By Aditya Abhishek
Dryland Farming or Dry Farming is a method of farming by growing draught tolerant crops & practicing water conservation in semi-arid areas where irrigation is scarce.
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According to Hedge, cultivation of crops where annual rainfall is less than 500 mm is dryland farming.
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But Widstoe said that dryland farming could also include areas that receive 750 mm rainfall annually if distribution of rainfall is irregular.
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Common grain crops cultivated in dryland farming are wheat, millet, corn, rye, Napier grass, etc.
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Fruits & Vegetable crops such as grapes, pumpkins, beans, and tomatoes could also be cultivated under dryland farming.
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1. Uncertain, ill-distributed and limited annual rainfall; 2. Occurrence of extensive climatic hazards like drought, flood etc; 3. Undulating soil surface, 4. Practice of extensive agriculture i.e. prevalence of mono cropping etc; 5. Relatively large size of fields;
Strip cropping, mulching, crop rotation, bunding, terracing, contour cultivation, grasses and trees plantation are practiced to conserve soil & water.
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Partial Root Zone irrigation, drip, and sprinkler irrigation methods help to increase Water Use Efficiency in dryland areas.
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