Contingent Crop Planning for

Aberrant Weather Conditions

Rainfa ll behav iour in dry farmi ng areas is errati c and uncer tain. The devia
tions
in rainfall behav iour includ e delay ed onset, early withd rawal and interm
ediar y dry
spells during rainy seaso n. The adver se effect of these rainfa ll aberr ations
on crop
growth vary with the degre e of devia tion and the crop growt h stage at
which such
deviations occur. Suita ble manip ulatio ns in crop mana geme nt practi ces
are neede d
to minimize such adver se effect s of abnor mal rainfa ll behav iour. These
mana geme nt
decisions consti tute contin gency plann ing. Such mana geme nt practi ces done
after crop
establishment and in the middl e of growt h are called midse ason or midte rm
correc tions.
Table 10.1. Effec t of rainf all aberr ation on crop
Rainf all aberr ation Effect on crops
Delay in onset of rainfa ll Length of croppi ng season or croppi ng durati on
is reduce d-crop sowing is delaye d
Early withdr awal or cessat ion of rainfa ll Moistu re stress at matur ity grain fil4ng is
affecte d (termi nal stress)
Interm ediate dry spells
(a) Immed iately after sowin g Germi nation will be affecte d, plant popula tion
will be reduce d
(b) At vegeta tive phase Affects stem elonga tion, leaf area expan sion,
branch ing or tillerin g
(c) At flowering Affects anthes is and pollina tion, grain/ pod
numbe r is reduce d
(d) At ripeni ng Grain filling and grain size reduce d

!9.1 CONTINGENCY CROPPING

Conti . . in of a suitab le crop in place of norma lly
Pr fi ngenc y cropp ing 1~ grow g b rrant weath er conditions. In dry-la ndsown highly
0 table crop
of the region due to a e agricu lture,

179
 A TEXTBOOK
OF RAINFED AGRICULT
URE AND WATERSHED
MANAG
. th er crop in pl ac e of no &.i&it
n ~ency of grow1rng an o rm al ly gr ow n cr op ar
lie la y m th e on se t o m n D ep en di ng up on th is es d
on so o · e da te of re ce ip t of ra
, d in fa ll \le to
ar e se1e cte . It 1s
. um h
as s ed th at th e ra in fa ll for t e su b se qu en t pe ri. .
de pe nding up on the econo mic st at us of th e fa rm . od 1s norm,alcropg
er , ce rt ai n am ou nt o f .
ge t good profits if se as on ns k is tak and
is no rm al or be tt~ r th an
Contingency cropping is ~o rm a1. . . .
en to
hi gh ly lo~ation _specific
di st rib ut io n of ra in fa ll. du et ~ va r~ at l? n 1~ am
Especially in ar id re gi on ount and
is hi gh ly va ria bl e. It is s, th e sp at ia l di st ri bu
common to ob se rv e th at tio n of rain[ 11
field in th e sa m e locatio ra in fa ll re ce iv ed va ri es
n. Te m pe ra tu re gr ad ua from field~
m in im um in November lly fa lls fr om A ug us t on
an d December. Co ~t in ge w ar ds reachin
w ith th e tYJ>e an d tim e nc y pl a~ an d m id te rm
of occurrence of ra in fa ll corrections v~
ab er ra t1 0n .
Crops ha ve to be selected
w ith su ita bl e cr op du ra
of th e growing season. tio n to co in ci de w ith th
Generally, sh or t du ra tio e length
an d cowpea may su it th e n pu ls es lik e gr ee n gr
am , black gram
... g"od, op po rtu ni ty is lo st
si tu at io n. HoweveT, if th
if only sh or t du ra tio n cr
e m on so on tu rn s to be
extraordinarily
st re ng th an d motivatio op s ar e so w n. Fa rm er s
n for hi gh profits w ith so w ith economic
lo ng du ra tio n. Th e long m e am ou nt of ri sk ca n
du ra tio n crops w ith fle go for crops of
su ita bl e. Fo r example, xibility or el as tic ity in
pe ar lm ill et an d so rg hu yield are more
Sunflower ca n be in tro du m ca n be ra to on ed if m
ce d for hi gh er profits w onsoon extends.
so rg hu m , pe ar l millet ca ith ce rt ai n am ou nt of ris
n be grown for gr ai n if m k. Crops like
be ob ta in ed . on so on ex te nd s an d if
no t, fodder can
T ab le 10 .2 . C on ti ng en
cy pl an ni ng fo r ra in
fa ll ab no rm al it ie s
Ra in
fa ll ab no rm al ity
C on tin ge nc y pl an an
1. D el ay ed on se t of d m id te rm correctio
ra in fa ll n]
(a ) De la y ex ce ed in g - \
4 we ek s Al te rn at e cr op s of sh or
De la y in So ut h we st mo t du ra tio n to be sown
ns oo n \
No rm al - Ju ne
Gr ou nd nu t
D el ay -J ul y
Ex tre m e De la y - Au gu Ra gi /P ea rl m ill et
st
De la y in No rth ea st mo Sa m a (L itt le m ill et /R
ag i)
ns oo n
N or m al - Oc to be r
Co tto n/ So rg hu m
D el ay - Ea rly No ve m
be r
Su nf lo
we r/P ea rl m ill et /R ag i
Ex tre m e De la y - La te No ve
m be r Co r· d /B
ian er en ga lg ra m
(b ) D el ay O f· 1 to 2 we k Al
e s te rn at e va rie • ·
cr op
tie s of sh or t du ra tw
° st
n f the \u\c>
,•)
50 dn ys ), Co 2 5 ( o dt\ ):. •
e.g., So rg hu m Co 19 (1 1\
------- -------- --~-- r~- --- --- · · ·-- - --- --- -·- - --R ~--d -gr
~--am
- -•-lo•••ca• l••-(1-•- () \ \VS)
80 da ys ), Co 5 (l~___ •·• ·
..
•••••••-••••••• c_~:------·-
••
 ENT CROP PLANNING FOR ABERRANT WEATHER CONDITIONS 181

