What is Dryland Farming? Top Techniques & Methods Explained

India has vast arid and semi-arid lands. Almost 128 districts of India are dry farming areas. Of all 128 districts, 91 districts belong to Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

Owing to the arid regions in India, dryland farming was introduced. The practice involves the cultivation of drought-resistant crops in less rainfall and with fewer irrigation opportunities. With mini farming tractor and implements, dry farming is becoming easy to adopt for Indian farmers.

So if you are interested in pursuing dryland farming, read on to learn about it in detail. Know what ideal methods and techniques you must follow for successful farming yields in arid and semi-arid regions.

What is Dryland Farming?

Dryland farming refers to cultivating crops in an area with less than 500mm of annual rainfall.

This method is suitable for arid and semi-arid regions where rainfall is aberrant. In such a method, crops are cultivated from the moisture locked from previous rainfall.

Dryland Farming Principles

Dryland farming depends upon 3 core principles:

• Land precipitation must be retained.
• Methods must be adopted that can prevent water evaporation & transpiration.
• Drought-resistant crops must be cultivated, which are not reliant on frequent and intensive rainfall.

Dryland Farming Techniques — How to Retain Soil Moisture?

Dryland farming’s core objective is to ensure the soil moisture doesn’t get evaporated. Here are a few techniques that can be followed to lock soil moisture:

• The drought-resistant crops must be sowed and cultivated that can survive in dry spells.
• Crops that are early maturing, dwarf, or mini cultivators could be adopted for this type of farming.
• The minimum rainfall should be about 10 inches annually (about 250mm).
• During the planting & growth stage, farmers should focus on maintaining moisture in the soil.

How to Increase Water Absorption in Soil?

1. Prevent Crusting on Soil Surface

Soils can make a crust against water intake. Thus, it is important to prevent that. The rainfall helps disperse the soil & break the clods.

• Tillage helps create a cloddy surface. Tillage helps increase the time required to break the clods by raindrops. New harvester of good quality can help prepare the soil surface. For small seeds, their bed should be much finer than large seed beds.
• Adding a layer of mulch helps avoid moisture loss. It helps retain the moisture in the soil.

2. Runoff water should be reduced

Up to a certain level, waterlogging can be quite harmless. However, stagnant water for a long period can cause soil erosion. Thus, to impede the flow of runoff water, the following things could be done:

• Bunds or contours can be created as they will help retain the water.
• With Preet harvester help, tillage should be done across the slope; this will impede the downward flow of water.
• Levelling of cropland well is important.

How to Stop Loss of Soil Moisture?

The following things can be done to ensure the water loss isn’t heavy during the growing period.

3. Use Different Mulches

Mulches are the best way to reduce water evaporation. You can use soil mulch, plastic mulch, straw, or plastic mulch to reduce water evaporation during growing seasons. Soil can lose water from evaporation by 60–70%. Thus, mulching is a great way to limit evaporation to some extent.

4. Create Windbreaks or Shelterbelts

Creating shelterbelts & windbreaks can help prevent water evaporation. Shelterbelts or wind belts can help prevent growing crops from erosion and water stress. These shelterbelts can be created either from large plants or any vegetation.

5. Use Antitranspirants

99% of water absorbed by plants can be lost due to transpiration. Thus, to maintain the optimum water level, antitranspirants must be used.

Antitranspirants help reduce the process of photosynthesis. Furthermore, it helps prevent moisture loss. They are highly used in horticulture and nurseries.

6. Control Unwanted Weeds

Weeds can take all the water or moisture required for crops. It is important to use good quality weedicides to prevent their growth. Weeds should be uprooted timely in the dryland areas.

To make dryland farming a success, make sure you buy the best farm equipment. Review rugged field special tractor images, specifications, features, and prices before buying the best one.

Dryland Farming

Frequently Asked Questions on Dryland Farming

1. Which are the major crops suitable for dryland areas?

Ans. Crops like wheat, millet, corn, beans, pumpkin, tomatoes, sunflower, and watermelon are a few crops grown in dry areas.

2. How are dryland farming and rainfed farming different?

Ans. Dryland farming means cultivating crops in an area with rainfall less than 750mm. Rainfed farming is the cultivation of crops in an area where rainfall is above 750mm.

3. Which crop is not suitable for dryland cultivation?

Ans. Water-intensive crops are not suitable for dryland cultivation. Sugarcane is one such crop that is water intensive.

4. Which is highly suitable for dryland farming?

Ans. Ragi requires less than 700–1200 mm of rainfall. Thus, it is highly suitable for dryland farming.

5. Which are the top Indian states for dryland farming?

Ans. Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh are popular states for dryland farming.