The constraints can be broadly grouped in to
- Climatic constraints,
- Soil related constraints,
- Traditional cultivation practices
- Heavy weed problem
- Lack of suitable varieties
- Socio economic constraints
- Technological constraints
- resource constraints '
Climatic Constraints :
Rainfall Characteristics:
• Rainfall varies in time and space, making it
unpredictable in dry regions.
• Areas with lower rainfall are more prone to crop
failure due to uncertain rains.
• Intensive rainfall usually occurs in just a few days,
leading to surface runoff and soil erosion.
• The distribution of rainfall during the crop growing
season is more important than total rainfall.
Low Relative Humidity:
• Low relative humidity leads to high
evapotranspiration losses, causing moisture stress
when moisture is limited.
Prolonged dry spells:
• Breaks of monsoon for 7-10 days may not be a serious concern.
• Break between two consecutive rainfalls for more than 15 days duration, especially
at critical stages for soil moisture stress, leads to a reduction in yield
Hot Dry Winds:
• Hot dry winds cause desiccation of leaves, resulting in moisture stress.
• High turbulent winds during summer months cause soil erosion, dust storms, and
loss of fertile soil.
High Atmospheric Water Demand:
• High atmospheric temperature increases the atmospheric demand for moisture,
causing high evapotranspiration losses.
• Potential evapotranspiration (PET) can exceed precipitation during most of the
year, leading to moisture stress.
Soil Constraints :
- Inadequate soil moisture: Soils in dry regions tend to be shallow, with low moisture holding capacity, which can lead to crop failure.
- Poor organic matter content: High temperatures and low use of organic manures result in soils with low levels of organic matter, which affects moisture retention.
- Poor soil fertility: Due to the loss of fertile topsoil and low accumulation of organic matter, dryland soils are often deficient in nutrients such as nitrogen and zinc.
- Soil erosion: Erosion caused by wind and water can lead to the loss of fertile topsoil, leaving poor subsoil for crop cultivation.
- Soil crusts: In red soils, hard surface layers can hinder seedling emergence and reduce infiltration and storage of rainfall, leading to high runoff.
- Hard layers and deep cracks: Hard layers and deep cracks in black soils can also affect crop production.
Lack of suitable varieties:
• Most of the crop varieties available
for cultivation in dry lands are meant
for irrigated agriculture.
• There are no any special varieties
exclusively meant for dryland areas.
• Hence still more efforts are required
to develop varieties in different crops
exclusively meant for dryland
agriculture.
The traditional management practices
Traditional practices are still
followed by farmers leading to low yields:
• Ploughing along the slope
• Broadcasting seeds/ sowing behind the country
plow leading to poor as well as uneven plant stand
• Monsoon sowing
• Choice of crops based on rainfall
• Application FYM in limited quantity
• Untimely weeding
• Low-productive cropping systems
• Inadequate nutrient supply
• Traditional storage system.
Heavy Weed Infestation :
This is the most serious problem in
dryland areas. The weed problem is high
in rainfed areas because of continuous
rains and acute shortage of labor. Weed
suppression in the early stage of crop
growth is required to reduce the
decrease in crop yields.
a) Less access to inputs, poor
organizational structure for input supply
b) Nonavailability of credit on time
c) The risk-bearing capacity of dryland
farmers is very low.
Resources Constraints :
Farmers in dryland areas often have limited resources for farming.
• Farmers may be hesitant to try new technologies in these areas.
• Droughts and floods can occur frequently in dry farming areas.
• Rainfall can be unpredictable and may lead to crop failure.
• It can be difficult to find suitable crops and cropping patterns for the unpredictable weather in
these areas.
• Soil and nutrient problems can make farming even harder in dryland areas.
• Farmers may struggle to adopt new practices or technology due to their limited resources.
• Traditional methods of conservation may not be widely recognized or utilized.
• Poor land preparation, lack of labor, and animal power during peak seasons can cause further
challenges.
Technological Constraints
There aren't enough
technologies suitable for
areas with low rainfall.
There is a lack of varieties
that can yield well in adverse
conditions.
The improved
varieties often struggle with
moisture stress more than
traditional varieties.
Seeds of improved varieties
are not widely available, with
a significant demand-supply
gap in groundnut, sorghum,
pearl millet, and forest
species.
It's difficult to predict the
rainfall needed for sowing.
Poor timeliness in field
operations and crop
failure/reduced yield due to
underutilization of improved
machinery/implements in
drylands.
Poor pest and disease
management practices due
to lack of resources and
water for quality sprays.
Fewer dryland farmers adopt
alternate land use systems
like agroforestry, alley
cropping, and dryland
horticulture.
Poor dissemination of
technologies due to
inadequate extension
activities.
Social economic Constraints :
Dryland farmers lack money, fair prices for their crops, and timely
credit, making it hard for them to try new technologies.
Farmers in dry areas often have limited resources, so they tend to
avoid taking risks.
Dryland farmers often rely on family labor rather than hiring outside
workers.
Traditional social structures in dry regions can discourage farmers
from trying new technology.
Stakeholders, like farmers, government agencies, and NGOs, should
work together to develop dry farming practices, but this is not
always happening
