IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v97y2010i1p23-30.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Estimating the potential of rainfed agriculture in India: Prospects for water productivity improvements

Author

Listed:
  • Sharma, Bharat R.
  • Rao, K.V.
  • Vittal, K.P.R.
  • Ramakrishna, Y.S.
  • Amarasinghe, U.

Abstract

A detailed district and agro-ecoregional level study comprising the 604 districts of India was undertaken to (i) identify dominant rainfed districts for major rainfed crops, (ii) make a crop-specific assessment of the surplus runoff water available for water harvesting and the irrigable area, (iii) estimate the efficiency of regional rain water use and incremental production due to supplementary irrigation for different crops, and (iv) conduct a preliminary economic analysis of water harvesting/supplemental irrigation to realize the potential of rainfed agriculture. A climatic water balance analysis of 225 dominant rainfed districts provided information on the possible surplus runoff during the year and the cropping season. On a potential (excluding very arid and wet areas) rainfed cropped area of 28.5millionha, a surplus rainfall of 114billionm3 (Bm3) was available for harvesting. A part of this amount of water is adequate to provide one turn of supplementary irrigation of 100mm depth to 20.65Mha during drought years and 25.08Mha during normal years. Water used in supplemental irrigation had the highest marginal productivity and increase in rainfed production above 12% was achievable even under traditional practices. Under improved management, an average increase of 50% in total production can be achieved with a single supplemental irrigation. Water harvesting and supplemental irrigation are economically viable at the national level. Net benefits improved by about threefold for rice, fourfold for pulses and sixfold for oilseeds. Droughts have very mild impacts on productivity when farmers are equipped with supplemental irrigation.

