Identifying prospects and potential areas for introducing pearl millet stress-tolerant cultivars in Rajasthan, India: A geospatial analysis

Abstract

Dryland crops are highly prone to various stresses such as water stress (drought) and heat stress. The identification of stress-prone regions is crucial for effective and efficient implementation of appropriate solutions, such as stress-tolerant crop varieties. This study was conducted in Rajasthan state located in North-western India. Rajasthan is predominantly a rainfed pearl millet ecosystem (>50 % during monsoon season) in India. The pearl millet productivity in Western Rajasthan is the lowest in India with a significant decline in its cultivated area. The present study tried to analyse the pearl millet cropping systems in various ecologies and identified the stress-prone areas by analysing the stress pattern from 2011 to 2020 which helps in targeting the stress tolerant cultivars. The spatial distribution of pearl millet areas was mapped using Sentinel-2 time-series data and spectral matching techniques. The mapped pearl millet areas were well correlated with district-level statistics obtained from secondary sources. Application of geospatial techniques for monitoring changes in pearl millet cropped area proves to be a cost-effective, and reliable approach. It also helps in assessing the cultivated area changes as well as the quantification of yield losses caused by abiotic stresses such as drought and heat. Agricultural research institutes, progressive farmers and line departments from the government can use these findings for better targeting and introduction of climate SMART pearl millet technologies in the state. Introduction of resilient technologies minimize the production risks faced by small and marginal farmer thereby reduces the crop income negative deviations. Scaling-up of such technologies not only protects farmer's livelihoods but also enhances the food and nutritional security in the state.