AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT IN THAR DESERT

Annual rainfall (mm)9008007006005004003002001000190119071913191919251931193719431949195519611967197319791985199119972003Y earLONG-TERM RAINFALL TREND IN ARID RAJASTHAN65Moderate Severe Very SevereFrequency (Years)432101901- 1911- 1921- 1931- 1941- 1951- 1961-1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970DECADE-WISE FLOOD YEARS IN ARID RAJASTHAN1971-19801981-19901991-20002001-2005LONG-TERM RAINFALL TREND+ 20 mm/ centuryFREQUENCY OF DROUGHT4-5 / decadeFREQUENCY OF FLOOD2-3 / decadeCAZRI, JODHPUR543210Moderate Severe Very Severe1901- 19 11- 19 2 1- 19 3 1- 19 4 1- 1951- 19 6 1- 19 7 1- 19 8 1- 1991- 2001-19 10 19 2 0 19 3 0 19 4 0 1950 1960 19 7 0 19 8 0 19 9 0 2000 2005DecadeDECADE-WISE DROUGHT YEARS IN ARID RAJASTHAN

Population (million )40302010Human Population in Arid Rajasthan01961 - 2001: +194%9.8037 km- 2 - 108 km- 213.4817.4422.5027.51[Projected]1971 1981 1991 2001 2010 202033.90[Projected]Livestock (million)1284YearLivestock Population in Arid Rajasthan1961 - 2003: +72%66 km- 2 - 113 km- 2GoatSheepCattle9.664.219.683.2710.9310.734.243.820BuffaloMajordroughteffects[Projected]195619611966197219771983198819921997200320102020Year

A Traditional Subsistence Farming System•Av. Holding 6-8 ha•7-8 members•10-12 animalsCropsTreesShrubsGrassesPearl milletMoth bean(Phaseolus aconitifolius)Mung bean(Vigna radiata)ClusterbeanSesameKhejri(P. cineraria)Rohida(T. undulata)Babool(A. nilotica)Kumat(A. senegal)Bordi(Z.nummularia)Kair(C. decidua)Jal(S. persica)Dhaman(C. ciliaris)Sewan(L. sindicus)Karad(D. annulatum)Gramna(P. antidotale)

SHIFT TO MODERN AGRICULTUREMajor inputMade possible throughWATERRURAL ELECTRIFICATIONFERTILIZERSEEDOTHER INFRASTRUCTURESRESEARCH INTERVENTIONSResults: Increased area under crops; intensive agriculture; higher foodproduction & productivityIrrigated area has increased in the country from ~22 m ha duringindependence to ~85 m ha now, increasing food production from 62million t to 210 million tIn Rajasthan irrigated area is now 4.5 m ha, and in western Rajasthan 1.7m ha (about 85% under well irrigation). Food production in the state is ~18million t, while in western Rajasthan it is 6.9 million tThus R&D efforts and infrastructural developments duringpost-independence era has given tremendous boost toagriculture

60LA ND USE IN W ESTERN RA JA STHA N50Per cent area4030201001956-57 1966-67 1976-77 1986-87 1996-97Net area sow nFallow and PastureCulturable w asteMAJOR LAND USE CHANGESNet Sown Area + 38%Gross Irrigated Area + 392%Fallow/CulturableWaste - 25%Cultivable Land/Household - 57%

Extent of DegradationSlight: 29%Moderate: 30%Severe: 15%Very severe:

CHANGE IN SAND REACTIVATION1/1973 to 1/2001INCREASED: 27.19% [782 sq.km]NO CHANGE: 40.23% [1157 sq.km]DECREASED: 32.58% [937 sq.km]]

ATMOSPHERIC DUST LOAD IN RELATION TO JUNE WIND SPEED,ANNUAL RAINFALL AND TRACTOR USE IN WESTERN RAJASTHANDEPARTURE FROM MEAN (%)80706050403020100-101980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004-20-30-40-50-60TRACTORS14535 44758 112175 193208Rainfall (%change) Dust Load (%change) Wind Speed (%change)KAR 2006; CAZRI, JODHPUR