Suggested Citation

  • Sharma, Bharat R. & Rao, K.V. & Vittal, K.P.R. & Ramakrishna, Y.S. & Amarasinghe, U., 2010. "Estimating the potential of rainfed agriculture in India: Prospects for water productivity improvements," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 23-30, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:97:y:2010:i:1:p:23-30
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378-3774(09)00232-7
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kerr, John M., 1996. "Sustainable development of rainfed agriculture in India:," EPTD discussion papers 20, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Amarasinghe, Upali A. & McCornick, Peter G. & Shah, Tushaar, 2009. "India\u2019s water demand scenarios to 2025 and 2050: a fresh look," IWMI Books, Reports H042033, International Water Management Institute.
    3. Wani, S. P. & Pathak, P. & Sreedevi, T. K. & Singh, H. P. & Singh, P., 2003. "Efficient management of rainwater for increased crop productivity and groundwater recharge in Asia," IWMI Books, Reports H032643, International Water Management Institute.
    4. Rosegrant, Mark W. & Cai, Ximing & Cline, Sarah A. & Nakagawa, Naoko, 2002. "The role of rainfed agriculture in the future of global food production," EPTD discussion papers 90, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. Pathak, P. & Sahrawat, K. L. & Wani, S. P. & Sachan, R. C. & Sudi, R., 2009. "Opportunities for water harvesting and supplemental irrigation for improving rainfed agriculture in semi-arid areas," IWMI Books, Reports H042000, International Water Management Institute.
    6. Amarasinghe, Upali A. & Shah, Tushaar & Malik, R. P. S., 2009. "Strategic Analyses of the National River Linking Project (NRLP) of India, Series 1. India\u2019s water future: scenarios and issues," IWMI Books, Reports H042029, International Water Management Institute.
    7. Joshi, P. K. & Jha, A. K. & Wani, S. P. & Joshi, L. & Shiyani, R. L., 2005. "Meta-analysis to assess impact of watershed program and people’s participation," IWMI Research Reports H037467, International Water Management Institute.
    8. Kijne, J. W. & Barker, R. & Molden. D., 2003. "Water productivity in agriculture: limits and opportunities for improvement," IWMI Books, Reports H032631, International Water Management Institute.
    9. Wani, S. P. & Rockstrom, J. & Oweis, T., 2009. "Rainfed agriculture: unlocking the potential," IWMI Books, Reports H042126, International Water Management Institute.
    10. Amarasinghe, Upali A. & McCornick, Peter G. & Shah, Tushaar, 2009. "India’s water demand scenarios to 2025 and 2050: a fresh look," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
    11. Wani, S. P. & Rockstrom, J. & Oweis, T., 2009. "Rainfed agriculture: unlocking the potential," IWMI Books, Reports H041989, International Water Management Institute.
    12. Kijne, Jacob W. & Barker, Randolph & Molden, David J. (ed.), 2003. "Water productivity in agriculture: limits and opportunities for improvement," IWMI Books, International Water Management Institute, number 138054.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wakchaure, G.C. & Minhas, P.S. & Ratnakumar, P. & Choudhary, R.L., 2016. "Optimising supplemental irrigation for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and the impact of plant bio-regulators in a semi-arid region of Deccan Plateau in India," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 9-17.
    2. Facon, T. & Mukherji, Aditi, 2010. "Small-scale irrigation: is this the future?," Conference Papers h043372, International Water Management Institute.
    3. Kun Cheng & Qiang Fu & Tianxiao Li & Qiuxiang Jiang & Wei Liu, 2015. "Regional food security risk assessment under the coordinated development of water resources," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 78(1), pages 603-619, August.
    4. Saudamini Das, "undated". "Evaluating the Role of Media in Averting Heat Stroke Mortality: A Daily Panel Data Analysis," Working papers 102, The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics.
    5. Birthal, P.S. & Negi, Digvijay S. & Kumar, Shiv & Aggarwal, Shaily & Suresh, A. & Khan, Md. Tajuddin, 2014. "How Sensitive is Indian Agriculture to Climate Change?," Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, vol. 69(4), pages 1-14.
    6. Planning Commission, 2015. "Report of the XII Plan Working Group on Natural Resource Management and Rainfed Farming," Working Papers id:6831, eSocialSciences.
    7. Jin Kathrine Fosli & A. Amarender Reddy & Radhika Rani, 2021. "The Policy of Free Electricity to Agriculture Sector: Implications and Perspectives of the Stakeholders in India," Journal of Development Policy and Practice, , vol. 6(2), pages 252-269, July.
    8. Sharma, Bharat & Molden, D. & Cook, Simon, 2015. "Water use efficiency in agriculture: measurement, current situation and trends," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
    9. Kishore, A & Pala, BD & Joshia, K & Aggarwal, PK, 2018. "Unfolding government policies towards the development of climate smart agriculture in India," Agricultural Economics Research Review, Agricultural Economics Research Association (India), vol. 31(2).
    10. Upali A. Amarasinghe & R.P. S. Malik & Bharat R. Sharma, 2010. "Overcoming growing water scarcity: Exploring potential improvements in water productivity in India," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 34(3), pages 188-199, August.
    11. Datta, Nirupam, 2015. "Evaluating Impacts of Watershed Development Program on Agricultural Productivity, Income, and Livelihood in Bhalki Watershed of Bardhaman District, West Bengal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 443-456.
    12. Birthal, Pratap S., 2013. "Application of Frontier Technologies for Agricultural Development," Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, vol. 68(1), pages 1-19.
    13. Mandal, Uttam Kumar & Burman, D. & Bhardwaj, A.K. & Nayak, Dibyendu Bikas & Samui, Arpan & Mullick, Sourav & Mahanta, K.K. & Lama, T.D. & Maji, B. & Mandal, Subhasis & Raut, S. & Sarangi, S.K., 2019. "Waterlogging and coastal salinity management through land shaping and cropping intensification in climatically vulnerable Indian Sundarbans," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 12-26.
