Rainfed Areas Research Articles

Biofortifying drought-tolerant rice: enhancing growth and nutritional quality with foliar iron and zinc applications in Eastern India

Micronutrient deficiencies in staple food crops pose a significant global health concern, especially in regions prone to drought. Agronomic biofortification offers a promising solution by enhancing the content of essential micronutrients. This study aims to identify efficient rice varieties for iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) biofortification through foliar applications. A field experiment was carried out during kharif season in 2019 and 2020 with four drought-tolerant rice varieties (Swarna Shreya, Swarna Shakti Dhan, Sahbhagi Dhan, and DRR Dhan 42) were assessed under four foliar applications of Fe and Zn (control, 1% of Fe, 1% of Zn and combined 1% of Fe + 1% of Zn) at Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER), Patna. The highest grain yield of 5.65 t/ha was attained with the main plot treatment, Swarna Shreya variety, and in the subplot treatment, Fe + Zn foliar application resulted in a yield of 5.50 t/ha. The combined foliar application of Fe + Zn demonstrates the highest chlorophyll content and starch synthesis. Foliar application of combined Fe and Zn increased paddy grain Fe and Zn concentration by up to 30 and 16%, respectively, compared to the control. This finding is important for addressing micronutrient deficiencies in regions where rice is a dietary staple. Thus, Swarna Shreya, in combination with iron and zinc foliar application is a promising option for enhancing yield and fortifying grains in rainfed areas of eastern India.

Effect of Soil and Foliar Nitrogen Fertilization on Performance and Economics of Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) Cultivation under Rainfed Conditions of Nagaland

Background: Crop production relies heavily on essential nutrients. Balanced soil-applied fertilizers, along with foliar sprays, can improve input efficiency and crop performance, particularly in rainfed areas prone to moisture stress. Method: A field investigation was conducted at the experimental farm of School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema campus, during rabi season of 2021. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications with four main factors comprising of soil-application of different doses of N (nitrogen) in two splits (based on RDF of 40 kg N ha-1) viz., 100 % N, 75% N, 50% N and 25% N and five sub-factors comprising of foliar sprays of N viz. Control (water spray), single spray of Nanourea @ 3 ml liter-1, two sprays of Nanourea @ 3 ml liter-1, single spray of Urea @ 2% and two sprays of Urea @ 2 %. Result: Among the different soil application treatments, significantly highest NUE (Agronomic Efficiency), seed yield (996.80 kg ha-1) and stover yield (3032.10 kg-1) was recorded with soil application of 100 % N ultimately recording the highest net return (Rs. 26004 ha-1) and IBCR (5.80). Whereas, two sprays of Nanourea @ 3 ml L-1, among foliar treatments, recorded the highest NUE (Agronomic Efficiency), seed and stover yield (918.44 kg ha-1 and 3032.26 kg ha-1 respectively) as well as net returns (Rs. 22988 ha-1) and IBCR (5.5).

Empirical Analysis on Economic Sustainable of Rice Rain-Fed Area in Rural Cambodia

This paper investigates the economic sustainability of Cambodian rural rice farmers. Rice in Cambodia is a stable crop just as in many other Southeast Asian countries. The rice plants not only provide food to people but also a source of feed for livestock. Based on survey about of 6 districts of the rural household in Battambang of Cambodia, a total 204 rice farmers were interviewed and multiple regression models was applied using the method of Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) to determine the factors affecting the Crop-livestock farmers’ disposable income. The study aggregated the livestock of 3 species including cattle, pig and chicken in cattle unit standard known as Livestock Unit (LU). The result of the empirical analysis shows that many household demography factors as well as the socioeconomic factors influences the disposable income. The findings in the study provide an insight to the government and extension offices on effective development of economic sustainability of rice farming and livestock production system in the regions; investing more in public animal healthcare; ensure stable market prices for both rice and livestock, paying more attention on the factors limiting income in particular to poorer provinces and districts. Provide irrigation facilities accompanied with high technological varieties to encourage the double or even triple rice seasons. In addition, government (especially the ministry of agriculture) should embark on technological transfer among provinces and countries with successful agricultural system, orient farmers on the potential benefits of crop-livestock farming, provide training ground and scheme to local farmers.