;i~-;itb drawa l of rainfall -------- -------· ·········· ··-······· ·········· ·········· ·····
Antitran spirunts Hprny, hurvuHting for fodder
(millets), hurvoHting at phyHiologi.cm1 maturit y
s. Intermediary dry spell
(a) Immedia tely after sowing Gap filling with subt:wquent rains if stand
reductio n is leas thun 20'¼,. Re-sowi ng if stand
reductio n is more than 20%, mulchin g between
crop rows. Stirring soil surface to create dust
mulch to reduce evapora tion.
(b) At vegetati ve phase Mulchin g, antitran spirants spray, sprayin g
potassiu m chloride , thinning of 33-50% populat ion.
(c) At flowering Antitran spirants spray, harvesti ng for fodder and
ratoonin g with subsequ ent rains in millets
(e.g., sorghum ).
(d) At ripening Antitran spirants spray, harvesti ng for fodder and
harvesti ng at physiological maturity .
Differe nt climat ic condit ions are observ ed in dry-lan d areas:
1. Variatio n in onset of monsoo n
2. Dry and wet spells
3. High temper ature
4. Low humidi ty
5. Soil erosion
1. Variat ion in onset of monso on: In dry-lan d areas the onset of monsoo n at
different time creates the main problem in crop cultivat ion.
(i) Delaye d onset of monsoo n: Delay in onset of monsoo n is a commo n feature of
monsoo n with delay ranging from 15 days to 50 days. Under delayed monsoo n
black cotton soils(< 45 cm) if diverte d for rabi sorghum , product ion of kharif
crops especia lly pulses and oilseeds is affected as well as the yield of rabi
sorghum results into poor returns .
(ii) Dry spells: This situatio n is also very common . Usually one or two d1·y spells
are experie nced during kharif season. The dry spells maybe short of 5 to 7 days
to long with more than 15 days. Under these conditio ns followin g n1 easur~s
may be adopted for kharif crops.
• Control ling plant populat ion for conserv ing availab le moishu- e.
• Checkin g weed growth to reduce moistur e loss.
• Increas ing intercu ltural practice s to prevent evapora tion.
• Choice of crops like red gram which can sustain longer breaks.
 'A 1!XTIOOK OF RAINFED AGRICULTURE AND WATERSHED M~N~-.

(U"' Early wltllllrowol of monsoon: This situation creates two prob]elll . ~

., d ein "ab·
(i) Sowing of rabi crops may be suspende . i.

