs and computer sciences are taught much more than the biological sciences. Hence their produc on‐ consump on pa ern is also mechanical. In a mechanical system the produc on curve follows mostly the law of increasing return; whereas in a biological system like agriculture and animal husbandry the produc on curve follows the law of diminishing return. Hence in the use of land and water resources it is important that our consump on should be adjusted to the minimum and also to the level of carrying capacity of the produc ve land and water area available.

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Rainfed Agriculture

Problems and Prospects of Rainfed Agriculture in India Bimal C Biswas

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n spite of visible increase in irrigated area in the India, about 80 million ha are s ll under rain fed . About 90 percent area in pulses, oilseeds and millets are rain fed. Produc vity in irrigated agriculture is stagna ng .

Therefore, increase in agriculture produc on has to come from rain fed area which cons tutes about 56 percent of net cul vated area. In this paper, an a empt has been made to analyze the problems associated with the rain fed farming and the prospects of the same by using the agro�technologies available in the country.

Introduction The productivity of the irrigated agriculture is either on decline or stagna ng. Crea on of

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irrigated area is very costly and the gesta on period is lengthy. At the same me the quan ty of water available for irriga on is on the decrease as more and more water is diverted to nonagricultural usages. And it is not possible to bring all area under irriga on. This implies that certain areas of our agriculture will remain rain fed. Therefore, it would be desirable to use the available agro�techniques for higher produc vity and also to develop new and be er technologies so that s ll higher produc vity could be obtained.

Problems of rain fed agriculture Problems of rain fed agriculture are many. Rain fed area is not only thirsty but hungry too. Two most important limita ons of the rain fed area

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are, therefore, soil moisture and plant nutrients deficiencies. Rain fed farmers are resource poor too. They have very li le to invest in farming. Rain fed area is infested with natural calami es like drought and flood even in the same cropping season. Crops grown are energy hungry but soils are energy starved. This is why produc vity is low.

Rain fed farming is risky and hard work is very much needed. As there is very li le scope of opportuni es for employment in the rain fed area, migra on from the village of the rain fed areas to the ci es is very common. This results in serious labour availability problems which restricts the agriculture opera on. Available labors are unproduc ve and costly too. That is why use of farm machinery is on increase.

Many ins tutes are working in rain fed areas. The Center for Research Ins tute for Dryland Area (CRIDA). Pulse Research Ins tutes, Oilseeds Reaches Ins tute, Coordinated Research Projects related to pulse crop, oilseeds crops are some of the them. The technologies developed by so many ins tutes

are not the same for the same area which may also create confusion for the farmers

Prospects The prospects are many. Proper use of technologies developed by the different ICAR ins tutes, State Agriculture and Central Universi es, NGOs, Input industries could be gainfully used to harvest the poten al of that exists in the rain fed areas.

Soil and water conserva on technologies Soil and water conserva ons are very important issues in rain fed agriculture. Hence soil and water conserva on measures are to be adopted religiously . Many soil and water conserva on measures are available (Table 1).

Method 1: The impact of the method is more during subop mum rainfall years. It also significantly controls run off. The method is adopted in more than 800ha in Nothern Karnataka.

Method 2: Opening of the conversa on furrow enhances in situ moisture conserva on, thus the crop can overcome the effect of dry spell resul ng in increased rain water efficiency, be er yield and addi onal net return.

Method 3: The ridges and furrow method helps drawing out excess water the black soil.

Futher the rain water conserved in the furrow in be er yield of the crop long dry spell.

Table 1: Some Important Moisture Conserva on Measures S. No. 1

2 3 4 5 6

Soil Moisture Conserva on Methods Compartmental Bunding Conserva on Furrow Broad bed and Furrow Ridges and Furrow Ridges Plan ng Set Furrow

Crop/Cropping System Rabi Sorghum, Sunflower Safflower, Chickpea, Maize, Bajra,Co on Groundnut,Ragi, Soybeanetc.

Soybean, Groundnut Rabi Sorghum, Pigeon Pea+ Rice Bajra Bajra, Sunflower,

Source: CH Srinivas Rao and Gopinath (2016)

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Rainfed Agriculture

Method 4: The method conserved 30‐45 percent more soil moisture than the method followed by farmers of the locality concerned This prac ce is adopted in the 60 percent of the sorghum area in Sholapur district.

Method 5: It provides enough aera on and porosity to the soil for enhanced root growth, safe disposal of excess water and reduc on of soil loss apart from moisture conserva on during low rain fall period.

Method 6: Conserved more moisture and make it available for longer period to the crop.

This helps to overcome the effect of drought.

It is observed that a large number of crops are grown in dry land condi on (Table 2).

Table 2. Growth (% per year) in area, produc on and produc vity of major dry crop in selected states

Crop Bajra Jowar Groundnut Mustard Soybean Sunflower Gram Redgram Co on

Area 0.1 1.9 0.2 5.3 8.8 4.5 1.5 1.7 1.0

Use of plant nutrients Use of plant nutrient in rain fed has given very encouraging result. Indian soils are universally deficient in nitrogen, deficient to medium in phosphorus, medium in potash.

Very good response of fer lizer has been obtained in the rain fed agriculture. Because of uncertainty, it is recommended basal dose of fer lizer has to be applied before the onset of monsoon.

Harvest of interac on As the rain fed farmers are resource poor, low cost or no cost technology needs to be encouraged in these areas. Harvest of posi ve interac on is one such technology. Phosphorus is recommended in the legume oil seeds like soybean and groundnut in the rained areas

Produc on Yield 4.2 4.1 1.3 0.6 2.9 3.1 7.1 1.7 11.3 2.3 4.8 0.3 2.9 1.4 2.5 1.1 5.7 4.6

Source: CH Srinivas Rao and Gopinath (2016) In addi on to the work done by the different government agencies, IFFDC, a sister organiza on of IFFCO has done very good work in the soil and water conserva on. Work done

by Anna Hazare, Popot Powar, in Maharashtra, R K Mission Ashram in Ranchi District, Ram Krishna Ashram KVK, Nimpeth, South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, SRCM‐ Knahna San Vana project In Chegur Village near Hyderabad, Telangana are engaged in soil and water conserva on measures deserve men on. It is interes ng to make a men on here that forest department and soil and water conserva on departments of Telangana government are ac vely involved in the development of the Kanhna San ‐Vana project of SRCM.

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These two are the main oilseeds crops of the country and mainly grown in rain fed areas of India. Harvest of Zn and P in legume oil seeds and pulses can increase the crop yield considerably. Similarly Mg and K interac on has

to be wisely harvested to get higher yield in Jute crop.