Nipping and Foliar Spray for Enhanced Seed Yield in Horsegram var. Paiyur 2

Horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) is an underutilized food legume crop in the peninsular region and it belongs to the family Leguminaceae. The lower production and productivity of horsegram is due to its cultivation in rainfed areas of marginal and sub-marginal lands with poor management practices. Nutrients given as foliar spray is a unique technique to enhance plant growth by extending the availability of nutrients at all growth stages. Exogenous application of PGR enhance the crop production by altering plant stand and quality. Hence, experiments were conducted by combining foliar nutrition with nipping to improve the seed yield and quality. Nipping in the company of foliar spray of brassinolide @1 ppm registered increased plant height, branches per plant, number of pods plant-1 and seed yield plant-1 over control. The yield increases due to nipping on 40th DAS was 7% over control whereas foliar spray of brassinolide @ 1.0 ppm during flowering phase enhanced the yield upto 10% when compared to control. The plants subjected to nipping at 40 DAS combined with foliar spray of brassinolide @1.0 PPM increased the seed yield up to 11% (779 kg/ha) over control (698kg/ha).

Maximizing food equivalent unit yield for forage maize production without notably compromising dry matter yield and feed quality in a semi-arid region

Food equivalent unit (FEU) is a vector used to measure the value of food based on its calorie and protein content and their digestibility. However, the optimal planting density and N application rate for maximizing the FEU yield (FEUY) of forage maize (Zea mays L.) is still poorly understood in the fast-growing animal husbandry regions of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Here, a 2-year consecutive field experiment was conducted to explore the impacts of planting density, N application rate, and their interactions on growth, dry matter yield (DMY), forage quality, and FEUY of a dominant forage maize cultivar. Planting density significantly affected the stem diameter, LAI, DMY, and dry matter allocation (DMA) of the leaf. Initially, increasing the N rate increased the stem diameter, LAI, FEUY, and DMY of forage maize and then decreased. The stem diameter, LAI, FEUY and above-ground DMY peaked under 180 kg∙ha−1 N in both years. Moreover, N application significantly increased the crude protein content of the whole plant and decreased the acid detergent fiber content. The surface fittings of the 2-year study indicated that 110,000 plants∙ha−1 (plant density) and 171.2 kg∙ha−1 (N rate) obtained the greatest DMY (19.0 t∙ha−1). The grade index (a comprehensive evaluation index for forage quality) peaked at 15.4 MJ∙d−1 under 94,000 plants ha−1 and 270 kg∙ha−1. The 110,000 plants∙ha−1 plant density and 181.5 kg∙ha−1 N rate jointly maximized the FEUY (11,125.4 FEU∙ha−1), maintaining 99.9 % of the maximum DMY and 97.5 % of the maximum grade index. Thus, 110,000 plants∙ha−1 plant density and 181.5 kg∙ha−1 N rate are recommended for high-productivity forage maize production, without notably compromising dry matter yield and feed quality. This research is conducive to advancing the coordinated development of forage crop cultivation and herbivorous livestock farming in semi-arid rainfed areas.

Climate-adaptive crop distribution can feed food demand, improve water scarcity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Optimizing crop distribution stands as a pivotal approach to climate change adaption, enhancing crop production sustainability, and has been recognized for its immense potential in ensuring food security while minimizing environmental impacts. Here, we developed a climate-adaptive framework to optimize the distribution of staple crops (i.e., wheat, maize, and rice) to meet the multi-dimensional needs of crop production in China. The framework considers the feasibility of the multiple cropping systems (harvesting more than once on a cropland a year) and adopts a multi-dimensional approach, incorporating goals related to crop production, water consumption, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. By optimizing, the total irrigated area of three crops would decrease by 7.7 % accompanied by a substantial 69.8 % increase in rain-fed areas compared to the baseline in 2010. This optimized strategy resulted in a notable 10.0 % reduction in total GHG emissions and a 13.1 % decrease in irrigation water consumption while maintaining consistent crop production levels. In 2030, maintaining the existing crop distribution and relying solely on yield growth would lead to a significant maize production shortfall of 27.0 %, highlighting a looming challenge. To address this concern, strategic adjustments were made by reducing irrigated areas for wheat, rice, and maize by 2.3 %, 12.8 %, and 6.1 %, respectively, while simultaneously augmenting rain-fed areas for wheat and maize by 120.2 % and 55.9 %, respectively. These modifications ensure that production demands for all three crops are met, while yielding a 6.9 % reduction in GHG emissions and a 15.1 % reduction in irrigation water consumption. This optimization strategy offers a promising solution to alleviate severe water scarcity issues and secure a sustainable agricultural future, effectively adapting to evolving crop production demands in China.

