Prof. R D Gupta
Rain-fed farming possesses a distinct place in Indian agriculture, occupying 67 to 72 percent of the cultivated area (143 or 147 million hectare), contributing 43-44 percent of food grains to our National food basket, supporting 40 percent of human and 65 percent of live stock population. Almost entire course grains and 75 percent of oil seeds and pulses and two thirds of rice and one third of wheat are procured from dry land agriculture. Indian agriculture is, thus, by and large rain-fed. But the yield of the crops is low as compared to irrigated agriculture. It is because, rain fed farming of India is characterized by poor resource of the farmers, poor infrastructure and low investment in technology inputs. Even when full irrigation potential of the country is utilized 50 per cent of the net sown area would be continued to be rain fed. The important problems encountered in rain fed areas are unfavourable weather, limited choice of crops, low cropping intensity and low productivity.
Quite akin to the aforesaid system of farming, the agriculture of semi and sub humid ecosystems of sub mountainous areas of Siwaliks of Jammu, locally known as Kandi belt, is thought of subsistence type. It suffers from scanty and distributed rainfall of erosive nature which frequently causes partial or complete failure of crops. The main Kharif crops grown in the area are maize and pearlmillete since long, and wheat and parley of the Rabi season. Among the various pulses grown during summer season is moong (Phaslolus mungo) and during Kharif season are mash (Phaseaoiusradiatea) and moth (phaseolus aconitifolius) Gram (Eicer arietinum) is the main Rabi season pulse. Sesarne is the main oil seed crop grown during Kharif season and lined during Rabi. Hitherto all these pulses and oil seed crops were grown vigorously. All the aforesaid, crops used to provide very good yields previously. It is attributed to good soil fertility and atmospheric conditions owing to the presence of thick forest in the area. But these days due to erratic rainfall during monsoon erodibility of soils and low amount of organic mater and other plant nutrients in them accompanied with low consumption of plant nutrients, are the main reasons responsible for low agricultural productivity. Average yields of wheat and maize are now 8-10 and 10-12 quintals ha ¹. Thus, growing of crops by the farmers of Kandi belt of Jammu is not only risky but also pays very less and some times even the investment of inputs can not be met with. It is because most of the soils of Kandi belt are shallow in depth (less than 1m profile depth) and about 50 percent of them are characterized by the presence of pebbles and gravels (Gupta, 2009). Kandi belt of whole of the Jammu region is infact seriously exploited of its precious natural resources, especially illicit cutting of the forests and overgrazing of the pastures. This has not only resulted in destruction of wild life habitat which but has also made lot of water erosion in many soils of its area. The top soil is very essential for plant growth has already been washed away from a number of sites, decreasing thereby, the productivity of these soils. There is also a lot of scarcity of drinking water. Thus, the soils of Kandi belt of Jammu are not only hungry but also thirsty. Hunger of soils can be partly compensated by growing of pulses as they being leguminous in nature can fix atmospheric nitrogen. Moreover they will add organic matter also after de composition of legume plants residues and increase the fertility of the soils and their water holding capacity.
Inspite of so many limitations for agriculture productivity in the Kandi belt of Jammu as stand mentioned above, the area has lot of potential for a number of alternative options to grow some other crops not only for consumption of rural people but also for commercial purposes. These alternative options are as follows:
Growing of local fruits:
Owing to the ustic and udic moisture regimes, the Kandi area of Jammu is suitable for growing of a number of local fruit trees. They mainly consist of (Zizypus jujube, Zizyphus mauriti ana), jaman (Eugenia jambolana), mango (Mengifera indica), phalsa (grewia asiat ica), guava (Psidium guajawa) lemon (citrus autrantifolia), shatoot (Morus alba), amla (Phylanthus emblica) girna (carisa spinarum), Karonda (carrisa Carandus), loquat (Eryobotria Japonica) lemon or lime (citrus aurantifolia).
It is mentioned that Kandi belt was famous for growing of the aforesaid fruits, especially mango, jaman, shatoot, amla and phasla before 1947 and upto early 1960, when many rural women used to sell the girna, jaman, ber, shatoot in wooden baskets. They were usually seen to sit near the schools for selling these fruits. A cluster of school boys and girls used to purchase these fruits during recess. Not only this, a number of men in their hawks were seen to sell the phalsa by saying,”Aagia Phalsa wala; Garmi Guanda Ae Phalsa, Thand Panda Ae Phalsa”. With the concerted efforted of major General Goverdhan Jamwal (Retd.) many villages of kandi belt of Jammu are again growing local fruits including phalas through implementation of the “Watershed Management Project at bari-adhori, first of its kind sanctioned by the council for Advancement of People’s Actionand Rural Technology (CAPART), Government of India (Jamwal and Gupta, 2007). Apart from this, medicinal plants comprising of Harar (Terminalia chebula), bahera aonla (Phyllanthus India), bil or bilva (Aegle marmelos), arjun (Terminalia chebula), bahera aonla (Phyllanthus Indica), bil or bilva (Aegle marmelos), arjun (Terminalia arjuna), quargandal (Aloe barbadensis) and ashwagandha (with ania somnifera) were also grown under the aforesaid project.
Selection of plants for the orchards:
It is important that the farmers select the plants themselves so that they do not have any regrets later (Jamwal, 2007), if the plants are not good. However, Horticulture Department should also ensure on their part that farmers / Orchardists continue to get good fruit trees and other plants so that the orchards in Jammu region are the best. A prior reservation is the possible answer to this problem whereby the farmer makes the request well in advance, of the Department.
(The author is Ex-Associate Dean Cum Chief Scientist KVK, SKUAST, Jammu.)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
