1) Abiotic stresses like drought, salinity, and high temperatures are major constraints in achieving potential crop yields in India, with drought causing 5 times more yield losses than all biotic factors combined. 2) About 70% of India's cropped area is rain-fed, contributing 36% of total agricultural production. Common drought-prone states include Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat. 3) Water scarcity will be a key challenge for Indian agriculture due to low precipitation and high evapotranspiration rates across large parts of the country, with climate change projections indicating a doubling of drought by mid-century and tripling by late-century.

1. P. Arunachalam
Assistant Professor (PBG)
ICAR-KVK, TNAU, Ramanathapuram
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2. Abiotic stresses- major constraints in attaining potential
yield of our crops
Drought Salinity High temperature
Yield losses by drought is 5 fold higher than
all biotic factors

3. About 70% of cropped area is rain-fed
The rainfed area contributes about 36% to total production
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Percentage-Drought prone
Karnataka
TN
Rajastan
AP
J & K
Gujarat
Maharastra
Haryana
West Bengal
Bihar
Madhya Pradesh
Orissa
Uttar Pradesh
Water is the most overriding limitation
India – under low precipitation zone and high ET
Two fold increase in drought in mid 21st century and 3 fold
in end of 21st century in many areas.

4. RAINFED AGRICULTURE
No recourse to irrigation
Drought a major constraint in
realizing potential yield
Area under Rainfed
63% of cereals and
90% of pulses and oil seeds
comes from rainfed areas

5. Vulnerability of
Indian Agriculture to
Climate Change

6. Constraints – Early drought
Kamuthi
Muthukalat
hur
Malangudi

7. Constraints –Flood

8. 58
167
294
462
58
144
206
415
Jan -Mar Apr - Jun Jul - Sep Oct - Dec
Rainfall (mm)
26
14
18
46
70
51
66
119
109
188 186
87
19 16
23
54
58
32
69
88
49
189
147
79
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Tamilnadu Sivagangai
Monsoon
Rainfall
Average
(mm)
Normal Onset Normal Cessation
SW (June-Sep) 206 1st Week of June 2nd week of Sep.
NE (Oct-Dec) 415 3rd week of Sep. 1st Week of Dec
955
823
Tamilnadu Sivagangai

9. Two scenarios
“More crop per drop”
Water is major constraint to realise the potential yields

10. 3. Drought management
1.Choice of crop
Cropping system
2 .Improve the adaptation of choice crop
Drought mitigation
Tools and Techniques for Farm
Resilience

11. 1. Choice of the crop
A drought tolerance genotype
gives acceptable productivity under
water limited conditions

12. 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Sugarcane
Banana
Rice
Chillies
Cotton
Maize
Groundnut
Sorghum
Bajra
Ragi
Small millets
Pulses
Seasame
Water requirement (mm)
1. Choice of the crop

13.  highly adaptable to the change
 efficient biomass producers
 Armoured with C4 photorespiratory physiology - thrive
better under moisture stress
 Photosensitivity also related to soil moisture
 Have multiple uses in food (including health foods),
feed, fodder (dry & green), and industrial raw materials
(including bioethanol from sweet stalk sorghum)
Eg., millets are “Resource Smart & Climate Smart”
Crop indicators - Climate resilient
1. Choice of the crop

14. Ramanathapuram

15. Tolerance
A boring lecture
Escape
2. Crop Improvement option to mitigate stress
Short duration varieties
Groundnut - TMV 7 , VRI 6, TMV 14
Drought tolerant varieties
CO 53 Anna (R) 4

16. 2. Stress tolerant crops

17. Popularization of Paddy Varieties - NICRA
Paddy
variety Area (ha)
No of
beneficiary
Grain yield
(kg/ha)
TKM 13 2 10 5755
RNR 15048 6 28 5371
ADT 53 4 14 4340
CO 51 5 19 4286
CO 53 2 6 5250
Villages : Komboothi and Karukathi

18. Disease resistant varieties
2. Crop Improvement option

19. OFT: Assessment of cowpea varieties for rainfed
condition in Ramanathapuram District
Salient Observations:
• Grain yield : VBN 3 : 650 kg/ha
CO (CP) 7 : 550 kg/ha
• VBN 3 found to be determinate in
growth as compared to CO (CP) 7
• Also suitable to grown under coconut
garden
Area conducted
Bogalur and Utichipuli blocks

20. FLD: Demonstration of TNAU (Blackgram) VBN 11
with ICM practices
Area
conducted
Perumalkoil,
Malangudi,
Manajkollai
Salient Observations:
• Grain yield 720 kg/ha
• Less incidence of YMV

21. In situ Moisture conservation
- Ridging / dead furrow
- Broad bed furrow
- Crop residue incorporation
- Mulching
3. Agronomic Management options
Cropping system approach
- Inter cropping
- Mixed cropping
- Crop rotation

22. • Cropping system approach
- Inter cropping
- Mixed cropping
- Crop rotation
3. Agronomic Management options

23. Moisture
conservation/
Soil surface
encrustation
1. Simple intervention–
2. Crop Suitability
Ensure nominal yield
No yield ---------- Acceptable yield

24. In situ moisture conservation
Source: Prof Durai Singh, TNAU

25. Run of storage Farm Pond / Water shed

26. Seed Treatment
Seed hardening / Seed pelleting / Designer seed
DAP
Gypsum (Alfisol) – 2.5 kg / acre

27. Year
?
B
S
K
Fe Fe
Zn Zn
P P P
N N N N N N
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2010
Soil Health
Management

28. Composting crop residue
Enriched fertilizers , Vermi-composting

29. • Spray in evening with surfactant
• 2 times
- Budding stage
- Young pod stage
Foliar nutrition
PPFM

30. Forage production & Silage
Fodder sorghum –
CO(FS) 29 and CO (FS) 31
Cumbu Napier
CO (CN) 4 and Co (CN) 5

31. Arid Zone fruits
Canopy management Moisture conservation
Source: RRS, Arupukottai

32. Agro-Forestry
4F
5F
•Fuel
•Fodder
•Fertilizer
•Feed
•Food
Source: Prof C.Swaminathan, TNAU

33. Mitigate Labour Paucity

34. Thank you