Effective use of water for booming agriculture in Telangana State

History is in the making. While crisis-ridden national agriculture sector is staring at a bleak future, the youngest State in the county is witnessing a unique revolution in the hinterlands with farmers busy sowing their seeds and harvesting rich crops, all thanks to umpteen welfare measures initiated by the present dispensation.

To make this historic agrarian upsurge possible, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has ensured round-the-clock uninterrupted quality power supply, substantial increase in irrigation potential, rejuvenation of chain of tanks and water bodies with silt applied for farm soil health, massive bio-diverse tree planting through Telangana ku Haritha Haram, seed technology improvement and investment support for agriculture of Rs 10,000 per annum in two instalments before sowing etc.

These will enthuse confidence in farming and make agriculture as the major means of livelihood. Many States are replicating some of these schemes while policymakers and academics are closely studying them. Even the few who left farming and migrated are back to their traditional occupation all over again.

By 2030, more than 60 percent of people in Telangana will live in and around hundred kilometres radius of Hyderabad. 25 kilometres radius is a diversified services economy while periphery up to 75 kilometres is emerging as technology-based manufacturing hubs.

Ease of doing business and good infrastructure makes Hyderabad a preferred destination for investment. Similar process is underway in Telangana cities to serve as vibrant innovation centred circular economies suiting local productive capacities, human capital and entrepreneurial talent. About 15 percent of population may shift to these new cities.

Chandrashekar Rao, through re-engineering of irrigation projects, ensured water for irrigation to the entire State. He also has plans to develop crop colonies for efficient and quality service delivery and towards this here are a few suggestions focused on water, according to K S Gopal of Centre for Environment Concerns, a non-government organisation located in Hyderabad, who has over 40 years of rural development experience.

Allied and the horticulture sectors dominate agriculture growth and incomes. But fostered as autonomous of each, they face sub-optimal growth and distortions in resource allocation. Consumption basket is changing with rising incomes and urbanisation. Demand for big water guzzling crops of rice, wheat, maize and sugarcane is falling. Maize demand is growing due to starch and poultry.

These crops are artificially buffered with minimum support prices and assured procurement. On the other hand, coarse cereals and pulses are gaining market advantage. Cotton is grown in black soils and being factor endowment and long duration crop. Precious Godavari water cannot go for two crop seasons for commodities facing declining market demand.

Gopal has a proposal with him to overcome the inadequacies. Khariff must focus on pulses, coarse cereals, minor millets and fodder with increasing productivity gained from quality seed, protective irrigations and farming practices. The demand for these crops is rising and with Rabi biomass, the State will be fodder-secure with rich nutrient content.

In Rabi, using flood irrigation supplied through canals, farmers can grow paddy, wheat, cotton etc. With modern seeds and nutrient management, the yield of these crops can be doubled. Farmers in such areas must take up agro-forestry to increase incomes and improve local ecology including fertilization and natural ways to control pests.

This brings to summer, a period of five months starting February when demand and farmer price realisation of fruit, flowers and vegetables at peak. A study of fresh fruits, flowers and vegetables sourced for Bangalore city by Big Bazaar shows that ten years ago the procurement was within a radius of 75 kilometres and now it is at 200 kilometres radius as their catchment area.

Going beyond for such perishable commodities is not advisable, according to a study. Most areas of Telangana come within a radius of 250 kilometres from Hyderabad. This is unique advantage to capitalise upon to maximize farmer incomes and meet rising customer demand. A market segment driven production of such crops will increase farmer incomes by four to five-fold.

Water availability (ground and surface) use can be 10 percent for Kharif plus rainwater, 50 percent in Rabi using flood method, 25 percent from February to June to cultivate vegetables, fruits, flowers and 15 percent as transmission and evaporation losses and needs for animals and Haritha Haram.

Cultivation of high value summer season horticulture and agro-forestry crops calls for efficient use of water. The state-of-the-art is drip. Studies show that in farmer practice of drip system, over 60 percent excess water is used compared to volumes recommended by agriculture scientists for different crops based on species, season, plant age, yield stage, and soil types. Corrective action and farmer education can end this huge groundwater wastage.

The most efficient and effective use of water in hot climates with prolonged heat waves is to change the method and approach to drip irrigation. A shift from water application on the surface to delivering measured moisture at the plant root zone is advisable.

Rather than measuring the quantum of water supplied, it is better to shift to measuring moisture at the root zone to plan irrigation schedule and water quantum. This will bring down drip water use to half of what is currently used in drip and gain farmer confidence in irrigation adequacy. It will eliminate weed growth and will reduce excess water-based plant root zone diseases.

The use of plastics mulch on drip pipelines are to be promoted in the State. This 30-micron plastic sheet must be replaced every year by the farmer and its pile up over the years will be a societal nightmare. Worse, with no soil aeration, the soil will be dead over time and make the farmer dependent on external and high-cost chemical plant nutrient inputs.

Measured moisture at plant root zone innovation addresses this aspect as water-plant-soil microbe synergy will optimise the deliverables from each of them and is demonstrated by the innovation. A unique innovative approach successfully piloted and widely demonstrated in multiple crops and soils for horticulture and agroforestry by an innovator and incubated by the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad of T-hub shows the way forward.

The conceptual shift of this innovation is to shift from water on the surface to measure moisture at the plant root zone. An ICAR institute found this technology to use 40 percent less water compared to drip with higher plant survival rates, marginally higher yield, more biomass and better root to shoot ratio.

Farmers adopting this technology save up to 50 percent of water compared to drip, even during peak summer months. There is no weed growth or excess water-based root diseases. It is an add-on to drip and hence low cost and affordable.

With tanks filled up and canals flowing, groundwater will improve. All groundwater will be mined, and this will worsen despite supply side augmentation. 24-hour power supply helps farmers to plan their agriculture operations.

It is an important step to cap the number of hours the farmer can pump water-based on seasons, the extent of extraction and groundwater zone the well belongs to. The farmer can opt how he/she plans to use this assured water in different seasons.

(The author is CPRO to CM, Telangana)