Strategies for promoting water and nutrients use efficiencies

Abstract

Nutrient and water are the most crucial inputs for agricultural production. Rainfed area occupying about 65%(89 M ha) of the cultivated land in India accounts for only 40% of total food production, whereas irrigated area covering 35%(53 M ha) of the cultivated land contributes 60% to the national food basket. Low water use efficiency (WUE) however, has been the concern along with the decreasing availability of water for agriculture. For efficient conservation and utilization of these vital resources, suitable state of the art agro-techniques need to be promoted. As a universal phenomenon, water losses start from the moment rain drops fall on the ground. In an irrigation system, water is lost during conveyance by evaporation, transpiration by weeds and seepage, while lost in the field by deep percolation beyond root zone and by runoff at end of border and furrows. The magnitudes of these losses vary widely on account of the different physiographic features, water control and conveyance structures and management practices. Vagaries of monsoon and declining water table due to over exploitation have resulted in shortage of fresh water supplies for agricultural use, which too calls for an efficient use of this resource. Low efficiency of inputs/fertilizer use is another key factor pushing the cost of cultivation and pulling down the profitability in farming. Total factor productivity (TFP), an important measure to evaluate the performance of a production system, is showing declining trend which is a serious issue. A fatigue in the ratio between the inputs and output is indicative of TFP deceleration with concomitant unsustainability of crop productivity. The challenge …