Dry farming is cultivation of crops in regions with annual rainfall less than 750 mm that require moisture conservation practices. About 70% of rural populations live in dry farming areas and depend on crop success or failure for their livelihood. Currently, dryland crops produce as much food as irrigated crops but from 3 times the land area. New strategies must be developed to make dryland ecosystems more productive and sustainable. The history of dryland agriculture began with early civilizations in places with reliable water supplies. Systematic dryland cultivation began around 1850 in areas like the USA and India. Over time, research stations were established and packages of practices were developed for different regions to improve dryland agriculture techniques.

1. Significance and scope of dryfarming in
India and
History of dryland agriculture
Presented by
Sandra Joseph

2. Dry farming is cultivation of crops in regions with annual
rainfall less than 750 mm.
• Crop failure due to prolonged dry spells.
• Arid regions with a growing season less than 75 days.
• Moisture conservation practices are necessary.

3.  About 70% of rural population lives in dry farming areas and
their livelihood depend on success or failure of the crops.
 In future the additional food has to come mainly from the
drylands.
 At present, 3 ha of dryland crop produce cereal grain
equivalent to that produced in one ha irrigated crop.
 The challenges of the present millennium would be to
produce more from less of drylands while ensuring
conservation of existing resources.

4. • New strategies have to be evolved which would make the
fragile dryland ecosystems more productive as well as
sustainable.
• In order to achieve evergreen revolution, we shall have to
make grey areas (drylands) as green through latest
technological innovations.
• Dryland offers good scope fro development of Agroforestry,
Social forestry, Horti-Sylvi-pasture , etc which will not only
supply food, fuel to the village people and fodder to the cattle
but forms a suitable vegetative cover for ecological
maintenance.

5. “Intensive irrigated farming is an imperative for survival; but
improved dryland agriculture is essential for equity” – Dr.
Gautam, Former DG, ICAR

6. HISTORY OF DRYLAND AGRICULTURE

7. • As water is essential, human settlements started in places
where water supply was assured.
• Many ancient civilizations like Indus, Mesopotamia, Maya and
Inca were destroyed mainly because of water scarcity and
loss of soil fertility.
• Organised crop farming which we see today began much later
and the systematic cultivation under dryland situation started
around 1850.
• Improved technique of dryland first started in USA.
• Wheat used to be cultivated along Malad creek.
• By 1863, the water of that creek started saline. Under this
situation farmers desperately started cultivating this crop
without artificial application of water.

8. • In 1894, Colorado State University initiated experiments on
dry farming and established a sub station at Cheyyeni wells.
• Upto 1916, farmers paid little attention to water conservation.
But they experienced severe drought consecutively for
several years. This led them to think about proper moisture
conservation.
• A. K. Y. N Aiyer listed the important practices followed by
farmers of dryland in India.
• Between 1923 and 1943 some package of practices developed
from studies on crop production under dry situation.

9. • Depending on the province these packages were named as
– Bombay dry farming method
– Madras dry farming method
– Hyderabad dry farming method
– Punjab dry farming method
• 1923 Dryland Research Station at Manjri, Tamhane to Kanikar
1926
• 1933 RS at Bijapur and Solapur
• 1934 RS at Hagari and Raichur
• 1935 RS at Rohtak (Punjab)

10. • 1953 Establishing Central Soil Conservation Board
• 1955 Dry Farming demonstration Centres started
• 1970 23 Research Centres under AICRPDA
• 1972 Establishment of ICRISAT
• 1976 Establishment of Dryland Operational Research Projects
• 1983 Starting of 47 model watersheds under ICAR
• 1984 Initiation of World Bank assisted Watershed
Development Programmes in four states. Establishing Dryland
Development Board in Karnataka
• 1985 Birth of Central Research Institute for Dryland
Agriculture at Hyderabad

11. Reference:
Dryland Farming – Arupratan Gosh , P. K Jana
Technological innovation in Dryland Farming System – Sharma
Anilkumar
Crop Production – S. C. Panda