IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v137y2015icp180-190.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improving crop production for food security and improved livelihoods on the East India Plateau II. Crop options, alternative cropping systems and capacity building

Author

Listed:
  • Cornish, Peter S.
  • Choudhury, Avijit
  • Kumar, Ashok
  • Das, Sudipta
  • Kumbakhar, Kuntalika
  • Norrish, Shane
  • Kumar, Shivendra

Abstract

Rainfed transplanted rice (Oryza sativa) is the staple crop of the East India Plateau, with >80% grown in a rice-fallow on terraced and bunded hill-slopes (‘medium-upland’) where it is low yielding and drought-prone despite high rainfall (>1200 mm). Paper I attributed this to inadequate ponding for transplanted rice whilst identifying the potential for risk-free alternative kharif (monsoon period) crops, including direct-seeded rice grown without ponding (‘aerobic’ rice), and for second-cropping with little or no irrigation. Paper II reports research with Tribal smallholders in Purulia District, West Bengal that aimed to evaluate these cropping options using a participatory process that further aimed to ‘improve the situation’ of participating families. The feasibility of short-duration aerobic rice was confirmed experimentally in 2007 and 2008 and in wider adoption by farmers in 2010 when conventional rice could not be transplanted. Best yields in each year were >4 t ha−1. Mustard (Brassica juncea) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) planted after medium-duration rice yielded up to 0.95 t ha−1 and 2.6 t ha−1 with one irrigation of 40–50 mm for establishment; but modelling suggests there is enough residual soil water after short-duration (early-maturing) rice to exceed these yields in most years, even without irrigation. Significant P-fertiliser was required with these crops to correct acute deficiency. Rainfed vegetables were grown in the kharif and then adapted by farmers to pre-kharif cropping, and to the rabi (winter) if they had some access to irrigation. Monitoring land-use revealed rapid, sustained adoption of more diverse and intensive cropping, with significant social and economic benefits. We attributed adoption to the participatory process used, that strengthened farmer's capacity to innovate. The systems implemented by farmers needed no expenditure on new water resources, suggesting that comprehensive watershed development (WSD) is not a prerequisite to replacing the rigid rice-fallow with safer climate-responsive systems, although investment in small water harvesting structures may be needed for rabi vegetable crops. The technology evaluated, plus the process of intervention that built capacity, together provide a foundation for wider adoption of less risky cropping systems with greater water productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Cornish, Peter S. & Choudhury, Avijit & Kumar, Ashok & Das, Sudipta & Kumbakhar, Kuntalika & Norrish, Shane & Kumar, Shivendra, 2015. "Improving crop production for food security and improved livelihoods on the East India Plateau II. Crop options, alternative cropping systems and capacity building," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 180-190.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:137:y:2015:i:c:p:180-190
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2015.02.011
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X15000347
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2015.02.011?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cornish, Peter S. & Karmakar, Dinabandhu & Kumar, Ashok & Das, Sudipta & Croke, Barry, 2015. "Improving crop production for food security and improved livelihoods on the East India Plateau. I. Rainfall-related risks with rice and opportunities for improved cropping systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 166-179.
    2. Bouman, B. A. M. & Tuong, T. P., 2001. "Field water management to save water and increase its productivity in irrigated lowland rice," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 11-30, July.
    3. Pretty, Jules N., 1995. "Participatory learning for sustainable agriculture," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 23(8), pages 1247-1263, August.
    4. Pandey, S. & Gauchan, D. & Malabayuabas, Maria Luz & Bool-Emerick, M. & Hardy, B. (ed.), 2012. "Patterns of Adoption of Improved Rice Varieties and Farm-Level Impacts in Stress-Prone Rainfed Areas in South Asia," IRRI Books, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), number 164467.
    5. Aggarwal, P. K. & Hebbar, K. B. & Venugopalan, M. V. & Rani, S. & Bala, A. & Biswal, A. & Wani, S. P., 2008. "Quantification of yield gaps in rain-fed rice, wheat, cotton and mustard in India," IWMI Research Reports H041564, International Water Management Institute.
    6. Singh, P. K. & Mishra, A. K. & Imtiyaz, Mohd., 1991. "Moisture stress and the water use efficiency of mustard," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 245-253, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tingting Li, 2022. "Planting Structure Adjustment and Layout Optimization of Feed Grain and Food Grain in China Based on Productive Potentials," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Cornish, Peter S. & Birchall, Craig & Herridge, David F. & Denton, Matthew D. & Guppy, Chris, 2018. "Rainfall-related opportunities, risks and constraints to rainfed cropping in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar as defined by soil water balance modelling," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 47-57.
    3. Cornish, Peter S. & Karmakar, Dinabandhu & Kumar, Ashok & Das, Sudipta & Croke, Barry, 2015. "Improving crop production for food security and improved livelihoods on the East India Plateau. I. Rainfall-related risks with rice and opportunities for improved cropping systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 166-179.
    4. Sushanta Kumar Naik & Santosh Sambhaji Mali & Bal Krishna Jha & Rakesh Kumar & Surajit Mondal & Janki Sharan Mishra & Arun Kumar Singh & Ashis Kumar Biswas & Arbind Kumar Choudhary & Jaipal Singh Chou, 2023. "Intensification of Rice-Fallow Agroecosystem of South Asia with Oilseeds and Pulses: Impacts on System Productivity, Soil Carbon Dynamics and Energetics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-27, January.