Harvest of legume effect Legume effect is well documented in (Table 3).

Table 3 Beneficial effect of pulses cropping System Preceding Crop

Succeeding Crop

Fer lizer N Equivalent (Kg/ha)

Chick pea Pigeon pea Len l Peas

Maize Wheat Bajra Bajra Maize Bajra Bajra Wheat

60 40 40 40 20‐30 30 60 43

Mongbean Cowpea

Source: Masood Ali (2016)

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Rainfed Agriculture

In addi on, the following listed agro‐techniques are also useful 1) Mulching: It controls weeds and conserves moisture. Mulching is very cheap and prac cal methods of soil and water conserva on. Polyethylene mulching is vey effec ve means to conserve water and in controlling weeds.

2) Agro‐Forestry: It has been used in many projects. In addi on, it is very environment friendly.

3) Rain‐fed Hor culture: Rain fed hor culture has been encouraged by the Maharashtra state department of agriculture. And the result is encouraging. Maharashtra has become number one in the produc on of many fruit crops namely Mango, Chicku, Banana, grape, pomegranates etc.

4) Ridge and furrow 5) Climate change mi ga on techniques 6) Rearing of goats/Sheep 7) Suitable crop and suitable variety Integrated Farming System 8) Minimum llage

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9) Watershed management 10) Laser leveling 11) Precision and meliness farm opera ons 12) Maintenance of op mum plant popula on 13) Effec ve weed control 14) Foliar fer liza on

Conclusions It is observed that there are some serious limita ons in rain fed farming like soil moisture availability, nutrient deficiency, low organic ma er content, labour availability etc. Use of technologies developed by ICAR research ins tutes, SAU, Central universi es, KVKs etc. can be gainfully used to reduce the problems and harvest high yield. In promo ng the agro‐technology, integrated approach consis ng of skill development of farm laborers, their effec ve health care through adop on of preven ve measures of diseases through prac ce of asanas and pranayams, and spiritual development through proper prac ce of hear ulness medita on under cable guide is called for.

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Rainfed Farming

Rainfed Farming In Gujarat Need For Comprehensive Evalua on Dr Amrit Patel

G

ujarat has varying topographic features.

The average rainfall varies widely from 250 mm to 1500 mm. Total geographical area is about 19.6mha out of which 9.9.mha [50.85%]

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are net cul vable area. Total gross cropped area is about 12.2.mha [cropping intensity 122.53%] out of which total gross irrigated area is 5.6.mha [45.97%] Total opera onal land hol�

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ders are 4.9mha who possess the cul vable land with an average of 2.03 hectares per land holder. Out of 4.9million land holders marginal farmers account for 37.16% followed by 29.25% small farmers, 22.10% semi‐medium farmers, 10.49% medium farmers and 1.00% large farmers. While Gujarat is the leading producer of tobacco, co on, and groundnut in India, other major crops cul vated are wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, rice, pigeon pea, gram and rapeseed&mustard. The state has significant achievement in produc on and produc vity of co on, castor and groundnut.

Introduc on

The State is divided into eight agro‐clima c zones out of which five are arid to semi‐arid while remaining three are dry sub‐humid..

Deep black to medium black soils dominate the soil types. Agriculture is influenced by erra c monsoon resul ng into droughts. North‐west of the State receives the lowest rainfall [about 345 mms] whereas the south‐east receives assured highest rainfall [2500 mms]. State has moisture‐ starved degraded areas and areas prone to scarcity. State is frequently experiencing erra c behaviour of south‐west monsoon because of its geographical Technologies so loca on.

far developed include evolu on of a number of crop varie es, field tested and released for mass cul va on.

About two‐thirds of area is under arid and semi‐arid tropics where the risks and instability in crop produc on is usually high.

However, these arid and semi‐arid areas have contributed to State's high & steady annual agricultural domes c product of 9.6% since 1999‐2000 as compared to 2.9% growth rate of agriculture and allied ac vi es at the na onal level during the same period.

This has been due to innova ve farmers willing to pursue commercial farming and State's ini a ve to introduce innova ve approaches, viz. soil health card, annual krishimahotsav, khedut portals, vibrant Gujarat global agricultural investors' summit etc. .

Research in Rain fed Farming Acknowledging the impact of low rainfall and erra c monsoon on crop produc on the erstwhile Government of Bombay State established Dry Farming Research Sta on [DFRS] at Targhadia in Rajkot district as early as in 1958. It aims at evolving loca on‐specific dry farming technologies and package of prac ces that can minimize the risks in crop produc vity and achieve the stability in the produc on of a variety of crops grown in the arid and semi‐arid region of the State. To achieve these objec ves the DFRS has been strengthened with the financial and technical support of the Govern‐

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Rainfed Farming

ment of Gujarat, Government of India & ICAR.Now it has been a full‐fledged Dry Farming Research Ins tute in Gujarat manned by professional having specialised qualifica on in disciplines viz. plant breeding & gene cs, agronomy, plant physiology, agricultural chemistry & soil science, agricultural entomo‐ logy and agricultural engineering in par cular. It has seven sub‐centres located at Vallabhipur, Jamkhambhalia, Dhandhuka, Radhanpur, Ra a, Nanakandhasar and Dhari which represent arid & semi‐arid regions of the State where rainfall is less than 625 mm.

Development of Technologies

Technology‐based Recommenda ons: The DFRS has so far disseminated 119 recommen‐ da ons based on proven and demonstrated technologies among farmers cul va ng ground‐ nut, sesame, co on, castor, pearl millet, sorg‐ hum and pulses under rain‐fed farming in Gujarat. These recommenda ons under seven broad‐based groups of technologies include, [i] rainwater1 management ‐12 [ii] nutrient management‐37 [iii] drought management‐2 [iv]crop management ‐17 [v]weed manage‐ ment‐5 [vi] cropping system‐ 26 [vii] plant protec on‐20.

Technology Dissemina on Process: The

Technologies so far developed include evolu on of a number of crop varie es, field tested and released for mass cul va on. They are superior to local ones in respect of yield & maturity days, among others. Detailed agronomic prac ces are also simultaneously developed for their cul va on which include different types of cropping system, op mum seed rate requirement, plan ng method, nutrient management, weed management, pests & disease control, use of farm implements & equipment, con ngency planning & management [ in case of delayed rains, drought spell & early withdrawal of rains] etc.

