Innovations in Dryland Agriculture

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fertility through the build-up of organic matter and nutrients in the soil. Studies have
found that multiple-use species such as bamboo (Bambusa nutans Wall.ex Munro)
have the potential to help bind soil nutrients during the restoration of abandoned
shifting agricultural lands (jhum fallows) in northeastern India (Arunachalam and
Arunachalam 2002 ). Shelterbelts or windbreaks with Eucalyptus spp. in farm bunds
or the borders of farm land can save crops from the desiccating effects of the wind
in dry and sandy areas of dryland Mastung of Balochistan (Mohammad and
Ehrenreich 1993 ). Planting shelter belts and windbreaks can enhance agricultural
crop yields in these areas (Mohammad and Ehrenreich 1993 ). In this area, Rehman
( 1978 ) reported increased wheat yields of 8, 15 and 14 % with one row of French
Tamarisk (Tamarix gallica L.), two rows of French Tamarisk + Giant Reed (Arundo
donax L.) and three row shelterbelt of French Tamarisk + Giant Reed + Phog
(Colligonum polygonoides L.), respectively. Soil moisture in this study in the
0–150 mm layer in the plots protected by the belts was consistently 26 % higher
than in the unprotected plots.
Perennial grass components, besides imparting stability to farming systems in
dryland areas, also act as vegetative filter strips to prevent wind and water erosion.
Some important tree species which are compatible with the grass component for
silvi-pasture are siris (Albizia lebbeck L. Benth.), desert teak (Tecomella undulate
L.), mopane (Colophospermum mopane J. Kirk ex Benth. J. Leonard), gum Arabic
tree (Acacia senegal L. Willd), umbrella thorn (Acacia tortilis Forssk.), jujube
(Zizyphus nummularia Burm. F. Wight & Arn.) and wild jujube (Zizyphus rotundi-
folia Mill.). Of the pasture legumes, blue pea (Clitorea ternatea L.) and Indian bean
(Lablab purpureus L.) are compatibile with sewan grass (Lasiurus sindicus Henr.)
and buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris Linn.) (Samra 2004 ). Promising multipurpose
trees, fruits, crops and grasses for various agroforestry systems in dryland areas of
arid and semiarid regions in India are summarized in Table 5.

Table 4 Farming systems providing higher economic returns in different rainfed regions of India

State

Farm size

Marginal Small Medium Large

Andhra

Pradesh

Maize–paddy–

caprine (Rs.

14,334)

Castor–maize–

bovine (Rs.

18,625)

Castor–paddy–

bovine (Rs.

28,581)

Maize–paddy–

pulses (Rs. 18,886)

Karnataka Pulses–bovine

(Rs. 13,180)

Bajra–pulses–

groundnut–

bovine (Rs.

17,690)

Sorghum–pulses–

sugarcane–

bovine (Rs.

16,280)

Pulses–banana

(Musa spp. L.)–

sugarcane–bovine

(Rs. 1,74,105)

Tamil Nadu Paddy–

sorghum–onion

(Allium cepa

L.)–bovine–

poultry (Rs.

30,082)

Groundnut–

sesame–onion–

bovine–caprine

(Rs. 19,490)

Paddy–sesame–

vegetables–

bovine–caprine

(Rs. 23,500)

Paddy–sesame–

groundnut–bovine–

caprine (Rs.

29,058)

Source: Adapted from Desai et al. ( 2009 )

C. Srinivasa Rao et al.