Soil carbon dynamics effect on growth and yield of Lentil (Lens culinaris L.) with varying tillage practices

Heavy tillage practices to conserve moisture from monsoon rains are common in rainfed regions. Rainfed regions have wheat (Triticum aestivum) as a main crop while rest of the year minor crops are grown such as lentil. Heavy tillage practices not only destroyed the soil structure but also caused loss of carbon. This study was designed to investigate impact of different tillage practices on yield of lentil (Lens culinaris) and carbon dynamics. Three tillage practices were considered as: T1 = 6 cultivations (Control), T2 = moldboard plough + 2 cultivations, T3 = chisel plough + 2 cultivations. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications to investigate the impact of tillage practices on carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and the yield of lentil crop. Results indicated that during both the years (2018–2019), moldboard plough with 2 cultivations (T2) reduced CO2 emission (40.28%), DOC (22.58%) and SOC (51.07%) and increased lentil yield (56.39%) as compared to control. Results of soil carbon monitoring indicated that use of moldboard and chisel plough along with 2 cultivations before the onset of monsoon under rainfed conditions can reduce CO2 emission and improve the yield compared to conventional tillage practices. Results of the experiment suggest the farmers of the rainfed area that they should use moldboard and chisel plough along with 2 cultivations before the onset of monsoon so that CO2 emission can be minimized, and they can get more better yield compared to conventional tillage practices which causes loss of CO2 and nutrients.

Impacts of soil and water conservation measures on farm technical efficiency in the semi-arid tropics of central India

SummaryNatural resources such as soil and water are essential to agriculture, especially in arid and semi-arid rain-fed areas, yet the impacts of managing these crucial natural resources on farm technical efficiency are little known. Using data from 400 households with 1031 plots, we examined the impacts of soil and water conservation measures (SWCMs) on the technical efficiency of farmers in the semi-arid Bundelkhand (central India). We estimated stochastic production frontiers, considering potential self-selection bias stemming from both observable and unobservable factors in the adoption of SWCMs at the farm level. The farm technical efficiency for adopters of SWCMs ranged from 0.68 to 0.72, and that for non-adopters ranged from 0.52 to 0.65, depending on how biases were controlled for. As the average efficiency is consistently higher for adopter farmers than the control group, promoting SWCMs could help to increase input use efficiency, especially in resource-deprived rain-fed systems in the semi-arid tropics.

Investigating the dynamics of upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in rainfed agroecosystems: an in-depth analysis of yield gap and strategic exploration for enhanced production

IntroductionAddressing the global demand for rice production necessitates innovative approaches to enhance upland rice yield in rainfed agroecosystems, considering the challenges posed by increasing population, limited land fertility, low productivity, and water availability.MethodsIn this study, our study investigated the impact of biochar and organic fertilizer on ten promising rice lines (G1 – G10) and two control (G11 – G12) cultivars under rainfed conditions. The experimental design used a split-plot design with four soil amendments as main plots, namely control, organic fertilizer, biochar, and biochar + organic fertilizer and 12 rice genotypes as subplot.ResultsThe absolute attainable yield gaps, differentiating organic and control (GAP1), biochar + organic and control (GAP2), and biochar and control (GAP3), ranged from 1.5 to 3.7 or increased of 91–580%, 0.8 to 3.5 (72–560%), and 0.6 to 2.58 tons/ha (58–472%), respectively. Notably, G2 + organic exhibited the highest positive absolute yield gap, ranging from 1.1 to 5.38 tons/ha, based on the yield gap matrix. Furthermore, genotype main effect plus genotype-environment interaction (GGE) biplot analysis identified G2 as the most promising rice line, displaying superior yield performance for cultivation in biochar and organic amended soils.DiscussionThese findings provide valuable insights for farmers, governments, and stakeholders, offering a roadmap to optimize rainfed areas for rice production, serving as practical guidance to enhance overall rice productivity in rainfed agroecosystems.

