Explain the significance of dry farming in drought-prone areas of India.
(UPSC geography optional paper 2 2019, 10 Marks)
Answer:
Table of Contents:
- What is dry farming?
- Dry farming areas
- Dryland technique to reduce evaporation
- Significance of dry farming in drought-prone areas
- Challenges
On the basis of the main sources of moisture in the soil, farming can be classified into two types:
- Irrigated farming
- Non-Irrigated farming
Irrigated farming is further divided into two types:
- Protective Irrigated
- Productive Irrigated farming
Try to solve the following questions:
- With the help of a map, indicate the principal areas of dryland farming in the country and account for farmers’ suicides mainly in those areas. ( UPSC 2015, 200 words, 15 marks)
- Explain the significance of dry farming in drought-prone areas of India. (UPSC geography optional paper 2 2019, 10 Marks)
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In Protective irrigated farming, irrigation is done to protect crops from the adverse effects of soil moisture, irrigation is used as a supplementary source of water over rainfall.
In productive irrigation, irrigation is used for to provide sufficient rainfall to achieve high productivity; higher water is used per unit area as compared to protective irrigation farming.
Non-Irrigated farming is further divided into two types:
- Wetland farming
- Dryland farming or dry farming
Wetland farming, areas having higher rainfall as compared to required soil moisture in the rainy season. For example, Rice, Jute, and Sugarcane crops are cultivated through wetland farming.
Dryland or dry farming is a cultivation method used in drought-prone areas having rainfall less than 75 cm annually.
Dryland areas include:
- Areas having low rainfall of less than 75 cm annually
- Arid Region
- Semi-arid region
- Sub Humid region
- Uncertain or erratic rainfall areas
- No assured irrigation
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| Dry farming areas in India |
Dryland areas in India:
- Rajasthan, Saurashtra region of Gujarat, Marathawada, and Vidharbha region of Maharastra, Bundelkhand, most part of northern and central Indian, Deccan plateau and rainshadow zone of Western Ghats.
Dryland techniques to reduce evaporation:
- Timely sowing of seed when has enough moisture in soils.
- Mulching
- Weed control
- Shelterbelt along field
Significance of dry farming in drought-prone areas:
- 75 % of farmers are in dryland areas are small and marginal farmers and they are doing subsistence agriculture
- It is the source of the larger portion of agriculture employability
- The majority of crops such as Bajara, Maize, Ragi, Oilseed, Jwara, and Cotton, 30 % of total rice production are done through dry farming methods.
- Dry farming is needed in drought-prone areas to stop desertification
Challenges:
- Low and uncertain rainfall leads to crop failure
- Larger maturity duration crops are not suitable in the dry region resulting in poor yield
- Poor nitrogen and phosphorous contents in drought-prone areas.
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