Farming Systems in Rainfed Areas of Karnataka

Abstract

Rainfed Agro-Ecosystem (AES) occupies an important place in Indian Agriculture, covering 68 per cent of the cultivated area (96 m ha) supporting 40 per cent human and 60 per cent livestock population and producing 44 per cent of the food requirements, thus playing a critical role in India's food security. The human population in this system is likely to reach 600 million by 2025 from the present 500 million. The area under rainfed Agro-ecosystem may decrease to 85 million ha by 2025 AD. The population in our country below poverty line (BPL) is about 44 per cent and dominates rainfed based production system. The average size of farm holding has declined over time and more than 85 million out of 105 million operational holdings are less than 1 ha and pose a serious threat to food security (Mahapatra and Bapat, 1992). It is estimated that 1.2 million people worldwide live in poverty and 79 million are suffering from malnutrition and depend on crop based activity from a significantly reduced rainfed cultivated area. The overall crop productivity has to be enhanced from the present 0.82 to 2.0 t/ha by 2025 to meet the basic needs of the growing population. However, the productivity of lands continues to be low and unstable due to aberrant behavior of monsoon, frequent droughts, resource poor farmers, low investments, eroded and degraded soils with low water holding capacity and multiple nutrient deficiencies, declining ground water table etc., (Singh et al., 2002)