For Rajkot, Surendra nagar, parts of Jamnagar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar and Amreli districts covering 73% of area in Saurashtra, 39 varie es of 11 crops have been so far released for commercial cul va on which include pearl millet [ 4], sorghum grain[4], sorghum fodder [2], castor[ 7], green gram [2], pigeon pea [2], cluster bean [2], groundnut bunch [3], groundnut semi‐spreading [1], groundnut spreading [4],sesame[3], castor [5] For Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar, Banaskan‐ tha, Meshana, Patan and Ahmedabad districts in North Gujarat, 28 varie es of six crops have been released for commercial cul va on which include castor [3], pearl millet [ 6], cowpea [1], cluster bean [1] green gram [1], sorghum [8], mothbean [1], pigeon pea [5], sesame [2]

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technologies developed on rain‐fed farming management are disseminated widely among farmers in remote corners of the State through effec ve coopera on of and coordina on with various agencies and ins tu ons viz. extension staff of the Panchaya Raj Ins tu ons at block/village levels, NGOs, GROFED, GSFC, GNFC, IFFCO, GLDC, KVKs, innova ve farmers and students of agricultural universi es and agricultural schools. Other modes include organizing farmers' day in each crop season; krushimela &agricultural exhibi ons organized by universi es & other agencies; pre‐seasonal training to extension staff & field visits by diagnos c teams; conduc ng front line

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demonstra ons of newly released varie es and recommended agronomic prac ces & releasing press notes; educa ng farmers during visit of these research centres; involving print & elec‐ tronic media [TV discussion, Radio talks, ar cles in newspapers], distribu on of literature; spot field diagnosis to get feedback on the extent of adop on and constraints experienced in adop on of technology by the farmers; Iden fica on of farmers' research needs on technology Innova ve Approaches: Following innova‐ ons in par cular have acted as catalysts to increase per hectare yield of various crops

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Rainfed Farming

cul vated under rain‐fed & irrigated areas of the State.

Soil Health Cards: ini a ve launched by the State in 2003‐04 has been a significant part of strengthening agriculture infrastructure and increasing the crop produc vity. In 2013‐14, 11.58 lakhs soil samples were collected and 11.46 lakhs soil health cards were distributed to farmers. In last four years, state has established 111 soil tes ng laboratories at various APMCs, science collages, Sugar Co‐opera ves, GLDC, GSSC on the PPP mode. There are total 133 soil tes ng laboratories in Gujarat State at present.

With a view to educa ng the farmers on micronutrients availability and their use, Gov‐ ernment has launched new programme to prepare the map showing micronutrient status of village on GPS basis. Soil Fer lity Maps for 9300 villages are prepared and distri‐ buted at district level to display in Villages by Gram Panchayats.

Vibrant Gujarat Global Agricultural Investors: During September 2013 the State had organized the Vibrant Gujarat Global

Agricultural Investors' Summit (VGGAS) to a ract investment, share knowledge& experiences and learn from agriculturally advanced countries. More than 7000 farmers had par cipated out of which about 3500 were from other states. Besides, 184 na onal and 14 interna onal companies had par cipated exhibi ng latest agricultural technologies.

Increased yield per hectare The massive programme of water harves ng technologycontributed to enhance the scope of water conserva on through 1,13,740 check dams, lakhs of khe alavadi, sim‐talav, boribund; in dry Saurashtra, Kutchh and north Gujarat and helped energized Gujarat's agriculture. These semi‐arid regions have outperformed the canal irrigated south and central Gujarat.

During the decade ended 2013‐14 per hectare yield of most crops has significantly increased in Gujarat over that in 2004‐05.

However, per hectare yield in six crops in Gujarat was significantly lower than average

Table 1. Yield Per Hectare in Kgs of Crops in Gujarat Vs All India Average [2004-05 & 2013-14]

Figures in parentheses indicate All India average yield of corps per hectare yield at All India level.

During 2013‐14 percentage of area irriga‐ ted ranged from 7.5 to 15.5 in case of five crops in Gujarat as compared to three in the country.

However, per hectare yield of pulses & ground‐ nut was rela vely much higher in Gujarat than average yield in the country.

Need For: As the DFRS has already com‐

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pleted 58 years it is necessary to have a com‐ prehensive evalua on study on the impact of its important research ac vi es, viz. resource management, rainwater management, crop improvement, nutrient management, plant protec on and agricultural advisory services in respect of increasing yield of crops & net income of farmers per unit of area & resources, extent to which risks have been minimized,

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Table 2. Yield Per Hectare in Kgs of Crops in 2013-14 Along with Area Irrigated [%]

Figures in Parentheses Indicate All India Average Yield of Corps & % Area Irrigated share of farm output from dry farming in the total output, acceptability of technologies by farmers, factors responsible to inhibit the progress in research & development of technologies, among others. This study may be district‐wise and should provide insight for future researches that can fill the gap between the emerging needs and exis ng knowledge.

Conclusion Gujarat, which has 7.2 mha out of 12.2. mha of gross cropped area under rain fed farming, has contributed appreciably well to

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increase the State's growth rate in agriculture and significant increase in the per hectare yield of most crops in2013‐14 over that in 2004‐05.

However, per hectare yield of most crops in 2013‐14 is quite low as compared to average per hectare yield in India which points out the need for detailed agro‐ecological zone‐wise studies and iden fying the areas of policy interven on, public‐private investment and need‐based programs involving farmers & PRIs in their planning and implementa on that can bring agriculture in Gujarat at par with agriculture in India .

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26

Rainfed Agriculture

Problems and Prospects of Rainfed Agriculture In Rajasthan Dinesh Jinger Ph.D. Research Scholar ICAR‐Indian Agricultural Research Ins tute‐New Delhi‐110012

R

ajasthan, the largest state of India, is endowed with diverse soil and weather condi‐ ons comprising of several agro‐ clima c situa‐ ons that helps the state to adopt a diversified cropping pa ern. Agriculture is one of the major water demanding sectors. In arid regions of Rajasthan, economy is primarily agricultural based and any shortage of water for agricul‐tural use is likely to have cascading

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effect on various sectors of economy. A small pertur‐ba on in magnitude and frequency of rainfall, and resul ng decrease in water availa‐ bility may lead to drought like condi ons in this region. Hence, conserva on and efficient management of limited water is the need of the hour for achieving sustainable produc on for longer period on light textured soils of arid and semi‐arid regions of Rajasthan

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Rainfed Agriculture INTRODUCTION About 84% of the total popula on of Rajas‐ than lives in rural areas and 78% of the rural popula on depends on agriculture. The geogra‐ phical features of Rajasthan are dominated by the Aravalli range which divides the state into two dis nct zones. The region to the west and north‐west, comprising of eleven districts and nearly 61 per cent of the total area of the State, is known as the Great Indian Desert Thar. The type of soil is sandy in this region which is poor in nitrogen and has low water holding capacity.

