MORE CROP PER DROP OF RAIN WATER IN ANATAPURAMU DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH: AF ECOLOGY CENTRE EXPERIENCE

T. YELLAMANDA REDDY¹, B. SAHADEVA REDDY²*, Y.V. MALLA REDDY^3
1Accion Fraterna (AF) Ecology Centre, Upparipalli Road, Anatapuramu, 515 002, Andhra Pradesh, India
²Professor (Agronomy), Agricultural College, Rajamahendravaram, 533103, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Lam, Guntur, 522034, Andhra Pradesh, India
³Accion Fraterna (AF) Ecology Centre, Upparipalli Road, Anatapuramu, 515 002, Andhra Pradesh, India
* Corresponding Author : sahadevardd@gmail.com

Received : 25-04-2020     Accepted : 13-05-2020     Published : 15-05-2020
Volume : 12     Issue : 9       Pages : 9784 - 9788
Int J Agr Sci 12.9 (2020):9784-9788

Keywords : Row water sowing, Aqua planter, Lining of farm ponds and protective irrigation
Academic Editor : Y.G. Kasal, Dheeraj Singh, Er Sai Gangadhara Rao Devalla, Er Prabhat Kumar Dhara
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to Government of Andhra Pradesh, particularly Department of Agriculture, KVKs, ARS-ANGRAU, DWMA, Government of India, IFAD, APPI, NABARD, ICRISAT, Walmart Foundation, FCN for their financial support to various projects
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

In Andhra Pradesh, out of 40 lakh ha rainfed area Anatapuramu district accounts for 22%. Rainfall analysis indicated that more than 50% droughts occur due to dry spell of 20 to 30 days. The technologies demonstrated for three years (kharif 2015 to 17) for lack of rains were: sowing with aqua planter, row water sowing and sowing of contingent crops and for drought were: water harvesting in lined farm ponds and protective irrigation. Supplemental irrigation was given through farm ponds to groundnut and mango. Mobile protective irrigation at the rate of 25000 l ha-1 given at flowering and pod formation stages gave 20 % more yield in pigeonpea. Protective irrigation in pigeonpea recorded seed yield of 875 kg ha-1 compared to 125 kg ha-1 under rainfed. Additional investment of Rs.5,000 ha-1 for row water sowing along with two protective irrigations for pigeonpea resulted an additional income of Rs 10,000 ha-1.

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