Horticulture based crop production site management approach (HBCPSMA) – an innovative concept for doubling farm income under dry-lands

Abstract

Most of the recent past advances in Indian horticulture are for production with favorable agroclimate. The vast land and diverse areas of Rajasthan (desertic hot arid, semi-arid to sub-humid and tribal zone) is yet not received systematic thought for horticulture development. What is needed is intensive surveys and analysis of these vast and varied areas for their potentiality which they offer for the production of large number of fruits, vegetables, seed spices and high value crop-plants and their agro-climatologically settings for the particular crop and commodity based land and resource use, and strategies for the development of production sites and related systems (crops for truck gardening, seed production, organic culture, external and export market, rural industries and storage and marketing chain) for the defined sub-zones. Secondly, some of the existing production system should be modified and converted in to the clusters of villages or area based production sites adopting industrial approaches, and for this regional institutes, stations and KVK’s should be given mandate for commodity based zonal production site intensive research and development of cultivation areas. Similarly, large-scale varietal trials on adaptive and new crops and their genotypes should be organized followed by regular supply of quality seed / planting material by specialized organization in region for stability in targeted commodity cultivation on commercial scale and development of chain for storage and marketing. At the same time, crop-commodity groups consisted of producers, research and extension services and developmental agencies be developed and recognized in each production sites (HBCPSMA) as system approach.