The south‐east and eastern parts of the Aravalli Hills are produc ve for agriculture purposes, having clay loam type soil. Arid regions are encountered by various problems. Harsh clima c condi ons in arid regions allow the farmers to grow only one crop during rainy

season that too depend on the rainfall. The average annual rainfall of western arid region is 317 mm. The rainfall is highly variable and erra c with frequent dry spells. The number of rainy days varies from 10 to 25. Groundwater is very deep, saline at many places and expensive to use. Indiscriminate use of water on undula ng highly permeable sandy soils through conven onal irriga on resulted in fall of groundwater by 0.6‐1.0 m annually. The situa on of over exploita on of groundwater is more serious in the region where out of 11 districts, 6 are in category of over exploited and remaining 5 are in category of semi cri cal zone. Rainfed farming is adversely affected by low and erra c rainfall coupled with high evapora ve demand and low moisture reten on by light textured soils. On the other hand indiscriminate use of scarce water through conven onal irriga on management prac ces led to exhaus on of ground water resources and development of water logging in canal command area. Effec ve adapta on measures are needed to increase water use efficiency and reduce losses. In view of limited irriga on resources in arid regions, par cipatory watershed management, supplemental irriga on, deficit irriga on, in‐situ and ex‐situ rainwater harves ng and recycling, use of poor quality water, conjunc ve use of water, and pressurized irriga on have a very high poten al to enhance water use efficiency, leading to improved water use and efficient use of other input resources like seed and fer lizer.

Greater adop on of these approaches and technologies will certainly lead to efficient management of scarce water resources in rain fed areas of Rajasthan.

Main Features of Rajasthan

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Largest state covering 10.5% of geographical area

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10% animal popula on of the country

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5.5% popula on of the country

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2/3 popula on depends on agriculture

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Only 1% of water resources of the country

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83% of available water used for irriga on

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Rainfed Agriculture



36% of cropped area irrigated

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70% area irrigated through wells & tube‐ wells

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27% irrigated through canals

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10.6 Lakh ha saline and alkali soils

Problems of rainfed Agriculture in Rajasthan In rain fed agriculture, paucity of water is the main problem. A part from low and erra c behaviour of rainfall, high evapora ve demand and low water holding capacity of soil cons tute the principle constraint in crop produc on in this area. Yield fluctua ons are mainly due to vagaries of weather o en much behind risk bearing capacity of Farmers.

Monsoon starts in the month of June and ends in the last week of September or some mes in the first week of October. Most of the rainfall received during this period. With undula ng topography and low moisture reten on capacity of the soil, major por on of the rain water is lost through runoff, causing erosion and adding to water logging of low lying areas.

A er the rains stops, very li le moisture is le in the profile to support plant growth and grain produc on. In rain fed areas, deficiency and uncertainty in rainfall of high intensity causes excessive loss of soil through erosion which leaves the soil unproduc ve. Due to erra c behaviour and improper distribu on of rainfall,

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agriculture is risky. Farmers lack resources, technological tools become inefficient and ul mately produc vity is low.

rainfall.

Vagaries of Monsoon: Main characteris cs of rainfall influencing crop produc on are its variability, intensity and distribu on, late onset and early withdrawal of monsoon and prolonged dry spells during the crop produc on.

Intensity and Distribu on: In general, more than 50 per cent of total rainfall is usually received in 3 to 5 rainy days. Such intensive rainfall results in substan al loss of water due to surface runoff. This process also accelerates soil erosion. Distribu on of rainfall during the crop growing season is more important than total rainfall in rain fed agriculture.

Variable Rainfall: Annual rainfall varies greatly from year to year. Generally, higher the rainfall less is the coefficient of varia on. In other words crop failure due to uncertain rains are more frequent in regions with lesser

Late Onset and Early Cessa on of Rains: Due to late onset of monsoon, sowing of crop is delayed resul ng in poor yields. Some mes the rain may ease very early in the season exposing the crop to drought during flowering and

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Rainfed Agriculture

maturity stages which reduces the crop yields considerably.

Prolonged Dry Spells during Crop Period: Long breaks in the rainy season are an important feature of Indian monsoon. These intervening dry spells when prolonged during crop period reduces crop growth and yield and when unduly prolonged crops fail.

respect to N, P, S and Ca and compact subsoil layer. 

Land degrada on from soil erosion and crus ng. 

Socio‐economic constraints: The socio‐ economic status of the farmers of Rajasthan, generally, will not permit them in adop ng the recommended technology.

Major socio‐economic constraints are:

Soil Constraints 

Wind erosion is a major problem in the desert regions of Rajasthan resul ng in loss of top soil, damaging crop plants, and burying viable agricultural lands.

Figure 1 Special feature of Rain fed Agriculture in Rajasthan. 

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Poor crop stand due to crus ng and rapid drying of surface soil.

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Inadequate soil depth, poor and marginal land

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Poor crop growth due to unreliable soil moisture supply, low moisture storage capacity due to shallow depth and drought spells during crop season.

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Low soil fer lity due to low organic ma er, poor nutrient status par cularly with

Figure 3 :Area under rainfed and irrigated agriculture in Rajasthan

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Land degrada on from salt accumula on and wind erosion.

Lack of capital, support price for the produce, marke ng and credit facili es make the farmers hesitate to invest on recommended technology.



Most of the resource poor farmers opt for avoiding risk in agriculture.



Poor organisa onal structure for input supply in areas.

Prospects in Rain Fed Agriculture Availability of huge land mass : Rajasthan is the largest state of India cons tu ng 10.4 per cent of total geographical area and 5.5 per cent of total popula on of India. The net cul vated area of Rajasthan is 183.4 lakh ha out of which 116.8 lakh ha area is under rainfed agriculture and 66.6 lakh ha area is under irrigated condi ons. Physio‐graphically, the state can be divided into 4 major regions, namely (i) The western desert with barren hills, rocky plains and sandy plains; (ii) The Aravalli hills running south‐west to north‐east star ng from Gujarat and ending in Delhi; (iii) The eastern plains with rich alluvial soils; and the south‐eastern plateau. Mahi, Chambal and Banas are the three major rivers of the state. There is a tremendous scope of hor culture crops like pine apple, anola, pomegranate, ber and medicinal crops like aloevera, sonamukhi, isabgol par cularly under rainfed condi ons.

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Figure 2" Soil Map of Rajasthan Diverse agro‐clima c condi ons: Rajas‐ than has been divided in to 10 agro‐clima c zones. The arid (61%) and semi‐arid areas (16%) cons tute about two‐third of total geographical area of the state. The analysis on two major clima c factors, viz., rainfall and temperature has been made in this sec on. The analysis on rainfall pa ern in Rajasthan reveals that the average rainfall in the state is 57.4 cm, compared to the all‐India average of 110 cm.

