RA 00048.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

urgently to tackle t h e p r o b l e m s of rabi jowar. It
w o u l d be possible to do so only by strengthening
t h e organizations at t h e state level.
Consolidation of Land Holdings
It is possible to stabilize as w e l l as to increase the
yields of s o r g h u m only w h e n the structure of land
holdings in t h e country is improved. Due to
various historical reasons, holdings have been
divided, subdivided, and f r a g m e n t e d to such an
e x t e n t that it is practically impossible to adopt any
soil and w a t e r conservation m e a s u r e based on
contours. Contour cultivation is impossible w h e n
t h e holdings are narrow strips w h i c h run up and
d o w n t h e slope. W i t h such a land holding structure,
it is difficult to lay out t h e land for better soil
and w a t e r conservation or to construct farm
p o n d s for harvesting and storing w a t e r to be used
for s u p p l e m e n t a r y irrigation at critical stages.
N o n e of t h e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s pertaining to soil
and w a t e r conservation except contour bunding is
being practiced. Contour bunding is also taken up
by invoking the provisions under land improvem
e n t acts enacted by different states, but not by
individual farmers. It is s h o w n that contour bunding
is not effective e n o u g h unless other cultural
and manurial practices are adopted. It has also
been o b s e r v e d that for various reasons, structures
are not being maintained properly. The only
solution to this p r o b l e m appears to be to consolidate
t h e holdings in such a w a y that it w o u l d
facilitate adoption of the r e c o m m e n d e d soil and
w a t e r conservation measures. Unless t h e s e measures
are a d o p t e d to t h e m a x i m u m extent possible,
it is not going to be easy to increase
agricultural production in the rainfed areas b e y o n d
a certain limit. If nothing is d o n e in this regard as
early as possible, t h e chances of retaining t h e
existing t o p soil, w h i c h is the capital of t h e dry
land farmer, will further diminish. It is already late
e n o u g h and if the available chance is also lost, it
w o u l d be as g o o d as losing eternally all hopes of
d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e semi-arid tracts. It is therefore
necessary to f o r m u l a t e a policy w i t h regard to t h e
consolidation of holdings and i m p l e m e n t it in t h e
shortest possible t i m e .
Availability of Power and Implements
The p r o b l e m closely c o n n e c t e d w i t h land developm
e n t is that of p o w e r availability for farming in
rainfed areas. The land is required to be leveled
and laid out in a suitable manner to get full benefit
f r o m the w a t e r received through rain. The objective
has to be to store as m u c h rain w a t e r as
possible underground, in ponds and in t h e soil
profile. It is also necessary to carry out all t h e
cultural operations on time. The t i m e available for
these operations is very short. If the f e w available
chances are missed, the year is as g o o d as lost.
There may be only one chance in s o m e years.
S o w i n g also has to be c o m p l e t e d in a very short
period. This cannot be d o n e unless sufficient
p o w e r is available either in the f o r m of animals or
machines. Similarly, there will have to be suitable
i m p l e m e n t s for carrying out these operations
efficiently.
It may be of interest to note that it is mostly in
the semi-arid and s u b h u m i d tracts in India that
there are g o o d and varying types of i m p l e m e n t s
for carrying out cultural operations. O n e w o u l d
c o m e across different kinds of p l o w s , harrows,
drills, interculturing implements, land-leveling i m ­
plements, etc., showing that the farmers in t h e s e
tracts have realized the importance of g o o d
i m p l e m e n t s . W h a t is needed in the future, h o w e v ­
er, is to build up an organization for m a k i n g
available better machines and i m p l e m e n t s for land
d e v e l o p m e n t as well as for carrying on other field
operations. S o w i ng is a critical operation and t h e
t i m e available for it is very limited. It is for this
operation that m a x i m u m attention is required to
be paid. M o r e research and d e v e l o p m e n t efforts
are needed in this regard.
Policy decisions have to be taken at various
levels keeping in v i e w the need and scope for
building an infrastructure not only for carrying o u t
research on machines, i m p l e m e n t s and tools, but
also for making available, on a hire basis or on a
c u s t o m services basis, the machines and implem
e n t s required for leveling land and for carrying
out various agricultural operations so that t h e s e
operations may be c o m p l e t e d in time.
In summary, it is necessary to stress the n e e d
for a reexamination of the policies pursued up till
n o w insofar as s o rghum is concerned and to
modify and reorient t h e m in such a w a y that t h e y
w o u l d encourage production of millets and sorg
h u m thus improving t h e overall productivity as
w e l l as production of f o o d and animal products in
t h e country.
S e e d P r o d u c t i o n a n d S u p p l y
Every variety of a crop is e n d o w e d w i t h a certain
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