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Conservation of soil moisture to earn cash: An autonomous and opportunistic agro-ecological adaptation in semi-arid climate of Rajasthan, India

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Title Conservation of soil moisture to earn cash: An autonomous and opportunistic agro-ecological adaptation in semi-arid climate of Rajasthan, India
 
Creator Ranjay K Singh, Dheeraj Singh, Ankit Goswami, Arvind Upadhyay, Anshuman Singh, Parvender, Satyendra Kumar, Thimmappa K and DK Sharma
 
Description Autonomous adaptation is a strategy developed and used by the material resource-poor farmers (MRP) in
resource scarce regions of the world. This paper attempts to understand how local farmers experience
multiple stressors and respond to them through local knowledge and practices. A study was carried out with
a total of 20 key informants from four purposively selected villages lying in Hemawas check dam area of Pali
district, Rajasthan, India. Data were collected using transect walk, focus group discussions, personal
interviews, participant observations and telephonic discussions. Results indicated that an overwhelming
majority (˃84.0%) of the farmers were experiencing delayed onset and early withdrawal of monsoon, and
erratic rainfall. Respondents believed that in addition to climate variability, socio-political changes are also
adversely impacting their livelihoods. In response to the growing water scarcity, these farmers increasingly
utilize the residual soil moisture in fields lying in the Hemawas dam catchment to grow diverse crops for
sustaining their livelihoods. The lands where farmers earlier cultivated wheat, barley, chickpea and mustard
crops, now suffer from water scarcity and salinity, are being increasingly diverted to grow muskmelon which
is seen as an opportunistic adaptation with high profit realizations. It emerged during study that anomalies
in atmospheric temperature and terminal heat during February-March have negatively impacted the Rabi
crops. Muskmelon cultivation is gathering momentum in such marginal soils as it adapts well to the adverse
conditions, requires the least use of external inputs and provides handsome returns in a short span of about
3 months. In the uplands adjacent to the dam, farmers still raise late sown varieties of barley and wheat
crops (sowing is done even up to second week of January). When water recedes from the catchment area,
locally available muskmelon seeds are manually sown in ploughed fields during the last week of February.
Prior to sowing, the seeds are immersed in the lukewarm water followed by wrapping in moist jute bags.
Wrapped seeds are kept overnight for hastening the germination. The farmers level the fields when the
seedlings have attained an age of 2-3 weeks to retain the water for extended period of time. This practice
also lowers the incidence of insect-pests. Easy market access through muskmelon contractors also makes it a
lucrative adaptation activity. During the entire duration of muskmelon crop (March to May), there is minimal
competition with other agricultural activities such that farmers are able to concentrate on raising a
profitable crop. Muskmelon cultivation in the studied villages is essentially a women-dependent and
women-empowering activity as they are almost exclusively responsible for raising and nurturing the crop for
monetary benefits. This study provides an insight about how formal and informal knowledge can be
hybridized to co-produce more robust adaptation strategies to convert stressors into opportunity.
 
Date 2017-06-27T08:59:37Z
2017-06-27T08:59:37Z
2017-01
 
Type Other
 
Identifier Singh, R.K., Singh, D., Goswami, A., Upadhyay,A., Singh, Anshuman, Parvender, Kumar, S., Thimmappa, K. and Sharma, D.K. 2017. Conservation of soil moisture to earn cash: An autonomous and opportunistic agro-ecological adaptation in semi-arid climate of Rajasthan, India. In: Abstracts 5th National Seminar Climate Resilient Saline Agriculture: Sustaining Livelihood Security held during 21-23 January 2017 at SKRAU, Bikaner, Rajasthan. p. 129.
http://krishi.icar.gov.in/jspui/handle/123456789/4485
 
Language English
 
Publisher Indian Society of Soil Salinity and Water Quality, Karnal