The period of monsoon is very short ranging around 60 to 75 days. On an average, its onset is late and withdrawal is early as compared to other states and one or two dry spells is a common phenomenon. Therefore, short dura on crops like moth bean, mungbean and coarse cereal like pearl millet, commercial crop like cluster bean have huge capacity to withstand harsh climate of this state and produce economic yields.

Opportunity for organic farming: There is a tremendous scope of organic farming in Rajasthan because the fer lizer consump on is very low i.e. 50 kg/ha. Farmers of this state

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are fond of using on‐farm inputs like FYM, compost, vermi‐compost etc Opportunity for Integrated farming system: The land holding size in India has been declining by half from 2.28 ha in 1970‐71 to 1.15 ha in 2014‐15 because of ever‐increasing popula on and decline in per capita availability of land, there is no scope for horizontal expansion of land for food, fodder and fibre produc on. Ver cal expansion by integra ng appropriate farming enterprises requiring lesser space and me, and ensuring higher total produc vity of the system is the only alternate op on le out. It is impera ve to develop strategies that enable adequate employment and income genera on, especially for Small and marginal holdings together, cons tute 85 per cent in terms of number of opera onal holdings and 44 per cent of the operated area in the country. Therefore, Integrated farming systems approach is a valuable approach to addressing the problems of sustainable economic growth for farming communi es in India.

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Rainfed Agriculture

OPPORTUNITIES 

Area expansion by land reclama on and use of waste lands.

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Export of seed spices, vegetables and fruits.

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Development of processing & storage facili es.

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Scope for diversifica on in Agriculture and Allied sectors.

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Scope for increase farm mechaniza on.

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Farmers ready to take new programmes.

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Varied agro‐clima c condi ons provide opportuni es for diversifica on & increase in farm income

All available rain fed technologies are being used in the state

Conclusion Rajasthan used to face problem of drought in every 2 to 3 years. This is very alarming .

Sustainable development of rain fed agriculture is the need of the hour. Water is the key input for crop produc on . So there is urgency to adopt a inclusive approach to conserve soil

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Figure 4: Agroclimate of Rajasthan moisture. Selec on of suitable crops and their varie es is most important for rain fed areas.

Other agronomic interven ons like adop on of in‐situ and ex‐situ moisture conserving techniques, alternate land use system, windbreak/shelterbelts, soil condi oners, micro‐irriga on, mid‐way correc ons, land configura ons may play a vital role for increasing produc vity of crop and water par cularly under rain fed situa ons..

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36 Preserving Soil Organic Farming For Preserving Soil Health AshokK.Patra, K. Ramesh and A.B. Singh ICAR‐Indian Ins tute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Berasia Road, Bhopal (MP)

T

he concomitant health and environ‐ mental concerns with the intensive use of chemical inputs has led to renewed interest in natural ways of farming in different parts of the world. Organic agriculture is an effort to establish the best possible rela onship between the earth and men and is due to growing interest among the farmers to cul vate crops because of the escala ng cost of inorganic fer lizers and health concerns due to chemical usage. One of the important aspects of the organic farming is the soil health management to op mize the crop produc vity.

The use of manures from livestock and the compost prepared from farm wastes is an important way of recycling nutrients to the soil.

In philosophical terms organic farming means "farming in spirits of organic rela onship”. In this system all components are inter related necessita ng the need to understand the rela onship between the soil, water, microbes, plant kingdom and the animal kingdom of which the apex animal is the human being etc.

It is the totality of these rela onships that is the founda on of organic farming. However, sphere surrounding organic agriculture has become considerably more complex due to various reasons. A major challenge today is certainly its entry into the policy making arena, and associated transforma on of organic products into commodi es. Present crop produc on technologies, supported by policies and fuelled by agrochemicals, machinery and irriga on are known to have enhanced agricultural produc on but have to depend upon the purchased inputs.

propagated by the mainstream and shows excellent promise for the three pillars of farming viz; commercial, social and environmental viability.

Understanding the concept of organic farming Many people consider that tradi onal agriculture, sustainable agriculture, JaivikKrishi,

During the past few decades, there has been a significant sensi za on of the global community towards environmental protec on and chemical free food. Ardent promoters of organic farming consider that it can meet the popula on demand and become the mean for complete human development. A er several pi alls, organic agriculture is now being

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biological agriculture, ecological agriculture, bio‐dynamic, organic‐biological agriculture and natural agriculture etc. are organic farming methods. Organic agriculture is one among the broad spectrum of natural plant produc on methods that go hand in hand with the environment, par ally mimicking nature.

Simply some people believe that the use of organic manures is organic farming. In contrast the organic farming in real sense envisages a comprehensive management approach to improve the health of underlying produc vity of the soil. Prac cing organic agriculture involves managing the agro‐ecosystem as an autonomous system, based on the primary produc on capacity of the soil under local

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clima c condi ons. Although the connota on 'organic farming' is gaining momentum in the recent past, it was ini ated around 10000 years back when ancient farmers started cul va on with sole dependence on natural sources.

There is a brief men on of several organic inputs in our ancient literatures like Rigveda, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Kau lya Arthasas‐ hthra etc. In fact, organic agriculture has its roots in tradi onal Agricultural prac ces that evolved in countless villages and farming communi es over the millennium. Agro‐ ecosystem management implies trea ng the system, on any scale, as a living organism suppor ng its own vital poten al for biomass and animal produc on, along with biological

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Preserving Soil

mechanisms for mineral balancing, soil improvement and pest control. Farmers, their families and rural communi es, are an integral part of this agro‐system.

Agricultural prac ces were largely organic up to the 1960s, consis ng of tradi onal varie es that were grown with the na ve fer lity of the soil, applica on of available farmyard manure and scanty irriga on facili es.

In the post green revolu on era, farmers started using agro‐chemicals exceeding the limits of their safe and economic use. Usually, conven onal agriculture imposes no restric ons on management and encourages using chemicals. for yield maximiza on under a given set of farming condi ons. This indiscriminate use of agro‐chemicals, par cularly in the green revolu on belt, has resulted in the appearance environmental problems. Subsequently, growing awareness of health and environment issues has led to the interest and growth in alternate forms of sustainable agriculture.

Can organic farming feed the world?

This is a common ques on raised in many forums about the suitability of organic farming.