    14. Luo, Wanqi & Chen, Mengting & Kang, Yinhong & Li, Wenping & Li, Dan & Cui, Yuanlai & Khan, Shahbaz & Luo, Yufeng, 2022. "Analysis of crop water requirements and irrigation demands for rice: Implications for increasing effective rainfall," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    15. Mahmood, A. & Oweis, T. & Ashraf, M. & Majid, A. & Aftab, M. & Aadal, N.K. & Ahmad, I., 2015. "Performance of improved practices in farmers’ fields under rainfed and supplemental irrigation systems in a semi-arid area of Pakistan," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 1-10.
    16. Sharma, Bharat & Molden, D. & Cook, Simon, 2015. "Water use efficiency in agriculture: measurement, current situation and trends," IWMI Books, Reports H046807, International Water Management Institute.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. K. H. Anantha & Suhas P. Wani, 2016. "Evaluation of cropping activities in the Adarsha watershed project, southern India," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(5), pages 885-897, October.
    2. Giordano, Meredith & Turral, H. & Scheierling, S. M. & Treguer, D. O. & McCornick, Peter G, 2017. "Beyond “More Crop per Drop”: evolving thinking on agricultural water productivity," IWMI Research Reports 257962, International Water Management Institute.
    3. Kumari, R. & Sharma, B. & Kushwah, A. & Singh, R. & Singh, R.M. & Tewari, R.K. & Dhyani, S.K., 2014. "Construction of Rainwater Harvesting Structures and Economics of Crops in Parasai-Chhatpur Watershed in Bundelkhand Region of Central India," Agricultural Economics Research Review, Agricultural Economics Research Association (India), vol. 27(2).
    4. World Bank, 2012. "Uganda : Country Environmental Analysis," World Bank Publications - Reports 12407, The World Bank Group.
    5. Sharma, Bharat R. & Rao, K. V. & Vittal, K. P. R. & Amarasinghe, Upali A., 2008. "Converting rain into grain: opportunities for realizing the potential of rain-fed agriculture in India," Conference Papers h041806, International Water Management Institute.
    6. Descheemaeker, K. & Bunting, S. W. & Bindraban, P. & Muthuri, C. & Molden, D. & Beveridge, M. & van Brakel, Martin & Herrero, M. & Clement, Floriane & Boelee, Eline & Jarvis, D. I., 2013. "Increasing water productivity in Agriculture," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
    7. Rockström, Johan & Karlberg, Louise & Wani, Suhas P. & Barron, Jennie & Hatibu, Nuhu & Oweis, Theib & Bruggeman, Adriana & Farahani, Jalali & Qiang, Zhu, 2010. "Managing water in rainfed agriculture--The need for a paradigm shift," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(4), pages 543-550, April.
    8. Sharma, Bharat R. & Rao, K. V. & Vittal, K. P. R., 2009. "Converting rain into grain: opportunities for realizing the potential of rain-fed agriculture in India," IWMI Books, Reports H042038, International Water Management Institute.
    9. Cai, Xueliang & Sharma, Bharat R. & Matin, Mir Abdul & Sharma, Devesh & Gunasinghe, Sarath, 2010. "An assessment of crop water productivity in the Indus and Ganges River Basins: current status and scope for improvement," IWMI Research Reports 112970, International Water Management Institute.
    10. Oker, Tobias E. & Kisekka, Isaya & Sheshukov, Aleksey Y. & Aguilar, Jonathan & Rogers, Danny H., 2018. "Evaluation of maize production under mobile drip irrigation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 11-21.
    11. Getnet, Kindie & MacAlister, Charlotte, 2012. "Integrated innovations and recommendation domains: Paradigm for developing, scaling-out, and targeting rainwater management innovations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 34-41.
    12. Prathapar, S. & Dhar, S. & Rao, G. Tamma & Maheshwari, B., 2015. "Performance and impacts of managed aquifer recharge interventions for agricultural water security: A framework for evaluation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 165-175.
    13. Pathak, P. & Sudi, R. & Wani, S.P. & Sahrawat, K.L., 2013. "Hydrological behavior of Alfisols and Vertisols in the semi-arid zone: Implications for soil and water management," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 12-21.
    14. Lauren Gies & Datu Agusdinata & Venkatesh Merwade, 2014. "Drought adaptation policy development and assessment in East Africa using hydrologic and system dynamics modeling," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 74(2), pages 789-813, November.
    15. Ratnakar Dhakate & V. Rao & B. Raju & J. Mahesh & S. Rao & S. Sankaran, 2013. "Integrated Approach for Identifying Suitable Sites for Rainwater Harvesting Structures for Groundwater Augmentation in Basaltic Terrain," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(5), pages 1279-1299, March.
    16. Pathak, P. & Sahrawat, K. L. & Wani, S. P. & Sachan, R. C. & Sudi, R., 2009. "Opportunities for water harvesting and supplemental irrigation for improving rainfed agriculture in semi-arid areas," IWMI Books, Reports H042000, International Water Management Institute.
    17. Getnet, Kindie & Pfeifer, Catherine & MacAlister, Charlotte, 2014. "Economic incentives and natural resource management among small-scale farmers: Addressing the missing link," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 1-7.
    18. Ranjan Bhattacharyya & Birendra Nath Ghosh & Pradeep Dogra & Prasanta Kumar Mishra & Priyabrata Santra & Suresh Kumar & Michael Augustine Fullen & Uttam Kumar Mandal & Kokkuvayil Sankaranarayanan Anil, 2016. "Soil Conservation Issues in India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-37, June.
    19. Singh, Anil Kumar & Singh, K.M. & Bhatt, B.P., 2014. "Efficient water management: way forward to climate smart grain legumes production," MPRA Paper 59316, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 23 Sep 2014.
    20. Bouma, Jetske A. & Biggs, Trent W. & Bouwer, Laurens M., 2011. "The downstream externalities of harvesting rainwater in semi-arid watersheds: An Indian case study," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(7), pages 1162-1170, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:97:y:2010:i:1:p:23-30. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.