Improved Dryland Technologies
Crop planning as per land use capability, Crop planning for aberrant weather situation in dry lands.
Use of minimal irrigation: Moisture due to low rainfall and limited soil moisture due to soil depth are the situations normally experienced in dryland agriculture. Mid season droughts and soil moisture deficiency could be mitigated by applying protective irrigations to the crops alermn growth stages. The harvested water in farm ponds or from seam functioning wells can be utilized for the purpose. Research current Solapur has indicated that the grain yields of Rabi Jowar, Safflows a gram can be increased by 100, 40 – and 60% respective by arrive single irrigation at most critical growth stages. For this, the irrigation should be applied at boot stage rosette stage and pod development stage to jawar, safflower and gram respectively.
Crop planning as per land use capability: The cultivable land in wear has different depths ranging from few cm to several meters. Available so moisture depends on the soil depth. The water requirement of different crops varies from crop to crop. Therefore, crop planning as per vate storage capacity of the soil helps in increasing and stabilizing crop avoid with higher economic returns. Following crop planning is suggested to dryland farming in Maharashtra for different soil depths.
| Soil type | Soil depth (cm) | Available | Crop planning |
|
| Soil moisture (mm) |
|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
1. Very shallow | <7.5 | 15.2 | Dry land horticultural crops, grasses |
2. Shallow | 7.5 to 22.5 | 30 – 35 | Horse gram, Kidney bean, castor, |
|
|
| grasses, agro – forestry, dryland |
|
|
| Horticultural crops. Bajra + Matki |
3. Medium deep | 22.5 to 45 | 40 – 65 | Pearl millet, Red gram, sunflower |
|
|
| groundnut, Castor, Pearl millet + |
|
|
| Red gram (2 : 1), Sunflower & Red gum |
|
|
| (2: 1) intercropping systems. |
4. Medium deep | 45 to 60 | 65 – 90 | Rabi jawar, sunflower, safflower, gram |
|
|
| Pearl millet + Red gram (2 : 1) in |
|
|
| Intercropping systems. |
5. Medium deep | 60 to 90 | 90 – 150 | Double cropping Kharif green gram back |
|
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| gram, Rabi sorghum, safflower or Sade |
|
|
| crops in rabi i.e. sorghum safflower and |
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|
| Gram. |
6. Deep | > 90 | > 150 | As above |