Some authors are of the opinion that when high‐input‐high‐yielding systems are failing to

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feed the world, not because of problems with produc vity, but because of problems with distribu on, besides the weather vagaries.It is wellknown fact that ini al conversion fromin organic to organic, may incur yield losses during itsconversion period. Experiments under NPOF over a decade indicated that in many cropping systems organic farming can produce comparable produc vity to that of chemical based framing.

World Scenario Not less than 141 countries (65 per cent are developing countries) have a share in organic food produc on as on date.The countries with the most organic agricultural land are Australia, Argen na and China. More than one third of organic producers are in Africa. In Europe, the organic land increased by more than half a million hectares, in Asia by 0.4 million. About one‐third of the world's organi‐ cally managed agricultural land – 12 million hectares is located in developing countries. As per the available sta s cs, India's rank in terms of world's organicAgricultural land was 15 as per 2013 data. The total area under organic cer fica on is 5.71million Hectare (2015‐16).

This includes 26% cul vable area (1.49 million Hectare) and the rest 74% (4.22 million Hectare) forest and wild area for collec on of minor forest produces (www.apeda.gov.in)

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Preserving Soil

Ini a ves in India Department of Agriculture and coopera‐ on, Ministry of Agriculture has ini ated sev‐ eral steps for the growth of organic farming in the country.

A new Central Sector Scheme en tled “Na onal Project on Organic Farming” with an outlay of Rs.57.05 crore for produc on, pro‐ mo on and market development of organic farming in the country during the 10th Plan on pilot basis was ini ated.Later the Ministry of Agriculture has taken up the Technical Coope‐ ra on Programme (TCP) of FAO (TCP/IND/ 3003) for the development of Technical Capacity Base for the Promo on of Organic Agriculture in India) to overcome the know‐ ledge gap by quickly producing basic informa‐ on tailored to various ecological zones of the country on the current state of knowledge on organic crop produc on packages, input pro‐ duc on and u liza on and cer fica on issues including legal and ins tu onal aspects. Task Force on organic framing was cons tuted in 2000. The Ministry of Commerce launched the Na onal Organic Programme in April 2000 and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority is implemen ng the Na onal Programme for Organic Produc‐ on. During 2005, to address the issues on crop produc vity and input use under organic farming, an expert commi ee was cons tuted in July, 2005 under the chairmanship of Dr. H.P. Singh, Dean, GB Pant Agricultural University.

introduced a scheme called “Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)” is an elaborated component of Soil Health Management (SHM) of Na onal Mission of Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). Under PKVY, Organic farming is promoted through adop on of organic village by cluster approach and Par cipatory Guarantee System(PGS) cer fica on during 2015‐16 with a budget outlay of ` 300 crore and the Government of India has reported that so far 8000 clusters have been formed.

Growth of organic farming in India Renewed interest in organic agriculture is mainly due to two concerns, falling agricultural

The Na onal Academy of Agricultural Sciences has issued a Policy Paper on Organic Farming, which concludes that while synthe c pes cides can be avoided, complete exclusion of fer lizers may not able advisable under all situa ons. It wasre commends that “holis c approach involving Integrated Nutrient Mana‐ gement, Integrated Pest Management, enhan‐ ced input use efficiency and adop on of region‐ specific promising cropping systems would be the best organic farming strategy for India.” To begin with, the prac ce of organic farming should be for low volume, high value crops like spices, medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables.

The Government of India has recently

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yield in certain areas as a result of excessive use of chemical inputs, decreased soil fer lity and environmental awareness. Organic farming appears to be one of the op ons for sustainability. Star ng of organic agriculture in India in 1900 by Sir Albert Howard, a Bri sh agronomist in North India, Development of Indore Method of aerobic compost (Howard, 1929), Bangalore method of anaerobic compost (Archarya, 1934), NADEP Compost (ND Pandari Panda, Yeotmal, 1980) ini ated organic agriculture in India. India is endowed with various types of naturally available organic form of nutrients in different parts of the country and it will help for organic cul va on of crops substan ally. The 10th five –Year plan encouraged the promo on of organic farming

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using organic wastes, and integrated pest management and integrated nutrient management prac ces (GoI,2001). The Government of India has launched the Na onal Programme for Organic Produc on (NPOP) in the year 2001. This programme involves the accredita on for cer fica on bodies, standards for organic produc on, promo on of organic farming etc. The NPOP standards of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) for produc on and accredita on systems have been recognized by the European Commission and Switzerland as equivalent to their country standards. Similarly, The United States Depart‐ ment of Agriculture (USDA) has also recognized NPOP as equivalent to those in the US. Curren‐

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Preserving Soil

tly, India ranks 33rd in terms of total land under organic crops to total farming area. The state of Sikkim has formally become India's first fully organic state a er it successfully implemented organic farming prac ces on around 75,000 hectares area. Formal declara on in this regard was made in the Sikkim Organic Fes val 2016 in Gangtok ,Sikkim. Among all the states, Madhya Pradesh has covered largest area under organic cer fica on followed by Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan (www.apeda.gov.in).

Rain fed organic farming Organic farming has assumed immense significance in the dry land areas also. Soil and Clima c condi ons in India's Rain fed make them par cularly well suited to organic agriculture. These marginal lands, with their marginal soils do not respond well to intensive farming prac ces. These are actually be er suited to low‐input farming systems that make ample use of the biodiversity. Extensive literature is also available on the use of legume based inter and sequen al cropping systems in the context of organic produc on. In general, the benefits from legume crop in the system to other component crop in terms of nutrient transfer are not found significant but the succeeding cereal crop benefited due to the residual effect. Therefore, the cropping systems concept has to be built in, while designing the organic produc on protocols for rain‐fed crops.

Farmers in con guous areas can be encouraged to adopt farm management prac ces that are required in organic produc on. Yield levels in such areas may be further enhanced by using permi ed inputs.

A commodity and area oriented group cer fica on system may be possible with the support of the Government agencies and service providers. As a second strategy, areas where farmers are already realizing higher yield but using chemical inputs need to be iden fied and a systema c conversion protocols need to be introduced based on

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research data. Besides training and capacity building of farmers on produc on of inputs required for organic farming at farm level, the availability of other bio‐inputs like bio‐ fer lizers and bio‐pes cides need to be increased in selected areas by encouraging the se ng up of resource centers.

An environmentally sustainable system must maintain a stable resource base, avoiding over‐exploita on of renewable resource systems or environmental sink func ons, and deple ng non‐renewable resources only to the extent that investment is made in adequate subs tutes. This includes maintenance of biodiversity, atmosphere stability, and other ecosystem func ons not ordinarily classed as an economic resource (Harris 2000).