(ii''' When crop is sown, it requires moisture conservation practices e.

h t' · · t· · • g., l'edu
plant density, use of surface mule , protec 1ve 1rnga 10n, stnpping ofle ce
... 1 . dD aves
iv) Extended monsoon: Such s1tuat1on 1s rare Yexperience . ouble cro . ·
< possible in medium deep soils. . . f b' PP1ngi ..
Sowmg o ra 1 crops are extended. In cert .'Ct

areas sorghum may be replaced by gram and wheat as the sorghum ma llln
. . Ysuffer
due to cold temperatures m wmter.
2. Dry and wet spells: The rainfall is mainly in the form of wet spell With dry
spells extending from few days to many weeks.
3. High temperature: Due to low rain~all in dry-land area_s, d~ficiency of Water
in soil occurs. In dry-land areas the evaporat10n rate an~ transp1rati?n rate becomes
high. Soil becomes dry due to which the growth of plants .1s affected.
. High temperature
affects the seed germination, emergence of seedlings, respiration rate, metabolic process
. development of grains, pollination, fertility and t~tal yield of the crop. Due to high
temperature the transpiration rate of plant leaves mcrease day by day. Leaves colour
become yellow.
4. Low humidity: Due to low rainfall intensity, the humidity of the atmosphere
decrease which affect overall crop production.
5. Soil erosion: Due to low rainfall, the soil erosion increases. Due to soil
erosion, the fertility of the soil decreases thereby many nutrients which are present
in soil moves from one place to another place. Due to soil erosion disturbance in soil
structure, fertility of soil decrease, water holding capacity becomes poor and poor stand
of plants in soil.

10.1.1 Crop Planning for Successful Crop Production Under Water Scarcity
and Dry Farming Condition
In low rainfall and water scarcity and dry farming situations during kharif, the crops
like Bajra, Castor and legumes crops like Tur, Moong, Black gram, Kidney bean, Guar
and Cowpea, crop planning for successful crop production should be as under:
1. Bunding and leveling should be done to conserve the rain water in situ.
2. Sowing the crop at optimum time.
3. Tillage and sowing of the crop across the slope.
4. Use higher amount of organic manures like- FYM, compost, vermicompost aDrl
cake.
5. Apply fertilizers at sowing under adequate soil moisture or as top dressing after
irrigation.
· irr1ga
6. Use drip · w1'd e spaced crops and sprinkler irrigation in narrow spaced
· · t·10n m
crops, if possible.
 ABERRANT WEATHER CONDmONS
fqANNINCi POR
d' d crop protection mousuroH Hhould he done aa and
culturin.8, wee mg an
required, .
.,hen . d 811d inter croppmg systems.
t 1111xe •
8. ~d?P in strip cropping. , . .
9, Ratse croP d for life saving irrigation.
ereat.e farm pon
10· d Contingency Crop Planning for Some of the Dry-land
J suggeste
10.1 Regions of Gujarat
released varieties of major crops
1, Latest . .
Paddy : Mahisagar, GAR 3, GR 14 and Gur.,an
~~ Maize : Gujarat Anand Yellow Maize Hybrid 1 and Gujarat
Anand White Maize Hybrid 2- early maturity hybrids
for rainfed tribal areas
3. Bajra : GHB 558, GHB 744, GHB 905 and GHB 732
4. Tur : AGT 2 and GT 104
5. Moong : Gujarat Anand Moong 5, GM 6 and GM 7
6. Guar : Gujarat Guar 1 and Gujarat Guar 2
7. Cotton (Desi) : Anand Desi Cotton 1 (ADC 1), GADC 2, Gujarat Cotton
13 and 21 are recommended for desi cotton grov..ing
area of Vagad and Bhal regions
8. Cotton (Irrigated) : Gujarat Cotton Hybrid 6, Gujarat Cotton Hybrid 8._
Gujarat Cotton
Hybrid 10, Gujarat Cotton Hybrid 12 and GTHH 49
9. Tobacco : MRGTH 1, GABTH 2 and Gujarat Anand Bicli Tobacro
11 (GABTll)
10. Fodder sorghum : COFS 29, GAFS 11 and GAFS 12
l 1. Fodder Bajra : Gujarat Anand Forage Bajra 4
12. Castor
: Gujarat Castor Hybrid 7, Gujarat Castor Hybrid 8.
Gujarat Castor
Hybrid 9 and Gujarat Anand Castor 11
l3. Sesame
: Gujarat Till 3 and Gujarat Till 6, Purva
l4. Soybean
: NRC 37
15 · Groundnut
: GG 20, GJG 9, GJG 17 and GJG 22
l6. Okra
2 : GA0-5
' ~t~hllnendation for late onset of monsoon: Generally, the period bet"'.e~n
re •June to l5th September is considered as kharif season. However, it ~s
d to change t h e crop planning in kharif season, 1·f t l1e ram,a
fo quired · ~ 11 pattern is
.
un
'Va · .uneven · If th . 1
ere 1s a late onset of monsoon, then se ec t th 8 rops and thell'
c
l'leties as under:
 A TBXT800K OF RAINFED AGRICULTURE AND WATERSHED M~N