YEAR : 1977WATERLOGGING INBAROPAL – MANAKTHERIAREAYEAR : 2000

GROUND WATER EXPLOITATION IN WESTERN RAJASTHAN20015010050Level of exploitation (%)020011991SikarPaliNagaurJodhpurJhunjhununJalorJaisalmerDISTRICTSHanumangarhGanganagarChuruBikanerBarmer

75.58%12.05%4.99%CENTRAL ARID ZONE RESEARCH INSTITUTEJodhpur 2005AffectedSlightly 30%Moderately 41%Severely 16%Very severely 5%0.82%

LIKELYCHANGES INANNUALRAINFALL INNORTHWESTINDIA BYYEAR 2071USING PRECIS RCMFOR A2 SCENARIOSOURCE:HADLEY CENTRE, UKBoundaries are approximateGIS OVERLAYS BY A. KARCAZRI, JODHPUR

LIKELYCHANGES INANNUALTEMPERATUREIN NORTHWESTINDIA BYYEAR 2071USING PRECIS RCMFOR A2 SCENARIOSOURCE:HADLEY CENTRE, UKBoundaries are approximateGIS OVERLAYS BY A. KARCAZRI, JODHPUR

HIGHLIGHTS OF MAJOR CHANGES EXPECTED• WESTERN INDIA TO EXPERIENCE 2-5°C HIGHER TEMPERATURE• WINTER TEMPERATURE & NIGHT TEMPERATURE TO INCREASE• MONSOON RAINFALL MAY DECLINE BY 10-30% IN NW OF DESERT• WINTER RAIN MAY GRADUALLY INCRESE BY 20-40% FROM THE PRESENT• NE FRINGE OF DESERT MAY EXPECT ~10% INCREASE IN RAINFALL• SW & S RAJASTHAN MAY GET 15-30% HIGHER MONSOON RAINS, BUTVERY HIGH INTENSITY RAIN AND LESSER RAINY DAYS EXPECTED• HIGHER INCIDENCE OF DROUGHT IN NW PART OF DESERT;HIGHER WINTER-SPRING WIND; MORE DUST STORMS LIKELYTHREE BROAD ZONES CAN BE DELINEATED IN ARID WESTERN INDIA:1. HOTTER & VERY DRY NW RAJASTHAN & ADJOINING PUNJAB2. WARMER & WETTER ARID GUJARAT & SOUTH RAJASTHAN3. HOTTER & SLIGHTLY WETTER EASTERN RAJASTHAN

FLOOD-GENERATING RAIN

BARMER FLOOD 200620-22 AUGUST; >350 mmSource area receivedsuch rain after 70 years

2071/2001122071/2001032071/2001052071/200108

---------- ARID REGION FACES DOUBLE VULNERABILITY TOCLIMATE CHANGE & HUMAN PRESSURE -----WATER, TEMPERATURE AND ATMOSPHERIC CO 2LEVEL ARE CRUCIALEVEN A 5% DIFFERENCE IN CLIMATE TO IMPACT CROP PRODUCTIONTECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED FOR CURRENT AGRO-CLIMATE INADEQUATETO MEET EMERGING DEMANDS FROM RAINFALL, TEMPERATUREIMBALANCE DURING GROWING PERIODSGROUNDWATER DEPLETION, REDUCED CANAL DISCHARGE AND MARKETFORCES PUTTING HIGHER STRESS ON AGRICULTURELIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEM ALWAYS BAILED OUT THE REGIONFROM DROUGHT, BUT NEVER RECEIVED SUPPORT TO BECOME ANIMPORTANT DRIVER OF ECONOMYNEEDED: MARKET-ORIENTED INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK FOR LIVESTOCK-BASED FARMING; BIOTECHNOLOGY-MEDIATED CONSERVATIONAGRICULTURE; WATER USE EFFICIENCY; PRODUCT PROCESSING; VALUECHAIN

