Micro irrigation a distant dream
Khushwant Ahluwalia

KEEPING in mind the threat to one of the most valuable natural resources, water management in agriculture assumes even greater significance than ever before.

Water being the most important ingredient of modern agriculture “water management techniques” become important for reasons — to use water management techniques for controlled irrigation and to avoid problems related to excessive watering, and to preserve water and control the declining water-table in Punjab.

Micro-irrigation is the phenomenon, which is practised the world-over to meet the objective of controlled irrigation. It is the universal term for drip, trickle or micro-spray irrigation systems. It is a growing technology that has the potential to maximise crop productivity, conserve soil and water while protecting the environment. With a declining water-table due to the excessive use of ground level water, Punjab stands as a perfect case for the adoption of water management techniques at the earliest.

At present the topic remains confined to conferences or as part of armour of experts who are yet to agree with each other on the significance, scope and model of irrigation techniques in the Indian context. On account of poor information dissemination and the prevalent confusion amongst experts and the government agencies, irrigation companies have inflicted upon themselves an advisory role to the farmers, which could be a dangerous trend. For example, the citrus farmers are strangely caught in a debate vis-à-vis micro sprinkler and drip irrigation. In the absence of proper guidance and authentic R&D to determine which system is beneficial for different crops.

Micro-Irrigation companies are exploiting ignorant farmers to the hilt. At the Agro-Tech, 2000, I asked a water management expert from Israel that out of the two, drip or sprinkler irrigation system, which one was recommended for orchards. His reply was that micro-irrigation companies were locked in this debate for years. The only difference being that farmers of Israel are much more aware and educated than of India. The gentleman had answered my question well and vindicated my argument that wrong choice of a system by orchardists and agriculturists was one of the main factors working against adoption of this new technology. From a horticulturist’s point of view I am convinced that micro-sprinklers have an edge over drip or flood irrigation in Punjab because of very severe and dry summers. The government of India offers a subsidy of 35 per cent for putting up micro-irrigation system. It offers 50 per cent subsidy for women and the Scheduled Castes. There is an upper limit of Rs15000 and Rs.25000, respectively, on both the schemes. The government has fixed the upper ceiling of 10 acres for one beneficiary family.

In Punjab farmers can contact the Soil Conservation Department to seek information and guidance on subsidies. But the truth remains that the utility of these subsidies is quite questionable. In fact most farmers are going in for the micro-irrigation system without seeking the benefits of the subsidies as there are official bottlenecks, absurd rules and corruption involved at all levels to seek subsidy. Today as more and more farmers realise the utility of this system, high expenditure due to low subsidies is keeping them away from this new practice. To install a good irrigation system the cost is nothing less than Rs18,000 to Rs 20,000 and subsidy is only given on a fixed amount of Rs15,000. Actually the subsidy doesn’t exceed 15 per cent. We must realise one thing that for a majority of Punjab farmers micro-irrigation will become an alternate system of irrigation. Spending approximately Rs 20,000 per acre on an alternative system is quite a debatable point without attractive subsidies. The Maharshtra Government, apart from the central subsidy, offers more than Rs 60 crore to the sugarcane, banana, guava and other farmers. It is the other way in Punjab. Out of the approximately Rs 1 crore that the government was supposed to give as subsidy last year, it has only passed about Rs 30 lakh.

Another important factor going against farmers not seeking subsidies is because the Central Government is offering subsidy only to those irrigation companies that manufacture plastic pipes also. This rule is ridiculous For example company makes the best PVC pipes, but is not an irrigation company, meaning that there would be no subsidy available if a farmer were to use this company’s pipes. It means that a farmer can never have good quality PVC pipes in his farm. This leads to his (farmer’s) buying an overpriced irrigation model because big companies usually tie up with very up-market irrigation multinationals. Or he has to do with poor quality sprinklers, drippers and PVC pipes because cheaper material is available from small-time irrigation companies who manufacture low-quality pipes and have no expertise in irrigation management techniques. The main aim of this policy remains to sell pipes rather than irrigation technology. How can a pipe manufacturer be an expert on water management techniques or make quality sprinklers and drippers? A farmer should be allowed to purchase his own superior quality sprinklers, drippers, PVC pipes and get his design made from wherever he feels like.

Desert development project in HP, Haryana
V.P. Prabhakar

FORTYSEVEN blocks of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh are covered under the Desert Development Programme. In this seven districts of Haryana and two districts of Himachal Pradesh are covered. The area covered is 55,649 sq km.

In all this programme is being implemented in 232 blocks of 40 districts of seven states. The remaining five states are Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka.

With the increase in human and livestock population over the years, the natural resources of the desert areas have been under great stress resulting in continuous depletion of vegetative cover, increase in soil erosion and fall in groups water levels due to continuous exploitation. All these factors contribute to diminishing productivity of land and loss of natural resources in these areas.