Changes in the pattern of cultivated species and loss of sustainability in central Veracruz, Mexico

The economic, social, and technological conditions in agriculture have changed due to public policies implemented by the Mexican government. These changes have forced producers to make decisions to adapt to a complex agricultural reality. The objective of this research is to analyze the changes in cropping patterns over four decades and their impact on sustainability in a local context. A survey and in-depth interviews were conducted among producers in agricultural and rainfed areas in central Veracruz, Mexico. The findings suggest that the promotion and subsequent reduction of public spending in favor of agricul-tural production resulted in the gradual introduction and exclusion of crops, as well as the fundamental management practices underlying them, such as fertilization, weed, disease, and pest control. This led to a loss of sustainability as it promoted monoculture, the use of agrochemicals, and the commercialization of crops. This not only simplified the crop pattern but also affected the family's diet, created conditions for increased pest and disease presence, and degraded soil life and agrobiodiversity, including medicinal and foodplants subject to harvesting. These findings should be taken into account when defining medium and long-term strategies.

Different Silvi-pastoral systems for improving livestock production in rainfed areas of North Western Zone of Tamil Nadu

Different Silvi-pastoral systems for improving livestock production in rainfed areas of North Western Zone of Tamil Nadu

Unlocking the potential of Kodo millet: reviving an indigenous super grain for tomorrow's nutrition.

Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.) is an underutilized crop that encompasses nutritional benefits and climate resilience, making it a viable option for future crop development with nutraceutical properties. The cultivation of this crop has ancient roots, where it was revered for its ability to thrive in times of famine and was a vital companion crop to rice. Dishes made with Kodo millet are highly palatable and can be easily integrated into mainstream rice-based dishes. Among all cereals, Kodo millet is distinguished by its gluten-free composition, high phosphorus content, and significant antioxidant potential, which contributes to a diet that may reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Often grown in rainfed zones by marginal farmers, Kodo millet is valued for its grain and fodder. This less demanding crop can tolerate both biotic and abiotic stress, allowing it to thrive in soils with low organic matter and with minimal inputs, making it an ideal dual-purpose crop for rainfed areas. Despite its nutritional and agricultural benefits, Kodo millet's popularity is hindered by challenges such as low yield, market demand, lodging at harvest, and poor dehulling recovery, which necessitate the development of high-yielding varieties through the latest breeding advancements. Systematic investment and concerted breeding efforts are essential to harness the full potential of this nutrient-dense crop. The absence of whole genome sequence for Kodo millet poses a barrier to uncovering novel genetic traits. Consequently, there is an imperative to establish a millet-based value chain that elevates these underutilized crops, shaping smart cropping patterns and enhancing nutritional profiles for sustainable diets. Accordingly, this review highlights the significance of Kodo millet and the impact of breeding to establish it as a smart food choice for the future.

Drought Tolerance in Rice (Oryza sativa L.): Impact, Performance and Recent Trends

Drought poses a significant challenge to rice cultivation in Asia's rain-fed regions, which is expected to worsen with climate change. This article presents a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge on drought tolerance in rice, based on a literature review of 52 relevant articles. The articles were chosen based on their relevance to the topic of drought tolerance in rice. The selected articles were then analyzed using a qualitative approach to summarize and synthesize their findings into three main sections: impact, performance, and recent trends. The article highlights several key findings on the development of drought-tolerant rice cultivars, including the identification of genes that control responses to water availability, the use of submergence-tolerant varieties in flood-prone lowlands, and the importance of physiological, biochemical, and molecular adaptation processes in improving rice's tolerance to drought stress. The article emphasizes the importance of marker-assisted breeding and cultivation in semi-arid and rainfed environments to develop more drought-tolerant cultivars. The development of drought-tolerant rice cultivars is crucial to ensure food security and mitigate the effects of climate change in Asia's rain-fed regions. The article also discusses various types of droughts and their effects on different plant species and drought pressures. As the global population increases, the demand for rice as a dependable food crop also rises. To meet this demand, rice cultivation must be expanded to rainfed areas. However, rice's adaptation mechanisms and habitat make it one of the most challenging crops for breeders to develop drought-tolerant varieties. Overall, this article provides important insights and recommendations to improve rice productivity and address the challenges associated with drought in rice cultivation.

Organic fertilizer substituting 20% chemical N increases wheat productivity and soil fertility but reduces soil nitrate-N residue in drought-prone regions.