There are several intangible benefits of organic agriculture viz., clima c resilience, carbon sequestra on and par cularly soil health. Growers use a wide variety of prac ces to maintain or improve soil health in vegetable produc on systems. These prac ces generally are part of long‐term, site –specific management programs that aim at developing fer le and biologically ac ve soils that readily capture and store water and nutrients have good lth and suppress plant disease. Special care is needed to select organic carbon sources for building long term soil quality. Deliberate and rou ne carbon inputs are essen al to achieving this goal in organic produc on environments.

Challenges of conversion to organic farming There are several issues to consider before farmers in India can leave conven onal farming and shi to organic farming. These include food security, risk mi ga on, lack of support, sovereignty of seeds etc. A survey was made on cer fied organic farms in the country to ascertain the real benefits and feasibility of organic farming in terms of the produc on poten al,

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economics and soil health in comparison to the conven onal farms. The study revealed that organic farming, in spite of the reduc on in crop produc vity by 9.2 %, provided higher net profit to farmers by 22.0 % as compared to conven onal farming. This was mainly due to the availability of premium price (20‐40 %) for the cer fied organic produce and reduc on in the cost of cul va on by 11.7 %.

In cases where such premium prices were not available and the cost of cul va on was higher primarily due to purchased off‐farm inputs, organic farming was not found economically feasible. However, there was an overall improvement in soil quality in terms of various parameters, viz. physical, chemical, biological proper es, availability of macro‐ and micronutrients, indica ng an enhanced soil health and sustainability of crop produc on in organic produc on systems.

to poor beneficial microbes and soil organic ma er in the soil. This loss could be compensated by premium price. The pest and disease problems will also be minimized and most of the living forms like earthworms will return back to the soil to add the soil fer lity and improve its health. Since organic farming depends on on‐farm inputs, farming expenses will be minimized. Increasing an agro‐ecosy‐stem's adap ve capacity allows it to be er withstand climate variability, including aberrant rainfall pa erns, temperature varia ons and other unexpected events. However a cluster approach is essen al for the success of organic farming in the country as envisaged in the “Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana” of the Government of India.

Conclusion The organic agriculture is a viable solu on to environmental concerns of chemical inputs and maintenance of soil health. It is said that “healthy soils make healthy plants and healthy human beings and a health na on” and organic framing could maintain and preserve the soil health. From the very beginning, the agriculture in India was based on natural farming, meaning thereby that whatever nutrients were drawn from the soil in the form of agricultural produce were returned back to the soil in one form or the other, as a result all macro and micro nutri‐ents required for produc on of crops were available in different quan es in the soil. Regular use of organics could keep away the occurrence of micronutrient deficiencies too in soils as the organic inputs do have micro quan es of the micronutrients. People have reported that by switching over to organic farming from chemical farming, the produc on could decline for the ini al 3‐5 years plausibly due

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Integrated Farming

Integrated Farming System For Food And Nutri onal Security M. Thoithoi, Subhash Babu and Anup Das* ICAR Research Complex for NEH region, Umiam‐793 103, Meghalaya *e‐mail:anup_icar@yahoo.com

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ono‐ cropping has inherent serious problem of crop failure due to drought, flood or disease. This type of failure causes huge loss to farmers.

Secondly for balanced diet, all the ingredients of food namely carbohydrate, protein, fats & oils, minerals, vitamins, water and fiber materials. are essen als Thirdly with the increase of purchasing power of the people of the country, there is clear cut shi of food habit from cereal to meat ,milk, eggs, fish, fruits and vegetables. Adop on of integrated farming system consis ng of field crops(rice,wheat, maize etc), hor culture ( fruits, vegetables and flowers ), animal husbandry, fishery, poultry etc, is therefore, essen als to cater the needs of the hour.

natural resource degrada on, stage of plateau for profitability and stability of farm income, increasing regula on of concentrated animal feeding opera ons and many more scien fic aberra ons due to the mono‐cropping, reintro‐ duced the integra on of crops and livestockfor sustainable farming. Integrated farming is anumbrella term which includes the two or more agricultural enterprise in a complemen‐ tary manner to support each other in terms of byproducts u liza on.

Integrated farming system (IFS) refers to agricultural systems that integrate crop produ‐ c on, livestock and other locally suited farm enterprises..Due to the harmonious nature it is a complete set of produc on system. Maximi‐ za on of produc vity for all the compa ble

Introduc on Human developed agricultural systems that combined crop produc on with animal husban‐ dry 8 to 10 millennia ago. These integrated systems provided a bouquet of offerings in terms of diverse products to a farm family for their nutri onal and food security. Apart from that, they also offered a means of u lizing crop residues or non‐cul vated land to produce meat, milk and associated products, while genera ng sustainable soil and land manage‐ ment system. In the past 60 years, however, agriculture in many industrialized countries has become increasingly specialized, resul ng in a separa on of crop and livestock enterprises.

This specialized intensive agriculture raised agricultural growth but brought environmental and produc on vulnerabili es to land and water resources.

The concern raised by the agricultural experts is not limited to the environmental aspect only but it extended their arms to the farmers also due to the uncertainty in income and employment. In addi on to the above;

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agricultural enterprise with the goal of profitable farming as a whole, minimiza on of risk, economically and environmentally sound and achieving agro‐ecological equili‐brium are some of the encouraging results which underpin the populariza on of IFS in the recent me.

Components of IFS The components of IFS include crops, fish farming, poultry, pigs, ca le, sheep and goat, fodder produc on, kitchen gardening, etc. as per the demand, resources available with the farmers and edapho‐clima c condi ons. In this system, there is no waste i.e. primary produce and secondary produce of one systemis u lized as basic input for the other system.So, there is reduc on in the use of fer lizers and other agro‐chemicals, provide pollu on free, healthy produce and environment to the society.

Enterprise selec on in IFS A combina on of one or more enterprises with cropping, when carefully chosen, planned

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and executed, gives greater dividends than a single enterprise, especially for small and marginal farmers. Farm as a unit is to be considered and planned for effec ve integra on of the enterprises to be combined with crop produc on ac vity. Selec on of farm enterprises to be combined depends on many factors viz.soil and clima c features of the area;availability of resources, land, labour and capital;present level of u liza on of resources;economics of proposed integrated farming system; managerial skill of the farmer, etc. Enterprise combina on in a farming system results in higher nutri ve output than cropping alone.

