Indian farmers, who depend solely on monsoon, need not feel distressed over scanty rainfall this year, as they still have several options to tide over the crisis, according to The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat).

Icrisat said along with various other scientific agencies like Indian Council of Agriculture Research, it has developed several options to suit varied conditions.

It suggested that the farmers who have already planted the crops at the onset of monsoon should employ various options like conserving soil/water through inter-culturing.

So as to lessen water evaporation and opening of dead furrows after every 10th crop row to increase infiltration and reduce run-off losses of rain water.

It further said that such farmers should postpone fertiliser/insecticide applications until the soil moisture situation improves, and use available stored water efficiently for life-saving irrigation with drip or sprinkler systems.

For those who are yet to plant their crops, the Icrisat advised that they should sow short-duration varieties of the desired crops like green gram, black gram, cowpea, pigeonpea, and soyabean, sow on contours to reduce run-off losses and increase rain water infiltration in soil, grow fodder crops with available soil moistures, and harvest rainfall water at field and community levels for use as supplemental irrigation.

“If the rains are very late, forego a kharif crop and use stored soil moisture for a rabi crop, and sow short-duration crops like chickpea, safflower, sunflower, and sorghum, especially in black soil areas,” it said.

Calling on the Indian authorities to develop long-term strategies to cope with drought, the Icrisat has felt that it is essential to mobilise communities to work towards implementing soil and water conservation and management measures developed by scientists for the rain-fed areas.

“It is estimated that India’s irrigation capacity requirements will increase by 50% in the next 50 years, and the demand for domestic and industrial water will rise at even faster rate,” it said and added that under such circumstances, how best we utilise the available water will become very important.

HYDERABAD: TIMES NEWS NETWORK
[ THURSDAY, AUGUST 08, 2002 4:00:19 AM ]