Organic fertilizer substitution is an effective measure for increasing both the quantity and quality of wheat grain while reducing chemical fertilizer input. However, the effects of reducing nitrogen (N) fertilizer combined with organic fertilizer substitution on grain yield, grain protein content and protein yield, plant N accumulation and translocation, N use efficiency, soil fertility, N apparent surplus and nitrate-N residue in rain-fed drought-prone areas remains limited. In this study, field experiments were conducted over four consecutive seasons (2019-2023) at two sites with four treatments: zero N application (ZN), farmer N application (FN), reduced 20% N of FN (RN), and organic fertilizer substituting 20% N of RN (OSN). The results showed that compared with the ZN treatment, the FN, RN and OSN treatments increased grain yield and its components, grain protein content and protein yield, aboveground N accumulation at the anthesis and maturity stages, pre-anthesis N translocation, post-anthesis N accumulation, N use efficiency, soil fertility. Compared with RN and FN, OSN increased grain yield by 17.12% and 15.03%, grain protein yield by 3.31% and 17.15%, grain N accumulation by 17.78% and 15.58%, and N harvest index by 2.63% and 4.45% averaged across years and sites, respectively. Moreover, OSN increased the contents of organic matter, total N, available P and available K in both 0-20 and 20-40 cm soil layers, decreased N apparent surplus and nitrate-N residue in 0-100 cm, and pH in both 0-20 and 20-40 cm soil layer. Fundamentally, this study suggests that integrating a 20% reduction N from conventional farmer practices with the utilization of organic fertilizer to replace 20% of the chemical N fertilizer (OSN) represents an effective strategy. This approach shows promise in enhancing wheat grain yield, grain protein yield, and N use efficiency. Additionally, it supports the improvement of soil fertility while simultaneously reducing soil nitrate-N residues and the apparent surplus of N in rain-fed drought-prone regions.

Improving the growth parameters, yield, and oil quality of camelina in rainfed farming due to the combined use of biochar and supplementary irrigation

The main concerns for agricultural production nowadays are excessive crop cultivation, water scarcity, and poor soil quality. It is possible to amend agronomic soil with activated biochar (BC) to achieve high water-fertilizer availability and Camelina crop production under rainfed conditions by using an efficient and environmentally safe technology. A split plot experiment was arranged on a randomized complete block design with nine treatments and three replications. The main and second factors were supplementary irrigation (SI) and BC, respectively, with SI comprising of no irrigation (control), irrigation at the flowering stage and seed-filling stage, while BC included control (BC0), 5 (BC5), and 10 (BC10) t ha−1. The number of lateral branches and seeds in the silique, seed yield (2751.8 kg ha−1), 1000-seed weight (1.16 g) and oil yield (991.50 kg ha−1) were highest in response to irrigation at the flowering stage and the application of BC10. The gas chromatography analysis showed that the highest amount of unsaturated fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, linolenic, eicosadienoic and palmitic acids) was obtained in response to BC10 and irrigation at the seed-filling stage. Finally, the results showed that BC10 and the application of SI at the flowering stage increased the seed and oil yield, and unsaturated fatty acid content in Camelina. This study demonstrates that BC amendments can improve plant performance and preserve the environment, with significant implications for the alleviation of drought and sustainable Camelina production in arid regions. The study provides a practical way to produce Camelina in rainfed areas, which can benefit farmers economically.

An Assessment of the Weather and Technological Change on Agriculture Revenue of Maize Crop in Karnataka

Presently the agriculture economy influenced by the weather and technological implication. In state maize has occupied top fourth place (10.79%) in total area of cultivation, is highly sowing in rainfed area (65.94%). Study estimates the revenues over a period form 2002-2018 and estimated moving average of revenue to the capital-intensive technology and labor- intensive technology based on the market arrivals data. The implication of capital-intensive technology in agriculture production brings higher output than labor intensive technology even a change in weather, but not more than 2010. The study found that changes in production to the weather and technology has direct relation, but weather negatively impacts on maize crop. Due to the weather extreme events, the prices have positive relation with drought and inverse relation to quantity arrival and rainfall helps to maintain economic stability by the consumer and producer surplus with higher income. To fulfill the loss of agriculture output and to reduce the risks from weather extreme events Maize was converting commercially as a food crop, it greatly caused to increase the amount of cultivation and revenue to the farmers across the State.