The Desert Development Programme (DDP) was started both in hot desert areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana and the cold desert of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh in 1977-78. From 1995-96, the coverage has been extended to a few more districts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

In the hot sandy desert areas, sand dune stabilisation and shelter belt plantations were given greater weightage. On the other hand, in cold desert areas, since rainfall is negligible, crop cultivation and afforestation could be taken up only through assured irrigation. In these areas, the main activity was water resources development by construction of channels for diversion of water flow from the glacier and springs to the fields and lift irrigation in the valleys.

The programme was reviewed by a technical committee headed by Prof C.H. Hanumantha Rao in 1994-95. The main reason identified by the committee for below satisfactory results under the programme was that area development was not taken up on watershed basis and the involvement of the local people was virtually non-existence, both in planning and execution of the programme. Besides inadequacy of funds, non-availability of trained personnel and taking up of too many activities, which were neither properly integrated nor necessarily related to the objectives of the programme, were also identified as contributory factors towards reducing the impact of the programme.

Based on the recommendations of the Hanumantha Rao committee, the new strategy was adopted from 1995. The new strategy included area development project of about 500 hectares to be treated as field unit and to cover a village as far as possible, in sandy areas adoption to be either of a cluster of villages or an index catchment as the unit of planning, direct participation of local people in planning and development of watershed areas as well as in the maintenance of assets after the completion of the project, monitoring and review of the programme by the Panchayati Raj institutions, selection of project implementation agency by the Zila Parishad and effective role of voluntary agencies in the implementation of the programme. Keeping in view the problem of sand dune stabilisation in 10 districts of Rajasthan special projects would be taken up for three activities, namely sand dune stabilisation, shelter belt plantation and afforestation.

The desert development programme is a centrally sponsored programme and funds are directly released to DRDAS on zila parishads for implementation of the programme. With effect from April 1, 1999, the programme is being funded on the basis of 75:25 for watershed projects sanctioned on after April 1, 1999. The cost is Rs 22.5 lakh per project in respect of hot (non-sandy) areas ad Rs 25 lakh in other areas.

Under this programme 3,694 watershed development projects and special projects were under implementation in the programme states as on March 31, 2000. Out of the 1,500 new projects sanctioned during 1999-2000, 614 special projects were for 10 districts of Rajasthan to combat desertification. These projects were specifically earmarked for afforestation, sand dune stabilisation, shelter belt plantation.

During 2000-2001, 886 new projects were undertaken up to January 31, 2001. Of the total projects of 4,580 taken up in these states from 1995-2001, the central assistance released was of the order of Rs 401.17 crore. Of this Haryana got Rs 29.43 crore, Himachal Pradesh Rs 18.71 crore, Jammu and Kashmir Rs 36.26 crore and Rajasthan Rs 194.27 crore.

Management of premature leaf fall in apple orchards
J.N. Sharma and K.D. Verma

APPLE is a major cash crop of the temperate areas in India, including Himachal Pradesh, and is grown over 90,000 hectare area in the state. Its cultivation has been helpful in improving the social economic status of hilly farmers whose land is otherwise not considered suitable for traditional agriculture. Apple plantations in Himachal Pradesh have been ravaged by a unique phenomenon of leaf shedding in mid-summer for the past few years. It has become the foremost disease problem in apple orchards and has given sleepless night to more than 1.45 lakh farmer families by causing severe losses. The problem starts in June-July and by mid-August all the orchards in the state are found affected and only fruits nearing maturity are seen hanging from the defoliated branches. The disease which was first detected in the 1995 season in some orchards has now spread to all apple-growing districts of the state and is now affecting more than 90 per cent orchards. All the commercial delicious cultivars are susceptible. Premature leaf shedding in apple is also reported recently from Kashmir, neighbouring UP hills and Bhutan.

Disease diagnosis
As this problem was new to our orchards, many factors were considered and suspected to cause this problem initially. Extensive studies conducted at the Scab Monitoring and Research Laboratory, Kotkhai, during the last three seasons conclusively proved that a fungal disease Marssonian blotch is solely responsible for causing premature defoliation of apple. This problem is more severe in shady areas. Regular sprays of broad-spectrum fungicides are able to control the problem while the sprays of nutrients are ineffective. This disease is identified by the consistent presence of typical Marssonina-type conidia in the diseased leaves. The causal fungus has been isolated in pure culture and deposited in the famous repositories in India and abroad. The pathogenicity has also been proved in semi-controlled conditions. Our pioneering work has led to its proper diagnosis and control in the field. Marssonina blotch, first observed in Japanese orchards in 1904, was not important in Himachal Pradesh till recently when it caused premature leaf fall of apple. It is also reported from Canada, Rumania, China and Korea. It is affecting the fruit size, colour and quality adversely. Appearance of fruit spots on the produce makes it unsaleable in the market and reducing the tree vigour and fruit set in the apple orchards and is believed to be one of the causes of declining apple productivity.

