Rainfed Agriculture

Contents: 1. Rainfed farming: introduction, characteristics, distribution and problems. Chapter2. Efficient management of rainfed crops, contingent crop planning for aberrant weather situations. 3. Management of rainfed crops; Choice of crops and varieties; Planting methods under low rainfall conditions. 4. Water harvesting and moisture conservation; Study of mulches and antitranspirants. 5. Principles of Intercropping; cropping systems/intercropping systems in rainfed agriculture; mulches and antitranspirants. 6. Concept of watershed resource management, problems, approach and components. 7. Drought and its management. 8. Land use capability classification, Scope of agro-horticultural, agro-forestry and silvi-pasture in dryland agriculture. 9. Tillage, tilth, frequency and depth of cultivation, compaction in soil tillage; concept of conservation tillage. 10. Soil erosion: Definition, nature and extent of erosion, types of erosion and factors affecting soil erosion. 11. Drainage considerations and agronomic management; rehabilitation of abandoned jhum lands and measures to prevent soil erosion. 12. Stress physiology: mitigating stress in dryland area. 13. Tools and implements used in dryland agriculture. 14. Collection of biometric data of rainfed crops and its interpretation. The chapters of the book have been selected and arranged in such a manner as to lead the students through the entire gamut of rainfed agriculture supported by suitable examples and diagrams. The topics covered are most relevant in view of growing interests in rainfed agriculture technologies. The focus is on new concept and approaches in dryland and rainfed lands; rainfed farming-introduction, characteristics, distribution and problems; efficient management of rainfed crops; water harvesting and moisture conservation; study of mulches and antitranspirants; principles of intercropping; concept of watershed resource management; drought and its management; soil erosion-definition, nature and extent of erosion; stress physiology; scope of agro-horticultural, agro-forestry and silvi-pasture in dryland agriculture etc.…