Benefits and pitfalls of irrigation timing and water amounts derived from satellite soil moisture

Despite the key role of irrigation in the Earth system, we lack fundamental information regarding the distribution of irrigated fields, irrigation timing and the amount of water utilized. In the past years, the SM_Delta and SM_Inversion approaches have been independently developed to provide estimates of irrigation timing and water amounts based on satellite soil moisture data. The SM_Delta approach retrieves irrigation from variations in soil moisture between an individual pixel and the surrounding rainfed area, while the SM_Inversion approach estimates the total amount of water entering the soil, then irrigation is derived by subtracting precipitation. In this study, we perform a comprehensive assessment of irrigation estimates from the SM_Delta and SM_Inversion algorithms based on Sentinel-1 surface soil moisture retrievals at 1 km resolution. Our analysis focuses on the Ebro basin, an irrigated region in Spain covering 83000 km2, during the period 2017–2019. We assess the ability of the two methods to discriminate irrigated and rainfed pixels, then we quantify the agreement of irrigation timing and water volumes with reference irrigation data. An inter-comparison between estimates from the SM_Delta and SM_Inversion methods is carried out considering both temporal and spatial features, i.e., monthly irrigation peaks and spatial irrigation patterns. Finally, we explore two potential applications of satellite-derived irrigation estimates: attributing irrigation water volumes to specific irrigation systems and to individual crops. We observe that both methods erroneously retrieve irrigation over rainfed pixels, and are therefore not suitable to map irrigated and rainfed fields. However, when auxiliary information on irrigated fields is available, we find a satisfactory agreement between district-scale reference data and satellite-retrieved irrigation, using both the SM_Delta and SM_Inversion approaches (Pearson R equal to 0.67 and 0.71, bias equal to −4.99 and −4.75 mm/15 days, respectively). When aggregated in space or time, the irrigation estimates exhibit coherent temporal dynamics and spatial patterns. For instance, estimates from both SM_Delta and SM_Inversion capture the delayed irrigation that occurred in 2018 due to wetter than usual conditions in spring. However, at the pixel-scale, limited consistency exists between irrigation estimates from the two methods due to different assumptions and parameterizations, e.g., use of constant vs pixel-specific soil water capacity (in the SM_Delta and SM_Inversion, respectively). Overall, the study demonstrates the reliability of irrigation estimates derived from the SM_Delta and SM_Inversion approaches, especially when shifting from small spatial and short temporal scales (pixel level, sub-weekly) to larger and longer scales (district level, seasonal). Hence, satellite-based irrigation estimates could inform water resources managers and basin authorities, as well as serve the modelling community by providing reliable information on the timing and the amounts of water employed at the basin level.

Diversified cropping systems for reducing soil erosion and nutrient loss and for increasing crop productivity and profitability in rainfed environments

CONTEXTGlobally, rainfed regions encounter several constraints that limit crop production. Poor and degraded soils resulting from soil erosion are one among them. We hypothesized that a diversified cropping system in rainfed drylands can reduce soil erosion and improve soil health and crop productivity and meet the food security needs of rainfed farmers. OBJECTIVEThe study aimed to assess potential diversified cropping systems in terms of reducing soil erosion and water and nutrient losses, and increasing crop and systems productivity and profitability. METHODSThe study was carried out at the Gungal Research Farm of ICAR Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (17o05’ N, 78o39’E) from 2015 to 16 to 2020–21. The study investigated seven diversified cropping systems (treatments): sorghum + pigeon pea- hedge lucerne, sorghum + pigeonpea- guinea grass, castor- hedge lucerne, castor- guinea grass, sorghum- fodder clusterbean- fodder cowpea- fodder horsegram, sole sorghum, and sole pigeonpea. Multi-criteria assessments were conducted to understand trade-offs related to soil nutrients and their losses, and productivity and profitability of various annual and perennial based systems. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSAmong the various systems evaluated, sole sorghum was the most sensitive to soil erosion, leading to highest amount of nutrient loss in all years (87.5, 47.3, and 9.8 kg N, P and K ha−1 in 2019–20, 102.4, 58.2, 14.2 kg N, P and K ha−1 in 2020–21, and 78.6, 39.2, 6.16 kg N, P and K ha−1 in 2021–22). The perennial based cropping systems with more diverse crops and greater land cover that included sorghum + pigeonpea - guinea grass and sorghum + pigeon pea - hedge lucerne had the lowest amount of nutrient loss. The least cumulative monetary value of nutrient loss was in sorghum + pigeon pea - hedge lucerne (137.11 US$) followed by sorghum + pigeonpea - guinea grass (145.33 US$). The systems with diverse crops reduced runoff and soil erosion, improved soil health, and increased crop and systems productivity and profitability. The trade-offs analysis using the radar graphs also showed lower soil loss and improved soil heath in diversified perennial based cropping systems, resulting in increase in net income to US$1981 for sorghum + pigeonpea - hedge lucerne compared to US$909 for sole sorghum. SIGNIFICANCEPerennial based cropping systems with diverse crops can be an effective strategy to reduce soil erosion and improve soil health, and increase crop and systems productivity in rainfed areas of south India. These results have implications to other countries globally with rainfed climate and dryland farming.

