Farming in India has its own share of challenges and pitfalls and the modern techniques employed by farmers to cultivate modern productive croppers are more advanced, economical and mechanized than ever before. Modern day farming is an art of tillage, horticultural management, plant propagation, crop rotation, fertilization, irrigation, mechanical harvesting, etc., employing technologies such as irrigation, aeration, chemical fertilizer, mechanical sorting, spray drift control, mechanical cutting, seed dressing, etc. Farming in India has its own share of advantages and disadvantages due to differences in climatic conditions, soil types, cropping patterns, harvesting times, climate, pests, fertilizing requirements, etc. A brief discussion is below under which the major Indian agriculture related issues are discussed:
Crops grown in India are diverse and rich in variety and yield a large quantity of crops. India is a principal producer of beans, lentils, spinach, radishes, cucumber, tomato, potatoes, and a variety of grasses. Irrigation and mechanical harvesting help in ensuring that the entire area reaches the intended harvest. Different cropping patterns, soil type and developmental objectives determine the size of the areas of operation and the yield per area on a typical area basis.
Harvesting of cereals and pulses, horticulture, and production of vegetables, fruits, nuts and oil is highly dependent on irrigation facilities. Drought-tolerant or flood-tolerant arable production is more widespread in India than in any other country in the world. Perennial cropping patterns and irrigation techniques such as pull-tiller, rotavator, suction-driven irrigation systems, and hydro-spray systems have helped to improve the arable production in India. In addition, technological advances such as integrated cropping system, yield tracking and nursery selection with consequent management strategies have had significant impact on the management of cropping patterns.
Irrigation for crop production is very important for India’s agriculture. The major irrigation projects in India are the reservoirs, which are used for both domestic and commercial purposes. Some of the major reservoirs in India are Karanj (Kutch), Kodaikanal, Mula (Sindhavanj), Pushpapura (Upalayani), Teesta (Konarka), Thrikakara (Thalappahari), and Karalee (Nardostachys). These reservoirs are mainly used for irrigation, drinking water, cooling of air, and for agricultural use.
agriculture has been greatly benefited by improved drainage facilities. Improved irrigation reduces labour input, improves productivity and facilitates mass movement. Improved agricultural production has also meant increased food consumption per family, as well as a shift from rural to urban areas. Urban families have access to improved irrigation facilities through improved public transport services.
Irrigation is mainly for cropping and yields. It facilitates surface drainage during droughts and improves root growth for the same reason. During the period of bumper production, when crops are not produced in small spaces, irrigation facilitates the extraction of surplus food from arable lands by encouraging the development of cropping systems. Bumper cropping systems focus on a small area intensive yield, which is capable of providing a reasonable level of income for the farmer.
Agriculture has become an important element in the economic development of India. Increased irrigation has helped to improve agricultural production. It is expected that improved irrigation will help India achieve its objectives for economic and social progress in the long run.
Cropping systems are developed for yield production; often with the assistance of irrigation. Areas suitable for cropping vary across the country. Some areas may be too wet or too dry for cropping at some points. So cropping decisions are made on the basis of weather conditions. For example, cropping at the southern tip of the country where it is hot and dry may be good for the production of black seeds, while an area with a cold climate and moist soil suitable for intensive cropping may be better suited to tea production. Irrigation has played a major role in agricultural development in India and plays an increasingly important part in future prospects.