(i) Onset of mon soon in tlie first week 0 1July - Grou ndnu t varie
Grou ndnu t 2. Oujnrnt Grou ndnu t 5 nnd Guju rat Grou ndnu t 7 88
varie ty Oujn rat shou ld ho grown.
t'
we:~.,
~
(ii) ff suffi cien t rain. fall occu rs duri ng first fortn ight <J/ July _ C
bajra , moong,black gram , sesam e, casto r and tur shou ld be grown. rop, lik-.
(iii) If suffi cien t rain fall occu rs at the end of July -
Sesa me <Purv
forage sorgh um varie ty Gund ari shou ld be grown. 1
a >anct
3. Reco nune ndat ion for regu lar mon soon
Tabl e 10.3. Sele ction of the crop and their vari eties
1. Cotto n : High yieldi ng Bt cotton varie ties as well as Gujar at Hybrid
and
Guja rat cotton 10,13 ,15,18 and 21. ADC 1 and 2 for rainfed 8 t 1

!
co trin I
2. Pearl mille t : GHB 558, GHB 538, GHB 732, GHB 744 and GHB 905 j

i
3. Soyb ean : NRC 37 ~
4. Grou ndnu t i
: Sprea ding varie ties -;

5. Casto r : GCH 7, GCH 8, GCH 9 and Guja rat Anan d Casto r 11

I
;
i
6. Sesam e : GT3, GT 4, GT 6 and Purva
7. Pigeo n pea : AGT 2, GT 104 and Vaish ali
I
I
8. Gree n gram : GAM5, GM 6, GM 7 and Meha
9. Moth bean : Gujar at Moth bean 1 and Bales hwar
I
!
I
j

10. Black gram : T 9 and Guja rat Black gram 1

11. Cowp ea : Pusa falgun i, Guja rat cowp ea 1 and 2, AVCP 1
12. Sorgh um (Fodd er) : COFS 29, GAFS 11 and GAFS 12 I
I
13. Clust er bean : Gujar at Clust er bean 1 and Gujar at Clust er bean 2
4. Reco mme ndat ions unde r long dry spell : Ther e is a
short age of moisture in
the soil, if the durat ion betw een two rainf all is exten ded even
unde r normal on
set on mons oon. If this perio d betw een rainf all is exten ded for
longe r time, than
there is a parti al or full failu re of the crop. Unde r this situa tion,
crop planning
shou ld be done as unde r.
(i) Do inter cultu ring and weed ing. Keep crop weed free and
do mulching.
(ii) Whe n mois ture stres s preva ils, thinn ing shou ld be done.
If more moi5t ure
stres s preva ils, remo ve alter nate row and thin the plant in the
field.
(iii) Prov ide lifesa ving irriga tion to the crop if irriga tion facili
ty available.
(iv) Whe n suffic ient rainf all recei ved after dry spell , nitro
gen fertil izer should be
given as top dress to the crops excep t grou ndnu t.
 NING FOR ABERRANT WEATHER 185
eNTCROPPIAN CO NO mO NS
'\ d d t l ng dry spe ll aft er
en crop flu e uo O O rec eiv ing sufficient rainfall,
(v) Wh .
farmers cRn gxow hy bri d pea rl millot GHB 568, Gfl.B 577 •
'

• w Ses am e var iet y Purva 1 or Ou. . .