Enhancing Small Millet Farming Resilience through Conservation Agriculture in Rainfed Regions

The Centre of Excellence in Millets, located in Athiyandal, Tamil Nadu, conducted an extensive study from kharif 2020 to 2022, focusing on the impact of conservation agriculture practices on small millet crops in rainfed areas. The experiment, designed in a split-plot layout, included three main plot treatments: No tillage, Minimal tillage, and Mulching, with six sub-plot treatments comprising various millet varieties. Results indicated that a single ploughing significantly reduced weed populations, while mulching played a crucial role in curbing weed growth and conserving water. This led to substantial increases in grain yield and straw yield, ranging from 24.3% to 36.1% over the control, alongside an improvement in relative water use efficiency (RWUE) from 5.16 to 7.03 kg/ha/mm. Among the various millets cultivated with the mulching treatment (S3) emerged as the most favorable option in terms of grain yield. Finger millet, Kodomillet, and Foxtail millet exhibited the highest yields under this treatment, with 3010 kg/ha, 2234 kg/ha, and 2003 kg/ha, respectively. Additionally, Little millet, Barnyard millet, and Proso millet also demonstrated improved yields under Mulching, recording 1015 kg/ha, 1004 kg/ha, and 910 kg/ha, respectively. These results conclude that small millet cultivation in rainfed areas with mulching practices effectively enhances grain production, reduces weed growth, and ensures optimal water conservation, thereby providing sustainable alternatives to herbicide usage.

ADOPTION OF SORGHUM NATIONAL INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS TECHNICAL PACKAGE BY RAINFED FARMERS, GEZIRA, SUDAN

The effect of climate change on African agriculture represents a major challenge to continental agricultural development including food security, nutrition and management. In Sudan, the yield of rainfed crops is characterized by high variability in the yield due to the high variability in seasonal rainfall and does not exceed two sacs/feddan because the rainfed farmers were adopted low input rainfed agriculture as a risk management option which led to reduce in the yield per unit of land and water. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has designed and financed a special programme for the traditional the rainfed sector of the country called Integrated Solutions Programme as the main adaptation strategy for the 2014/ 2020 growing seasons to diversify and increase production and productivity of crops cultivated in traditional rainfed areas in each State of the country such as sorghum, sesame, millet and sunflower. This programme was implemented by the Administration of Agricultural Extension and Technology Transfer in each State in collaboration with Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) and the Agricultural Bank of Sudan. Field survey was used to collect data from 50 rainfed farmers participated in the programme and an equal number from non- participant farmers from the study area were selected (for comparison) using the simple random sampling technique. A close ended questionnaire was constructed and the personal interview technique was used to administer the questionnaire. The collected data were coded, fed to computer and statistically analyzed using (SPSS), discussed interpreted using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. The results showed that the participant farmers adopted the programme components. The majority of chi-square test results revealed no significant association between farmer`s adoption of the programme components and participation in the programme and also no significant association between farmer`s adoption of the programme components and the selected socio-economic characteristics of the respondent farmers. From this study, it can be concluded that the NISP are very effective agricultural extension policy that can be applied in the rainfed sector of the country, which will help rainfed farmers to increase their income through their participation in various activities of the programme. The study recommends that NISP should become the main national policy specially designed for the agricultural rainfed sector of the country, the needed agricultural inputs should be available at a reasonable price, the curriculum of NISP should be updated and developed regularly to solve the constraints that might face the programme, in-service training should be organized for agricultural extension officers on various aspects related to the rainfed sector, various means for conduction the programme should be available, Further agricultural extension research should be conducted