Improved Agronomic Practices for Dryland Crops in India

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Background and Functional Profile of All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture The Green Revolution in mid sixties, though a boon to Indian agriculture, ushered in era of wide disparity between productivity of irrigated and rainfed agriculture. Alarmed by such a situation, the Fourth Plan (1969-74) specifically emphasized the urgent need for creating circumstances that would enable the hitherto neglected farmers of the dryland to participate meaningfully in the agricultural development process (Fourth Plan, 112p). This socio-economic imbalance led to a serious rethinking on inducting an in-depth network research program to stabilize the performance of the then introduced hybrids of coarse cereals in rainfed region and to moderate the periodic drought related adverse impact on total agricultural productivity. The droughts of mid sixties catalyzed further the process of vigorous efforts in dryland research establishment. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) rose to the occasion and formulated a comprehensive program on dryland research. Project Features In1969, the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi with strong aim for eradicating poverty evinced keen interest in dryland research and development programs. The dryland research project, originally proposed in 1967, was finally approved in 1969. All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture (AICRPDA) was launched in 1970 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in IV Plan period (vide ICAR letter No. 1-2/69-SC(1)/DF, dated June 18, 1970), in collaboration with the Government of Canada through Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) with Co-ordinating Cell at Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. The project has seventeen main centers (one Chief Scientist, four Scientists and others totaling twenty two staff), two sub-centers (four scientists and others totaling fourteen staff) and eight operational research projects (three scientists and others totaling seven staff). There are three other centres in the institutes of the council. Apart, there is a co-ordinating cell. The total strength of project staff is more than 550 including more than 130 scientists. These centers are identified based upon moisture index. The main centers were Hisar, Jodhpur, Bellary, Rajkot and Anantapur in Moisture Index 60- 80%; Solapur, Akola, Kovilpatti, Hyderabad, and Varanasi in Moisture Index 40-60%; and Bangalore and Indore in Moisture Index 20-40%. The sub-centers were Udaipur (shifted to Arjia in 1985), Jhansi, Anand and Agra in Moisture Index 40-60%; Bijapur, Rewa, Ludhiana and Samba (Moisture Index 20-40%). The special problem areas were Bhubaneswar, Ranchi and Dehradun. Dehradun was discontinued in April 1985. Later on Anand was shifted to Sardar Krishinagar and Ludhiana to Hoshiarpur to Ballowal-Saunkhri and Samba to Rakh Dhiansar. Bijapur and Rewa were upgraded as main centers. One additional special centre was located at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, which was merged, with the Coordinating Cell of the Project later. Faizabad was added as one of the centers in 1985. Bhubaneswar center was shifted to Phulbani in 1996. At present, the project has seventeen centers in State Agricultural Universities, two in technical/ other Universities and three in ICAR institutes. These are Akola, Arjia, Anantapur, Bangalore, Bijapur, Hisar, Ballowal-Saunkhri, Indore, Kovilpatti, Phulbani, Ranchi, Rajkot, Rewa, Sardar Krishinagar, Solapur, Varanasi, Agra, Faizabad, Jammu, Bellary, Jhansi and Jodhpur, Eight of the centers have Operational Research Projects in villages. These are Anantapur, Arjia, Bangalore, Hisar, Ballowal-Saunkhri, Indore, Ranchi and solapur The preamble of the project is “Better Crop With Every Rain Drop”. The primary function is to improve and stabilize the crop production capability of dryland farmers towards a reduction of social vulnerability through drought planning. It covers the rainfed agriculture in its entity from arid to sub-humid through semi-arid climates. The project has several unique features compared to other projects. Some are: • Only project to have started with a multi-disciplinary team with Agronomy, Soil Science, Soil Physics, Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, Plant Breeding, Agricultural Engineering etc. disciplines offering back up support to the developmental projects besides testing the technology in farmers’ field • With the need for location specific research obligatory due to diversity in natural resources and poverty, theme based systems, research was adopted in major agro climatic regions of the country in place of simple network of type experiments/demonstration adopted in other projects. • Integrated Dryland Development Pilot Projects were started simultaneously and linked with this research network. • Introduction of collaborative on-farm participatory research efforts in the Operational Research Project concept goes to the credit of the project. Self-evaluation is the main thrust for trusted feedback.