:\ Far me rs s
(vi, GAUCH and GAhould gxo Jar at Ttl 1 or Ca sto r va ne ty
1 C 11. In add itio n far me rs r dd
can ahm grow 10 er sor g um or h
rajaka baj ri.
. Rd the pla nts by har ves tin g the ma
(uti) e uce tur ed pla nts fre qu ent ly, to sav e
the
conserved moisture.
ecommendations wh en he av y ra
5. R inf all oc cu rs at th e en d of mo
during August - Se pte mb er ns oo n
Many times, du rin g end of Se pte
mb er or be gin nin g of Oc tob er,
received. Un der suc h sit uat ion fol lat e rainfall
lowing cro p pla nn ing can be do ne.
(i) For getting the ben efi ts of goo
d lat e rai nfa ll sow ing of fod der sor
duration sem i rab i and rab i cro ps i.e. gh um , sho rt
, cas tor , mu sta rd, gra m, saf flo we
crops (maize/oat and luc ern e) sho r, fodder
uld be gro wn as rel ay cro ps be
rows of long du rat ion crops i.e., cot tw een tw o
ton , tur an d fen nel .
(ii) Gram, mu sta rd and fod der
sor gh um can be gro wn aft er ha
ma tur ing Kh ari f crops. rve sti ng of ear ly
6. Re com me nd ati on s ma de by
An an d Ag ric ult ur al Un ive rsi ty,
(i) The far me rs willing to grow
An an d
pig eon pe a un de r org ani c far mi
recommended to grow var iet y BD ng sys tem are
N 2 wi th ver mi com po st l t/h a or
5 t/ha. F'Y'1'I
(ii) In pigeon pea cv. AGT 2 rec om
me nd ed for fer tili zer dos e an d add
S/ha sho uld be app lie d. itio nal 20 k(70
(iii) It is rec om me nde d tha t veg eta
ble pig eon pe a (GT 1) sho uld be
5 t FYM/ha. fer tili zed wi th
(iv) For get tin g hig her yie ld of
soy bea n cv. NR C3 7, it is rec om me
crop at the on set of mo nd ed to sow the-
nsoon.
(v) Fa rm ers gro wi ng ne ma
tod e res ist an t bid i tob acc o va
rec om me nde d to rie ty AB T 10 [Link]
top pin g the pla nt at 18 lea ves
15-20 day s int erv als . an d give 4-5 ini ga tio ns at
(vi) Th e far me rs growing veg eta
ble cowpea (Vegetable cowpea 1) are
to fer tili ze wi th 5 t FY M/ ha an rec oro me nd~ i
d [Link] kg NP K/ ha as bas al
sho uld be don e at 45 x 45 cm aft dose. Sowing
er see d tre atm en t wi th Rh izo biu
cul tur e (Bo th@ 5 ml /kg seed). m and PSB
(vii) Drilled pad dy var iet ies DD
R 97 and As hok a 200 Fa re 1·ucom
are as. mt,ndtld fw· rai au ~
(viii) Fo r rai nfe d are as Gu jar
at An and Yellow Maizo Hyb1·id l
Gu jar at An and Wh ite Ma ize Hy bri as ~n dy va rie ty ~
d 2 aro rocommencled fm• unil'l'igat
ed kh
cul tiv ati on.
 _,_....,_b_AG_Rl_cu_t_:ru_R_E...;A..:.:.N.:.:o~w.:.:~~:re~
· Rst-teo~
oultlvation, the sow ing of OCH 7 v . ~
._,_ ,..... St ptembor at spac ing or 120 cm x 75 c;~ ety &hot
tld be
mearly maturity vari ety Ana nd Dosi Cotton 1 and . 4oia.
gad and Bhal regions. 2 18
reeorr.,,_
~ I not beneficia l to apply pho spho rus to dosi cott
on in N
climatic zone area s. It 1s reco mm en de d to app ly 100 % n't ~
I
Orth-W
(8 t/ha) or apply 76% nitro gen from chem ical ferti lize eRternl\
r (30 k~rogen from ~
from verm icom post (600 kg/h a).
a)+ 25%nitrt ·
(xii) The farm ers of M1'ddl e GUJa ' rat Agro-c1·1ma tic
· Zon e grow in . -,~
gram are reco mm ende d to sow the crop duri ng
3rd wee k of 8 ; ~erni-rabi green
spac ing for obta inin g high er yiel d and net retu rn.
P ernb erata o~
(%iii) The farm ers of Bha l and Coa stal Agr o-cl
ima tic Zon e growin .
cott on are ~~commended to sow cot ton [Link] GUJa .
rat Cott on 21g ra1nfed d~
spac ing to get high er seed cott on yie . ld at60 x30
. Cl!I
(riv) The farm ers of Mid dle Guj arat Agro_-c
limatic Zon e are advised to
sem i-rab i pear l mill et by tran spla ntin g one mon
th old seed ling s of G~~ Pt
or GHB 732 duri ng 20th to 30th Sep tem ber for gett
ing high er grain and :
fodder yield as well as net retu rn.
·