Advantages of IFS The advantages of IFS include pooling and sharing of resources/inputs, efficient use of family labor, conserva on, preserva on and u liza on of farm biomass including non‐ conven onal feed and fodder resources, effec ve use of manure/animal waste, regula‐ on of soil fer lity and health, income and employment genera on and increase yield,

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Integrated Farming

minimiza on of risk of total crop failure, provides an opportunity to solve malnutri on problem due to produc on of variety of food products, improved standard of living of the farmer, greater sustainability etc. Preston (2004) stated that IFS is part of the strategy to ensure sustainable use of the natural resources for the benefit of present and future genera ons. IFS is also considered as a viable strategy to cope with climate variabili es and anomalies as in case of any aberra ons one or other component will survive and farmer will get some assured income.

IFS in mid‐hill of Meghalaya: a case study.

At ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya, an IFS unit was established during 2009‐10 in an area of 1 hectare (30‐40% slope) for accommoda ng different components of IFS. The main objec ve was to achieve food security of an average household by integra ng different farming components. Of the 1 ha area, 7000 m2 area in bo om hill was allo ed to agri/vegetable based cropping system and 2000 m2 was allo ed to hor culture based system. Another, 500 m2 was allo ed to water harves ng pond in which composite fish culture was prac ced, while 500 m2area was kept for livestock, vermicompost unit, threshing floor and miscellaneous uses (Fig.1). Among the 7000 m2 area under agri/vegetables crops, 2300 m2 was allo ed to French bean‐rice‐toria, 2500 m2 for maize based cropping system, 900 m2spices based cropping system, 600 m2 for groundnut based cropping system and 700 m2 vegetable based cropping system. During 2013‐ 14, net return from the agri/vegetable based cropping system, hor culture, fisheries and livestock was Rs. 1,14,455.10, Rs. 6,480.00, Rs. 3,510.00 and Rs. 12,930.00,respec vely. As a whole, IFS recorded gross return of Rs. 4,32,990.00while the cost of produc on/rearing was Rs. 2,95,471.90giving a net return of Rs. 1,37,518.00/ha/annum from the developed IFS model.

are lack of awareness about IFS;integra ng new enterpriserequires more land and expenditure as its difficult for small and marginal farmers to incurhighini al investments mainly for the establishment of farm ponds and purchase of livestocks; inadequate credit facili es; labor shortage especially for small families, which prevented them from adop ng IFS and high cost of labour; lack of skilled laborers; lack of informa on on type and size of enterprises to be included; lack of coordinated extension service;lack of demonstra on on IFS;lack of knowledge on effec ve recycling of farm wastes; inadequate market outlets; etc.

Conclusion The risk factor associated with the mono cropping in terms of environmental degrada on, income of the farmers and resource wastage etc. provided the way for IFS. It is based on a simple no on that there is no waste, they are only the unu lized resource for other agricultural enterprise. As me is changing, so the agricultural system should also change to cope up with the changing needs of farmers and the customers Thus, IFS has the ample scope to cater the need of farmers for income, and also for food and livelihood security.

Constraints to adop on of IFS Some of the constraints to adop on of IFS

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Contact No. 098722-06992

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50

Rust Proofing

Rust Proofing Wheat Produc on A Mega Study Finds Novel Sources of Disease Resistance In Wheat Germ‐Plasm

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ver since Green Revolu on, India has never seen back in food grain produc on, thanks to the con nuous efforts of agriculture scien sts in crop improvement including making the new varie es more resistant to different diseases.

One significant constraint to increased wheat produc on is the variety of rust diseases a acking this crop— leaf rust, stem rust and stripe rust. Sources of resistance to these diseases are known, and have been u lised by wheat breeders for a long me. However, achieving durable resistance can be difficult, and the rust diseases con nue to evolve and circumvent the breeders' achievements. Rust is spreading in different wheat growing regions in recent past and The Food and Agriculture Organiza on of the United Na ons (FAO) in

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Rome issued alerts about the three diseases on 3 February 2017. Rust returned to Europe with a big outbreak in Sicily in 2016, even the hardy durum wheat, used to make pasta, was found to be suscep ble to it.

Scien sts from ICAR in collabora on with agricultural universi es have created a history by evalua ng the en re wheat germplasm collec on (~20,000 accessions) conserved in the Indian Na onal Genebank at ICAR‐Na onal Bureaux of plant Gene c Resources, New Delhi.

The findings of the study authored by 37 contributors have been published in 'PLOS ONE' h p://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.

0167702). The results are of great prac cal significance keeping in view the con nuous search of genes for breeding mul ple rusts

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resistant wheat varie es. This is the first such well thought of experiment conducted ever on genebank collec ons of this magnitude.

Earlier, the en re wheat germplasm was characterised at a single site (2011‐12) and core developed (DOI 10.1007/978‐4‐431‐55675‐ 6_4). This unprecedented ini a ve found an entry into Limca Book of Records in 2013.

The present study on evalua on discovered novel wheat germplasm resources carrying genes for resistance to all rusts and spot blotch diseases. 19,460 wheat accessions comprising three species of wheat ‐ Tri cum aes vum, T. durum and T. dicoccum and collected from within and outside the country were screened during the 2011‐14 crop seasons sequen ally at mul ple disease hotspots, viz. Wellington (Tamil Nadu) for wheat rusts, Gurdaspur (Punjab) for stripe rust and Cooch Behar (West Bengal) for spot blotch. This led to shortlis ng of poten ally resistant accessions to mul ple rusts (498 accs.) and spot blotch (868 accs.).

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Tes ng of the selected accessions for seedling resistance against seven virulent pathotypes (collected since 1930) of three wheat rusts under ar ficial epiphyto c condi ons at Flowerdale, Shimla led to the iden fica on of 137 accessions poten ally resistant to mul ple rusts. Molecular analysis added further value to the study and helped iden fy different combina ons of gene c loci impar ng resistance to leaf rust, stem rust, stripe rust and spot blotch. The resistant germplasm accessions, par cularly against stripe rust, iden fied in this study can act as poten al resources for integra ng mul ple disease resistance into the gene c background of high yielding wheat cul vars through conven onal or molecular breeding approaches, thus ensuring food security at na onal and global levels. The study was funded by NICRA scheme of the ICAR. Dedicated Research Centre for Wheat Rust The Indian Ins tute of wheat and Barley

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Rust ProoďŹ ng

Research has a dedicated Center at Flower dale (Shimla) to work on all aspects of wheat rust as its major mandate. The monitoring, mely

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forecas ng and adop on of preven ve strategies have kept India free from any major outbreak of wheat rust for last many decades. A mild loss of 5 percent by wheat rusts can cause yield reduc on of 3.5 million tones in India. It equals approximately to loss of Rs. 3500 cores.

The mely detec on of new variants and the iden ďŹ ca on of resistant material, therea er, have prevented any major loss to wheat. The strong and vibrant program me of monitoring wheat rust virulence's has paid rich dividends to the nutri onal and food security of the country.

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