World Colleges Information

Scenario:

            Though steps had taken enough to improve Indian agricultural scenario, through Royal commission on agriculture by 1928 and National commission on agriculture by 1976, India met her food requirement only through green revolution that had happened during mid 1960’s. The impact of green revolution was critically analysed by many renowned agricultural scientists, economists and also by farmer’s themselves. No doubt there was three to four folds enhancement in cereals productivity, but this happened at the cost of degradation of natural resources (land, water and climate). As a result, pollution has percolated to these resources very deeply. This led to decline in production that was witnessed during green revolution in the irrigated areas. This was the experiential learning from Indian Green revolution.

            Indian Government draws plan to initiate another green revolution from dry lands, since majority of the cultivable area (68%) is under both dry and rain fed situations. Maximizing the productivity from rain fed is technically feasible and economically viable like what did happen in irrigated land during green revolution, but in the case of dry lands only technological interventions with partnership mode would be the choice to enhance the productivity because of its fragile nature. This fragility can be addressed through introduction of evergreen revolution concept rather than any other approaches. Conservation and enhancement of natural resources and access to technology and market will shape future Indian dry land agriculture. According to Parashara, a sage, Farm yields gold; if neglected it leads to poverty as quoted by Venkateswarlu (2003).

            Based on that, selected frontier options are discussed in this paper on the development of dry land, its productivity and livelihood of the dry land domain farmers.

2. Limitations in the present day dry land agriculture:

On one hand, inherently dry land farmers are poor, resource less and majority of them belong to small and marginal category. On other hand, Research Institutions in India have developed umpteen numbers of dry land technologies, which mostly need initial capital investment. Further because of the top to bottom research approach majority of the developed technology found unsuitable to the dry land farmers and seldom being used. These technologies need refinement to real field condition and this is possible only through ON-FARM RESRACH MODE. But little attempt is made so far in this line. As a result there is mismatch between technology availability and need of the dry land farmers.

3. Strategies:

            Two strategies have been discussed in this paper to introduce evergreen revolution in dry lands.

3.1. Four capitals (Gokul Patnaick, 2004):

Under dry land situation there is less of coordinations’ between four capitals viz; human, nature, institution and social. Each one has its own hierarchy and never interact together except few occasions.

3.1.1. Human Capital:

Human capital involves three actors viz; (i). Farmers (Central position in production); (ii). Academicians (Top position in creating knowledge) and (iii). Extension workers (Delivering knowledge).

Conducting research with bottom-up approach to meet the farmers’ need and refining the developed technology to local condition and empowering the farmers to adopt the technology would be the activities under human capital.

3.1.2. Natural Capital:

Nature must be understood properly. Land, Water and Climate must be considered in integrated manner for any development. Venkateswarlu (2003) suggested that to meet the growing demand of food and to meet the aspirations of the resource poor, the research and development attempt must be addressed with two tier system of production. Firstly, there is need to continue enhancing the productivity in efficient dry land cropping zone. Biotechnology, transgenic crops, information technology, geographical information systems, geographical position system, management information system and precision farming need to be applied/achieved, but on sustainable basis. Secondly, the degraded areas as well as resource poor situations warrant simple, doable, economically viable, socially acceptable and eco-friendly tools. Know-how must be converted into Do how. Among others these include NPM, IPNS, in-village seed production and easily manageable resource conservation methods. ITK needs specific attention in this scenario. Proper land use should be a priority.

Further the technology development must match to the climate of the domain, for that, charactersing the domain climate through water balance, length of growing period, critical rainfall analysis etc. must be attended.  Above all, response farming concept must be inculcated to the dry land farmers. Stewart (1988) defined response farming as on-farm management with respect to water (rainfall). In other words, addressing the farm activities with reference to anticipated seasonal rainfall quantity. This leads to weather based farm decisions with reference to different ranges of weather forecasts available in India. This type of empowering enables the farmers to meet the benevolent and malevolent weather challenges with enough confidence.

3.1.3. Organisation Capital:

Available organizations involved in technology development, credit enforcement, input management, policy development, technology delivery management, insurance corporation and NGOs must come together to deliver the dry land package through a single window. Hanumantha Rao (1994) pointed out that when access to new technology and resource was ensured, the small holder would naturally adapt the technology to enhance productivity of their crops.

3.1.4. Social Capital:

Any programmer may not be viable and sustainable, if social capital is not integrated. Motivation must be made for their fullest participation. This is possible only through introduction of biovillage concept and bringing information closest to the farming community through village knowledge centers. This caters to knowledge and information requirements of rural families with a focus on local specific requirements. Value addition to the raw information, use of local language, use of multimedia, and participation of local peoples from the beginning are some of the worthy features of the project (Gokul Patnaick, 2004). For any development in dry land, optimum mixing of the four capitals is an ideal option.

3.2. Four waters concept:

Soil water or soil moisture is the critical factor for dry land production. Its optimum availability to the crop and timely availability are some of the factors determined by the successful nature of the seasonal rainfall to be occurred.

The four waters concept has thrown up possibilities in enhancing and stabilizing efficient rainwater use as seen from the national as well as from International endeavors. Rainwater so harvested has to be trugally and most efficiently used.

The four waters concept was propounded by Hanumantha Rao and FAO agencies. They include rainwater, surface water, ground water and soil water. Whatever might be the components of four waters concept the main source is rainwater. Under dry land these concept is captured by water shed management, where in rain water is conserved in the soil profile through in-situ moisture conservation method and run off water is collected in farm pond and recycled. Over generations, at village, a common scenario is the dying-wisdom. It is at this context, to mix the indigenous knowledge of moisture conservation practices with the scientific technology developed for this purpose and tested. NCA (1976) has given a clear picture on the distribution of total annual available rain water of 400 Million hectare meter in India, where in soil water, run off water, ground water and rain water have been accounted very carefully. This can be simulated to village level and hydrology map is the need of the hour for the efficient management of the scarce water resource.

Four waters concept answers to need to augment the water resources locally and use them in an efficient and integrated way. Hanumantha Rao developed the model in early seventies working in two soil types in AP and both locations receive low rainfall. This model includes land treatments, namely check dam, gully plugging, contour bunding and percolation tanks. With such treatments there is enhanced ground water recharged. It has become possible to provide critical irrigation to about 40 per cent of the donor area. Similar studies were also taken up in China in 23600 ha (Shen and Wolter, 1992). Four waters concept is mainly controlled by onset of monsoon rain in a particular location and hence water-harvesting plan has to be developed for each location.

3.3. Complimentary Factors:

In addition to considering the four capitals and four waters concept, mind set may be developed with the domain farmers on the following:

• Development of alternative cropping pattern to suit the local resources
• Value addition to the harvested dry land produce
• Minimising harvest and post harvest losses
• Motivating women farmers for the fullest participation from farm planning to market.
• Assessing the vulnerability of the village to the expected climate change and enhance the capability of the farmers to cope with changing climate.

4. Conclusion:

The National Food Security Summit 2004 concluded that India has the necessary political commitment, economic and technical capability and social environment for achieving the goal of a hunger free India by August 15^th 2007. This could be achieved by integrating four capitals and four waters concept.