INTRODUCTION
Growing of crops entirely under rainfed conditions is known as dry land agriculture. Depending on the amount
of rainfall received, dry land agriculture can be grouped into three categories viz., 1. Dry farming, 2. Dry land
farming, and 3. Rainfed farming.
Dry farming is cultivation of crops in regions with annual rainfall of less than 750 mm. Crop failure is most
common due to prolonged dry spells during the crop period. These are arid regions with a growing season
(period of adequate soil moisture) of less than 75 days. Moisture conservation practices are necessary for crop
production. Emphasis is on soil and water conservation, sustainable crop yields and limited fertilizer use
according to soil moisture availability.
Dry land farming is cultivation of crops in regions with annual rainfall of more than 750 mm. In spite of
prolonged dry spells, crop failure is relatively less frequent. These are semiarid tracts with a growing period
between 75 and 120 days. Moisture conservation practices are necessary for crop production. However,
adequate drainage is required especially for vertisols. Main emphasis is on soil and water conservation,
sustainable crop yields and limited fertilizer use according to soil moisture availability.
Rainfed farming is crop production in regions with annual rainfall of more than 1150 mm. Crops are not
subjected to soil moisture stress during the crop period. These are humid regions with growing period of more
than 120 days. Emphasis is on disposal of excess water, maximum crop yield, high levels of inputs and control
of water erosion.
Problems of crop production in dryland farming.
The low productivity of agriculture in dry farming regions is due to the cumulative effect of many constraints
for crop production. The constraints can be broadly grouped into:
• Climatic constraints,
• Soil related constraints,
• Cultivation practices, and
• Socio economic and political constraints.
I. Climatic constraints
• High atmospheric temperature
• Low relative humidity
• Hot dry winds
• High atmospheric water demand (potential evapotranspiration) exceeding precipitation during most part of
the year
• Vagaries of monsoon.
II. Soil constraints
The soil constraints are: 1. Inadequate soil moisture availability, 2. Poor organic matter content,
3. Poor soil fertility, and 4. Soil deterioration due to erosion (wind, water).
Crop management in dryland regions
Selection of crop as per the situation and moisture status of soil.
The high yield varieties that are suitable for normal sowing are also suitable for late sown
condition. e.g CSH-5, CSH-9 varieties of sorghum. GHB-32, GHB-39 for Pearlmillet.
Deep ploughing should be done once in 3 years as it breaks hard pans, kills perennial
weeds and facilitates infiltration of rain water.
Suitable crop should be selected depending on the time of receipt of sowing rains. If
monsoon is delayed, sunflower, peael millet etc are taken up.
Seed treatment with fungicide, mancozeb is vital
Spacing should be reduced.
Soils of dry region are deficient in nitrogen in all soils. Phosphrous in some soils and zinc
and iron sporadically recommended dose of fertilizer should be applied to get higher
yield. Examples:- Groundnut [Link] kg NPK/[Link] and pearl millet 40-[Link]
kg NPK/ha.
Runoff losses water should be checked by following contour bunding or graded bunding
or vegetative barriers.
Cropping systems: Increasing the cropping intensities by using the practice of
intercropping and multiple cropping is the way of more efficient utilization of resources.
The cropping intensity would depend on the length of growing season, which in turn
depends on rainfall pattern and the soil moisture storage capacity of the soil.
Rain water management: Efficient rain water management can increase agricultural
production from dryland areas. Application of compost and farm yard manure and raising
legumes add the organic matter to the soil and increase the water holding capacity. The
water, which is not retained by the soil, flows out as surface runoff. This excess runoff
water can be harvested in storing dugout ponds and recycled to donar areas in the server
stress during rainy season or for raising crops during winter.
Alternate Land use: All drylands are not suitable for crop production. Same lands may be
suitable for range/ pasture management and for tree farming and ley farming, dryland
horticulture, agro-forestry systems including alley cropping. All these systems which are
alternative to crop production are called as alternate land use systems. This system helps
to generate off-season employment mono-cropped dryland and also, minimizes risk,
utilizes off-season rains, prevents degradation of soils and restores balance in the
ecosystem. The different alternate land use systems are alley cropping, agri-horticultural
systems and silvi-pastoral systems, which utilizes the resources in better way for
increased and stabilized production from drylands.
Mineral nutrition
The term mineral nutritient refers to an inorganic ion obtained from the soil and required
for the plant growth.
The process of absorption, translocation and assimilation of nutrients by the plants is
known as mineral nutrition.
• Arnon & Stout (1939): He gave criteria of essentiality which states the following
points
Plant cannot complete its life cycle in the absence of that particular nutrient element.
Nutrient deficiency is specific in nature and its deficiency cannot be corrected by any
other nutrient.
That nutrient element should be directly involved in metabolism of the plant.
17 elements are considered to be essential.
• Nicholas (1961): He proposed the term functional elements. These are the nutrients
which may play a role in the metabolism in a particular plant.
CLASSIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
Essential elements needed for the crop growth are broadly classified:
12.1.1 Based on the relative Quantity that is normally present in Plants
• Macro nutrients (Major Nutrients/primary nutrients): C, H, O, N, P, K
• Secondary nutrients: Ca, Mg, S
• Micro Nutrients (Minor/Tertiary/Trace elements): Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, B, Cl, Ni, Co
12.1.2 Based on their Chemical Nature
• Metals: K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Co and V etc.
• Non-Metals: C, H, O, N, P, S, B, Mo, C1, Si, etc.
• Cations: NH4 +K+, Ca2+, Fe2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Zn2+
• Anions: NO3, HPO4, H2PO4, SO4, BO3, MoO4, C1etc.
12.1.3 Based on General Function
• As a constituent of either organic or inorganic compounds–N, S, P, Ca, B, Fe and Mg.
• As an activator, cofactor in prosthetic group of enzyme systems–K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn, Mn,
Cu, Mo, Na and Cl.
• As a charge carrier in oxidation–reduction reactions–P, S, Fe, Mn, Cu, Mo.
• As an osmosis regulator and for electron chemical equilibrium in cells–K, Na and Cl.
12.1.4 Based on the Mobility in Plants
• Highly mobile : N, P, K
• Moderately mobile : Zn
• Less mobile : S, Fe, Cu, Mn, Cl, Mo
• Immobile : Ca, B
