Rajasthan

The cultivated area is 17.4 million ha, constituting almost half of the total area of the state. Over 70% area is rainfed with average precipitation of 575 mm. The soils are coarse and poor in fertility and the cropping intensity is 125%. Important crops of the state are pearl millet, maize, chickpea, mustard, clusterbean and spices. Soil salinity/alkalinity and poor quality groundwaters are constraints for enhancing productivity. Suggested interventions for natural resource management for agriculture in the state are as follows:

� Water harvesting/drip irrigation for increasing water use efficiency

� Integrated nutrient management

� Integrated pest management for controlling powdery mildew and fruit fly.

� Adoption of waste conservation technologies.

Pearl millet

Rajasthan has the highest area under pearlmillet with the highest production in the country. The state occupies nearly 46 lakh ha area with average production of about 28 lakh tonnes and productivity of 400 kg/ha. The crop is grown as a sole crop as well as mixed crop or inter-cropped with legumes or sesame in the state. It is also grown as irrigated green fodder in summer. Major production constraints are low spread of improved varieties/hybrids, poor seed establishment and low plant population, poor weed control, lack of adoption of agronomical practices, recurrent droughts and negligible area under irrigation (5�7%). The major technological interventions proposed are:

� Growing early maturing, disease resistant hybrids viz. RHB 121, RHB 127, HHB67, HHB 67,

  GHB 538 and ICMH 356

� Intercropping of pearlmillet + clusterbean/moth bean/cow pea/greengram (2:1

� Weed management with hand weedings/hoeings or atrazine

        

Maize

Rajasthan has the largest area of maize in India i.e.1 million ha with production of 1.1 million tonnes and productivity of 1,100 kg/ha. The crop is predominantly cultivated under rain fed conditions in kharif season. In winter, cultivation is done in assured irrigated conditions. Maize is mainly used as a food crop in the state and productivity can be enhanced with cultivation of early maturing hybrids and improved composite varieties. Cultivation of QPM maize will help in elevation of protein level in food and feed. The major constraints in production are low productivity in Rajasthan due to non-availability of adequate quantity of early maturing drought tolerant hybrids and seeds of improved varieties. Incidence of downy mildew disease is also a concern. The technological interventions suggetsed are:

        � Growing of early maturing single cross hybrids and composite varieties PEHM 1,