SUMMARY 1
• The erra tic and unce rtain beha viou r of rain fall
in dry farm ing area s comprised
of delayed onset, earl y with draw al and inte rme
diar y dry spel ls during rainy
season which adve rse effect on crop grow th vary with
the degr ee of deviation and
the crop growth stag e at whic h such dev iatio ns occu
r. Suit able manipulatioruin
crop man agem ent practices to miti gate such adv erse
effe cts of abnormal rainfall
beha viou r cons titut e contingency plan ning .
. ncy cropping
• C ont mge · 1s· h'1ghly loca tion spec
ific due to vari· a t 10n
· lil· amount and
distr ibut ion of rainfall.
• GenerallY s h ort dura tion.
puls es like gree n gram , blac k gram an d cowpea tn.a~
suit the situa tion .
d
• C
. rope like sorghum, pear l millet, can be grow n for n exten d=-~an
grai n if monsoo '
if not, fodder can be obtained.
• Different climatic conditions are obse rved in dry-land
, )V · · . area s. ed bY
\a anat ion m onse t (Delayed onse t of mon soon . ronow
, good star t of rain s
dry spel ls, early with draw al of mon soon and exte
nde d monsoon)
(b) Dry and wet spells
(c) High temp erat ure
 ~NNINO FOR ABERRANT WEATHIR. CON

'd) Low humidity

, ) Soil erosion
,e ... ~ng for successful crop production under water scarcity and dr,
CroP p1an,uu d
• cond't'
i io n should be as un er:
. g and levelling should be done to conserve the rainwater in situ.
(a) Bund1n . .
(b) Sowing the crop at optimum time.
(c) Tillage and sowing of the crop across the slope.
(d} Use higher amount of organic manures like farm yard manure {F'YM), compt)frt,.
vermicompost and cake.
(e) Apply fertilizers at sowing under adequate soil moisture or as top dressing
after irrigation.
(J) Use drip irrigation in wide spaced crops and sprinkler irrigation in nanow
spaced crops, if possible.
(g) Inter culturing, weeding and crop protection measures should be done as and
when required.
(h) Adopt mixed and inter cropping systems.
(i) Raise crop in strip cropping.
(j) Create farm pond for life saving irrigation.
• Under shortage of moisture due to uncertain rainfall, crop planning should be
done as under:
(a) Do interculturing and weeding. Keep crop weed free and do mulching.
(b) When moisture stress prevails, thinning should be done. If more mo.i5tu.:re
stress prevails, remove alternate row and thin the plant in the fi.1?ld.
(c) Provide lifesaving irrigation to the crop if irrigation facility availabll?.
(d) "0-en sufficient rainfall received after dry spell, nitrogen ft'rtilizer should b.:-
given as top dress to the crops except groundnut.
(e) When crop failed due to long dry spell, after receiving suffici~nt [Link] farmt:"tS
can grow hybrid pearl millet GHB 558, GHB 577.
(f) Farmers should grow Sesame variety Purva 1 or Gujarat 1'il 1 or Castor vari~ty
G~UCH 1 and GAC 11. In addition, farmers can also grow fodd~r sorghum or
ra1akabajri.
(g) Reduce the plants by harvesting the matured plants frequ~ntly. to sa,·~ th~
conserved. moisture.