Impact of Improved Dryland Technologies on Sustainable Crop Productivity and Efficient Utilization of Resources in Submontane Punjab

Subsistence rainfed agriculture is widely practiced in submontane Punjab due to high dependency on rainfall. The onset, intensity and distribution of rainfall is highly unpredictable in the region and hence, the productivity of the dryland crops is very low. In order to evaluate and disseminate the improved rainfed agro technologies, on farm trials and demonstrations under different themes viz., rainwater management, cropping systems, energy management, integrated nutrient management and alternate land use systems were conducted at village Naude Majra district Rupnagar (Punjab) during 2010–2015 under All India Coordinated Operational Research Project. Higher seed/grain yields were obtained by adopting all the improved practices for different crops in comparison to farmers’ practices. Improved agro technologies resulted in overall increase in crop production from 33 to 79% over the farmers’ practices. Higher net return and B: C ratios were also obtained with improved practices. Among different agrotechnologies demonstrated across the themes, the per cent increase in yield was highest with high yielding varieties recommended for the domain area (34–80%), followed by energy management i.e. drill sowing of wheat and oil seed crops (18–73%) and rainwater management viz., ridge sowing of maize and supplementary irrigation in wheat (25–51%). The increase in yield with integrated nutrient management in maize and with rhizobium inoculation in legume crops was 16 and 17%, respectively. Hence, on farm trials and demonstrations carried out on farmer's field to show the worth of improved rainfed varieties and management practices for horizontal spread of improved agro-technologies were successful.