    5. Kraaijvanger, Richard & Veldkamp, Tom & Almekinders, Conny, 2016. "Considering change: Evaluating four years of participatory experimentation with farmers in Tigray (Ethiopia) highlighting both functional and human–social aspects," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 38-50.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cornish, Peter S. & Karmakar, Dinabandhu & Kumar, Ashok & Das, Sudipta & Croke, Barry, 2015. "Improving crop production for food security and improved livelihoods on the East India Plateau. I. Rainfall-related risks with rice and opportunities for improved cropping systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 166-179.
    2. Brinkhoff, James & Houborg, Rasmus & Dunn, Brian W., 2022. "Rice ponding date detection in Australia using Sentinel-2 and Planet Fusion imagery," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    3. Devkota, M. & Devkota, K.P. & Acharya, S. & McDonald, A.J., 2019. "Increasing profitability, yields and yield stability through sustainable crop establishment practices in the rice-wheat systems of Nepal," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 414-423.
    4. Kazadi, Kande & Lievens, Annouk & Mahr, Dominik, 2016. "Stakeholder co-creation during the innovation process: Identifying capabilities for knowledge creation among multiple stakeholders," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 525-540.
    5. Kriti Poudel & Ram Hari Timilsina & Anish Bhattarai, 2020. "Effect Of Crop Establishment Methods On Yield Of Spring Rice At Khairahani, Chitwan, Nepal," Big Data In Agriculture (BDA), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 3(1), pages 6-11, November.
    6. Phélinas, Pascale & Choumert, Johanna, 2017. "Is GM Soybean Cultivation in Argentina Sustainable?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 452-462.
    7. Manel Ben Hassen & Federica Monaco & Arianna Facchi & Marco Romani & Giampiero Valè & Guido Sali, 2017. "Economic Performance of Traditional and Modern Rice Varieties under Different Water Management Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-10, February.
    8. Singh, Kuntal & McClean, Colin J. & Büker, Patrick & Hartley, Sue E. & Hill, Jane K., 2017. "Mapping regional risks from climate change for rainfed rice cultivation in India," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 76-84.
    9. Silvia Scaramuzzi & Sara Gabellini & Giovanni Belletti & Andrea Marescotti, 2021. "Agrobiodiversity-Oriented Food Systems between Public Policies and Private Action: A Socio-Ecological Model for Sustainable Territorial Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-32, November.
    10. Ehsan Moradi & Jesús Rodrigo-Comino & Enric Terol & Gaspar Mora-Navarro & Alexandre Marco da Silva & Ioannis N. Daliakopoulos & Hassan Khosravi & Manuel Pulido Fernández & Artemi Cerdà, 2020. "Quantifying Soil Compaction in Persimmon Orchards Using ISUM (Improved Stock Unearthing Method) and Core Sampling Methods," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-18, July.
    11. Yufeng Luo & Haolong Fu & Seydou Traore, 2014. "Biodiversity Conservation in Rice Paddies in China: Toward Ecological Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(9), pages 1-18, September.
    12. Senthilkumar, K. & Bindraban, P.S. & Thiyagarajan, T.M. & de Ridder, N. & Giller, K.E., 2008. "Modified rice cultivation in Tamil Nadu, India: Yield gains and farmers' (lack of) acceptance," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 98(2), pages 82-94, September.
    13. Yuichiro Amekawa & Surat Hongsibsong & Nootchakarn Sawarng & Sumeth Yadoung & Girma Gezimu Gebre, 2021. "Producers’ Perceptions of Public Good Agricultural Practices Standard and Their Pesticide Use: The Case of Q-GAP for Cabbage Farming in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-25, June.
    14. Cao, Jingjing & Tan, Junwei & Cui, Yuanlai & Luo, Yufeng, 2019. "Irrigation scheduling of paddy rice using short-term weather forecast data," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 714-723.
    15. Ponsioen, Thomas C. & Hengsdijk, Huib & Wolf, Joost & van Ittersum, Martin K. & Rotter, Reimund P. & Son, Tran Thuc & Laborte, Alice G., 2006. "TechnoGIN, a tool for exploring and evaluating resource use efficiency of cropping systems in East and Southeast Asia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 80-100, January.
    16. Barbara Quimby & Arielle Levine, 2018. "Participation, Power, and Equity: Examining Three Key Social Dimensions of Fisheries Comanagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-20, September.
    17. Amarasingha, R.P.R.K. & Suriyagoda, L.D.B. & Marambe, B. & Gaydon, D.S. & Galagedara, L.W. & Punyawardena, R. & Silva, G.L.L.P. & Nidumolu, U. & Howden, M., 2015. "Simulation of crop and water productivity for rice (Oryza sativa L.) using APSIM under diverse agro-climatic conditions and water management techniques in Sri Lanka," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 132-143.
    18. Alhaj Hamoud, Yousef & Guo, Xiangping & Wang, Zhenchang & Shaghaleh, Hiba & Chen, Sheng & Hassan, Alfadil & Bakour, Ahmad, 2019. "Effects of irrigation regime and soil clay content and their interaction on the biological yield, nitrogen uptake and nitrogen-use efficiency of rice grown in southern China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 934-946.
    19. Saifi, Basim & Drake, Lars, 2008. "A coevolutionary model for promoting agricultural sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 24-34, March.
    20. Choudhury, B.U. & Singh, Anil Kumar & Pradhan, S., 2013. "Estimation of crop coefficients of dry-seeded irrigated rice–wheat rotation on raised beds by field water balance method in the Indo-Gangetic plains, India," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 20-31.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:137:y:2015:i:c:p:180-190. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.