Scenario of rainfed agriculture in eastern Himalayas, India-A case study of Darjeeling Himalayas Subba B*, Chakraborty PB Department of Soil and Water Conservation, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia-741252, West Bengal, India *Email for correspondence: bandhan_subba@rediffmail.com
Online published on 25 July, 2018. Abstract Study on rainfed agriculture under rice, Oryza sativa L, maize, Zea mays L and potato, Solanum tuberosum L based cropping systems for crop diversification and higher crop productivity was conducted during 2010–12 in Sangsay, Upper Dalapchand, Pudung and Lower Sindebong villages located at an approximate altitude of 1676, 1371, 1066 and 762 m amsl respectively across Kalimpong. The climate here other than its foothills is dry and farming therefore depends on rainfall. Cropping pattern of villages was maize, rice and potato in pre-Kharif, Kharif and Rabi seasons respectively. In general land remained fallow during Rabi season in most of villages due to moisture deficit. Nearly 60 per cent of the households were surveyed during investigation. Rainfed crops viz finger millet, pigeon pea, black gram, cowpea, soybean, cassava, sweet potato etc were grown during Kharif season instead of rice if rainfall occured below normal. Farmers collected runoff rainwater within the terrace fields and they utilised that impounded water of the upper terrace for puddling soil of the terrace below. In these villages average yield of maize, rice and potato for the last decade was reported as 111.75, 1447.38 and 829.16 kg/ha respectively with highest standard deviation (± 516.335) in case of rice. Crop productivity of rainfed agriculture was found lowest in comparison to other irrigated villages which ultimately influenced socio-economic and livelihood conditions of the farmers. Top Keywords Livelihood, productivity, poverty, rainfall. Top |