Annual Report 2009-10

Abstract

Rainfed agriculture is largely practiced in arid, semi-arid and sub-humid regions of the country. These regions are home to about 81 per cent of rural poor in the country. The geographic, demographic, ecological and economic dimensions warrant a continued priority to rainfed agriculture in general, and technology development and transfer in particular. The impending effects of climate change will further accentuate the problems of rainfed agriculture as poverty, hunger and resource degradation are likely to be exacerbated if timely adaptation and mitigation measures are not initiated. The year 2009 exemplifies the unreliable nature of weather – when drought and flood of unprecedented degree were experienced in the same season - that is linked to the process of climate change. CRIDA continues to play an important role in developing appropriate technologies for improving the productivity of rainfed agriculture in a sustainable way. The Institute is playing this role by taking up basic and strategic research as well as adaptive research through the All India Coordinated Research Projects on Dryland Agriculture and Agrometeorology. This annual publication of the Institute summarizes the progress made during the year in its research activities, extension efforts and capacity building