Icrisat’s four-pronged strategy to fight low rains

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Hyderabad: Amid the uncertainty surrounding the country’s agricultural production in 2009 because of below normal rains in most, there is some good news.

A four-pronged science-based strategy developed by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) seeks to avert the possibility of lower crop production or even crop failure and higher food prices in case of delayed rains. This strategy helps vulnerable farming communities cope up better against drought, global warming and other associated effects of climate change. Monsoon rains are critical to the country’s agriculture and account for a sixth of the country’s economic output. About 70% of Indians depend on agriculture for their livelihood and 60% of India ‘s farms depend on rains.

“Climate change is real and its implications are going to be borne by the poorest of the poor,” says William Dar, Icrisat’s director-general. “Delayed monsoons as well as below normal rainfall are not something new as these situations occur in rainfed areas very often,” adds Dar. In this context, he recommends the adoption of a four-pronged science-based strategy developed by Icrisat for improved crop production under rainfed conditions.

First is growing drought-tolerant and climate change ready crops to match the available length of the growing season and low soil moisture. Icrisat and its partners from the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and state universities have developed and released several varieties of sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut, all of which are more drought-tolerant than currently grown varieties.

Second is contingency planning for the replacement of crops affected by drought. With delayed monsoon rains, farmers may not be able to grow their traditional crops.

Third is the efficient management of natural resources, arresting land degradation, conserving soil moisture, harvesting excess water in the rainy season and utilizing it for supplemental irrigation. Towards this, Icrisat recommends the adoption of integrated genetic and natural resource management approach. Through this scheme, improved crops are grown on soils conserved through natural resource management and pursued through community participation.