Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
high-value food commodities, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat,
eggs and fish is increasing because of growing income and urbanization.
Diversification from rice-wheat towards high-value commodities will
increase income and result in reduced water and fertilizer use. However,
there is a need to quantify the impacts of crop diversification on in-
come, employment, soil health, and water use and greenhouse gas emis-
sions. A significant limitation of diversification is that it is costly in terms
of the income opportunities that farmers forego, i.e., switching of crop
can be expensive, making crop diversification typically less profitable than
specialization. Moreover, traditions can often be difficult to overcome
and will dictate local practices.
8.3.10.3 CHANGES IN LAND-USE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Adjusting the cropping sequence, including changing the timing of sow-
ing, planting, spraying, and harvesting, to take advantage of the chang-
ing duration of growing seasons and associated heat and moisture levels is
another option. Altering the time at which fields are sowed or planted can
also help farmers regulate the length of the growing season to better suit
the changed environment. Farmer adaptation can also involve changing the
timing of irrigation or use of other inputs such as fertilizers.
8.3.10.4 ADJUSTING CROPPING SEASON
Cropping systems may have to be changed to include growing of suitable
cultivars (to counteract compression of crop development), increasing
crop intensities (i.e., the number of successive crop produced per unit area
per year) or planting different types of crops. Farmers will have to adapt to
changing hydrological regimes by changing crops.
8.3.10.5 EFFICIENT USE OF RESOURCES
The resource-conserving technologies (RCTs) encompass practices that
enhance resource- or input-use efficiency and provide immediate,
identifiable and demonstrable economic benefits such as reduction in