The disease symptoms first appear as dark green circular patches on upper surface on the mature whorl leaves giving rise to 5 to 10 mm diameter brown leaf spots which turn dark brown in the due course. When lesions are numerous they coalesce to form larger dark brown blotches and the surrounding areas turn yellow. Severe leaf shedding follows these symptoms. In affected orchards, apple fruits nearing maturity are commonly seen hanging from the defoliated branches and so disease is accordingly called premature leaf fall. Symptoms also appear on the fruit in the form of clear brown spots, which are initially circular (3 to5 m in diameter) and become oval, depressed and dark brown later. Numerous small black-coloured pinhead specks, the acervuli are visible in the affected tissues.

Management
This disease can be effectively controlled by integrating different methods like field sanitation, proper pruning and judicious use of fungicides. The orchardists are advised to collect and destroy the fallen leaves from the orchard floor in winter. Urea (5 per cent) spray on the leaf litter might also be helpful in reducing the primary inoculum by enhanced leaf decomposition. Proper pruning allows adequate air circulation in the tree canopy, thereby modifying the microclimate and reducing disease development. However, the use of fungicides is inevitable for achieving desirable control of the disease in field. Protective sprays of Mancozeb (0.3 per cent), Carbendazim (0.5 per cent), Thiophanate Methyl (0.05 per cent), Benomyl (0.05 per cent), Propineb (0.03 per cent), Dodine (0.075 per cent), Ziram (0.3 per cent), Dithianon (0.05 per cent) and Zineb (0.03 per cent) have been found effective in controlling the disease. However, most of the anti-scab sterol inhibitor fungicides viz Fenarimol, Hexaconazole, Penconazole, etc do not give any relief.

A spray schedule consisting of 4 to 5 applications of Dodine (0.075 per cent), Mancozeb (0.03 per cent), Dithianon (0.05 per cent), Carbendazim (0.05 per cent), and Ziram (0.03 per cent), at 20 days’ interval from fruit set to the harvesting stage is recommended for controlling the premature defoliation disease of apple. The above schedule is not only effective but quite economical at the same time. When the disease appears, the fruit growers are advised to spray the mixture of Mancozeb ((0.25 per cent), and carbendazim(0.05 per cent), followed by cover sprays of Mancozeb (0.03 per cent), and Ziram (0.03 per cent), at 15 to 20 days’ interval.

Farm operations for July

Dairy

— The daily concentrate should have 2 to 3 per cent higher crude protein i.e. add more cakes in the concentrate.

— The animals in heat should be judged from the signs of frequent urination and vaginal discharge.

— Care of the new-born calves should be carried out. Steps for dehorning of buffalo caves must be taken. Deworm the calves at two weeks of age and repeat deworming after two weeks.

— Get your animal vaccinated against H.S. (gal ghotu) and B.C. (pat suja) if not done earlier. Thes diseases can result in heavy loss of animal life in unprotected/unvaccinated animals.

— If an animal has a wound, protect if from flies otherwise maggots will infest. Apply fly repelling ointment on wound (Himax or Lorexane or Ectosep, etc).

— Animal should be wallowed or bathed morning and evening with fresh water for enhancing production and reproduction.

— In case of fever or blood in urine, veterinarian should be consulted immediately.

— If an animal starts bleeding from nose, don’t disturb it and pour cold water over face and head and keep the head lifted. Consult veterinarian immediately.

—Next month is hot humid, during which flies, lice and ticks are very common. These suck blood, cause skin irritation and spread diseases. So check these, spray 0.5% Malathion or 0.5% Carbaryl, Asuntol 0.05% Butox 0.02 % and Taktic (12.5 %) 0.02 % on the animals as well as in the shed and repeat the spray after 10 to 15 days. Don’t spray animals below 6 months of age. Animal sheds, especially corners, crevices, etc. should also be sprayed. Take full care that the insecticides do not get mixed with feed, fodder and drinking water. Strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions while spraying the insecticides.

— In this season, snakes come out from hibernation and they can bite the animals. If an animal suddenly falls down or its mucous membranes turn bluish, immediately check for snake bite on face, legs, abdomen and udder for fang marks. The other symptoms can be respiratory distress, fast heart beat, profuse salivation and convulsion. Under such conditions, consult the veterinarian immediately.

Poultry

— The poultry feed to be used in hot and humid season should have 16 to 20 per cent more proteins, minerals and vitamins.

— Drinkers should be sufficient so that the birds do not have to walk more than 8 ft to reach them. Water must remain cool and clean. Change water 3 to 4 times during the day.

— Avoid dampness during rainy season to avoid incidence of coccidiciosis in the poultry feed for prevention of this disease. Provide curtains whenever necessary to avoid the entry of rain inside the sheds.

— Progressive Farming, PAU