SECTION A
Q - What is Alfisols ?
A - Red soils (Alfisols):
• Moderately weathered soils derived from metamorphic rocks.
• Light texture, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline.
• Low in organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
• Suitable crops: Groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet, and red gram.
Q- Where Tamhane initiated his work ? AICRPDA stand for ?
A - First systematic scientific approach to tackle the problems of dry farming areas was initiated by
Tamhane in 1923 on a small plot at Manjri Farm near Pune.
AICRPDA - All India Coordinated Research Project for
Dryland Agriculture
Q - ICRISAT and CRIDA stands for ?
A - ICRISAT - International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Hyderabad
CRIDA - The Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad
- SECTION B
Q - Give the classification of dryland agriculture.
A - 
Q - What are the present mandate of CRIDA ?
A - The Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), located in Hyderabad, India, operates under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). CRIDA's mandate focuses on research and development to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability in dryland and rainfed areas. The present mandate of CRIDA includes the following key objectives:
1. **Research on Rainfed Agriculture**: Conduct basic and applied research to improve the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of rainfed farming systems. This involves developing and promoting technologies that can enhance crop yields and resilience in water-scarce conditions.
2. **Soil and Water Conservation**: Develop and promote soil and water conservation practices to improve soil health, reduce erosion, and enhance water use efficiency. This includes research on watershed management, rainwater harvesting, and efficient irrigation techniques.
3. **Climate Resilient Agriculture**: Develop strategies and technologies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on dryland agriculture. This includes studying the effects of climate variability, developing drought-resistant crop varieties, and promoting adaptive agricultural practices.
4. **Integrated Farming Systems**: Promote integrated farming systems that combine crop production with livestock, horticulture, agroforestry, and other components to enhance overall farm productivity and sustainability.
5. **Technology Transfer and Capacity Building**: Disseminate research findings and technologies to farmers, extension workers, and other stakeholders through training programs, demonstrations, and information campaigns. Enhance the capacity of farmers and agricultural professionals to adopt and implement sustainable practices.
6. **Policy Support and Advocacy**: Provide scientific input and policy recommendations to government agencies and policymakers to support the development and implementation of policies that promote sustainable rainfed agriculture.
7. **Collaboration and Networking**: Collaborate with national and international research organizations, universities, and development agencies to leverage knowledge, resources, and expertise for advancing dryland agriculture.
Q - Describe the technological and socio - economic constriants in drylands Agriculture ?
A - 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.
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.
Q -What are Vertisols , Urtisols and Aridisols ?
A - Black soils (Inceptisols and Vertisols):
• High clay content, neutral to slightly alkaline pH.
• Impeded drainage, low permeability.
• Low in organic matter, but rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
• Suitable crops: Groundnut, sorghum, cotton, pulses.
Laterite soil ( Ultisols )
Well-drained soils formed through laterization.
• Acidic, low in nitrogen and phosphorus in top layer, richer in lower layers.
• Suitable crops: Rice, minor millets, tea, coffee, rubber.
Desert soils - (aridisols)
Sandy texture, low clay content.
• Poor in organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
• Saline or sodic characteristics.
• Suitable crops: Barley, oats, mustard, salt-tolerant grasses.
SECTION C
Q - Describe the climatic constraints in dryland agriculture in detail .
A - Climatic constraints
A) 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.
B) Low Relative Humidity:
• Low relative humidity leads to high
evapotranspiration losses, causing moisture stress
when moisture is limited.
C) 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
D) 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.
E) 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.
Q - Write note on importance of Dry Farming in Indian Agriculture ?
A - Dry farming, also known as rainfed agriculture, is crucial for Indian agriculture due to several factors. Here's an overview of its importance:
1. **Large Rainfed Area**: A significant portion of India's agricultural land, about 60-70%, is under rainfed conditions. This vast area highlights the importance of dry farming in contributing to the overall agricultural output of the country.
2. **Crop Diversity**: Dry farming supports a variety of crops including millets, pulses, oilseeds, and certain fruits and vegetables that are well-suited to low and variable rainfall conditions. This diversity is important for food security and dietary diversity.
3. **Food Security**: Rainfed agriculture contributes substantially to India's food grain production, especially in regions where irrigation infrastructure is limited. Ensuring productivity in these areas is critical for national food security.
4. **Livelihoods**: A large proportion of small and marginal farmers depend on rainfed agriculture for their livelihoods. Improvements in dry farming techniques can directly enhance the income and living standards of millions of farmers.
5. **Climate Resilience**: Dry farming practices often include traditional knowledge and resilient crop varieties that are well adapted to local climates. Enhancing these practices can improve the resilience of farming systems to climate variability and change.
6. **Resource Efficiency**: Rainfed agriculture promotes the efficient use of natural resources, particularly water. This is especially important in regions where water is scarce and helps in maintaining the ecological balance.
7. **Environmental Sustainability**: Dry farming systems typically involve practices that maintain soil health and reduce erosion, such as crop rotation, cover cropping, and minimal tillage. These practices contribute to the long-term sustainability of the land.
8. **Reducing Pressure on Irrigated Systems**: By improving the productivity of rainfed areas, the pressure on irrigated systems can be reduced, leading to more sustainable water use across the agricultural sector.
9. **Policy and Research Focus**: Recognizing the importance of dry farming, research institutions like CRIDA and various government policies are increasingly focusing on enhancing rainfed agriculture through improved technologies, better crop varieties, and sustainable farming practices.
10. **Economic Stability**: Improved dry farming can stabilize rural economies by ensuring consistent agricultural outputs despite variable rainfall. This stability is essential for the overall economic health of agrarian communities.
Q - What are the characteristics of Dryland soils ?
A - Poor Quality: Rainfed soils are generally of poor quality, characterized by low fertility, high erodibility,
fragility, and shallowness. They are susceptible to physical degradation.
• Weak Buffering and Resilience: These soils have limited capacity to buffer and recover from
disturbances. They are vulnerable to changes in environmental conditions.
• Salts and Acids: Arid and semi-arid areas have excess salts, leading to saline-alkali soils, while sub-
humid and humid areas suffer from acid soils. These conditions affect soil health and nutrient
availability.
• Micronutrient and Ameliorant Deficiencies: Rainfed soils often lack essential micronutrients and may
require periodic supplementation. Examples: Lime is commonly needed to address soil acidity.
• Coarse Textured and Highly Degraded: Rainfed soils are mostly coarse-textured, which reduces their
water-holding capacity. They are highly degraded, with multiple nutrient deficiencies, making them
unsuitable for intensive cropping.
Q- Explain soil related constraints in Dryland Agriculture ?
A - 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.
