干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Vast potential of rain-fed Semi-Arid Tropics (SAT) in terms of increased productivity can substantially contribute to bridge the existing yield gaps between the farmers’ yield and the achievable yield for different crops. Small sustainable increase in rainfed areas will help provide a degree of desired stability in the overall agricultural productivity of the country as nearly 60% of the agricultural land area is rainfed. The rainfed areas play a major role in providing the supply of pulses, oilseeds and nutricious cereals to the population. This paper describes the results of recent on-farm research in the SAT rainfed areas that has the capacity to realize the potential of agricultural productivity in the SAT India In this approach, community watershed management is used as an entry point to implement soil and water conservation practices in concert with integrated nutrient management strategy to surmount the twin major constraints-water shortage and low soil fertility along with improved cultivars, institutional mechanisms and enabling policies to alleviate poverty and achieve inclusive growth in dryland areas. A number of case studies are presented to demonstrate that an integrated watershed management approach indeed can help provide food security by sustainably enhancing agricultural productivity in the SAT rainfed areas.