WESTERN RAJASTHANAGRICULTURAL INCOME INAGRO-CLIMATIC ZONESCONCEPT OF ARID AGRICULTURETREESCROPSARABLEHORTICULTURALAGROFORESTRYINTEGRATEDFARMINGGRASSESHORTI- SYSTEM SILVO-PASTUREPASTURELIVESTOCK

Technology‣Protect from biotic interferences‣Create micro-wind breaks‣Plant suitable trees and grasses(adopted in >4 lakh ha)ProductionFuel wood: 30t/ha (after 10 yrs)Grass: 5-8 q/ha/yr (after 3 yrs)Benefit : Cost ratio 2.6Sand Dune StabilizationSAND DUNES MAY BECOMEMORE MOBILE DUE TODRYNESS AND HIGH WIND;PROACTIVE STABILIZATIONMEASURES NEEDED TOPROTECT FARM LANDS

CROP DIVERSIFICATIONMIXEDFARMINGPearl millet Legume Oilseeds Forage60% Traditional40%30% 15% 15%20%10% 10%Optimized Farming System for 7 ha areaAgri-Horti30% Agro-Forestry25%Silviculture 10%Agri-Pasture 15%

AN IMPROVED HORTI-PASTORAL SYSTEMHorti-PastoralBer (Ziziphus mauritiana): Gola, Seb, Umran+ Anjan Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris)YIELD POTENTIALDry Grass: 1.55 t/ha; Fuel wood: 2.64 t/ha; Leaf Fodder: 1.87 t/ha;Fruit : 2.77 t/ha

Fruit Production in Rajasthan: 33,500 Tonnes per yearRequirement: 617,000 tonnes/yearUSE OF MARGINAL LANDSCAN ENHANCE FRUIT PRODUCTION & DROUGHT PROOFING

Livestock-based Economy can be strengthened throughWasteland Development & an Integrated approachImproving Orans and other Grazing landsCan Increase Dry Fodder ProductionFrom 2-5 q/ha to 15-20 q/haGood grazing landFodder enrichmentCan Increase Carrying CapacityFrom 1-2 to 7-14 Sheep/Goat per haBoosting Dairy Industry and4-fold income throughvalue addition ofMilk, Meat and Other ProductsNeeds Better Infrastructure;Industry SupportMilk Cooperatives(managed by Women)

RESEARCH TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON ARID AGRICULTURE‣ Increased heat tolerance in high-value, temperature-sensitive crops‣ Higher water use efficiency of plants to withstand rainfall abnormalities‣ Optimized greenhouse technology with solar energy to utilize poorquality water on a smaller piece of land at reasonable cost‣ Better land use to build up soil nutrient; enough land for livestock rearing‣ Farming system approach for higher production from rainfed lands‣ Managing impacts of higher drought and flood frequencies; efficientrunoff harvest from short-lived, high intensity rain, especially for rabi crops‣ Increased green cover to minimize wind erosion and soil nutrient loss‣ New IPM to tackle increased pest infestation due to warmer winter‣ Efficient livestock-based industries for higher marketable products‣ Diversified cropping, utilizing wastelands, with horticulture, medicinal andother niche crops, and value addition to products for stable income‣ Research on other climate-sensitive sectors, including energy andforestry‣ Management strategies for pastoral families on migration, who will facenew challenges and resistance due to scramble for scarce resources

Dryland Development throughSustainable Land ManagementDrought Proofing,CombatingDesertificationNatural ResourcesConservationEnhancedProductivityEmploymentGenerationSLMAgri-BusinessMarketingSustainable livelihoodPoverty AlleviationEnvironmentalModerationIncomeGenerationSocio-economicUpliftment