Kerala

The cultivated area of the state is 2.19 million ha comprising 56% of the geographical area. The net irrigated area is 0.38 million ha constituting 17.5% of the cultivated area. The highly leached red lateritic soils are acidic in nature and poor in fertility and nutrients especially phosphorus. The important crops of the state are rice, coconut, black pepper, cashewnut, cardamom and tuber crops. Suggested interventions for natural resource management for agriculture in the state are as follows:

� Diversification of rice�rice system with rice-okra and rice-banana in 50,000 ha for increased 

  rice  equivalent yield of 0.25�0.95 million tonnes/annum

� Liming of 0.2 million ha of acid soils to have additional 0.2 million tonnes of cowpea/blackgram

� Integrated farming system involving rice, fish, coconut and livestock in 50,000 ha for additional 

  farm income of up to Rs 10,000/ha/annum

Rice

The state has 0.3 million ha under rice cultivation, under both irrigated and rainfed areas. The area has decreased from 0.35 to 0.29 million ha during last seven years. The state average productivity is 2.2 tonnes/ha. The major constraints in production are shortage of labour, coastal salinity, soil acidity and diseases like gall midge and sheath blight. The suggested interventions are:

� Cultivation of Jyothi, Swetha, Metta Triveni and Varsha in irrigated areas

� Growing of saline-tolerant variety Karishma in coastal saline soils

� Selective farm mechanization like use of drum seeder, transplanter, reeper harvester and power thresher

� Effective control of gall midge (resistant varieties: Panchami and Pavithra) and sheath blight through integrated pest management

Banana

Kerala cultivates banana variety Nendran, for culinary purposes and leaf plates. Nendran banana is unique for the state. Poovan and Rasthali groups of banana are also grown, but the productivity is very low (17.6 tonnes/ha) as compared to national average. The following improved varieties and technologies are recommended for adoption:

� Replacing variety Robusta with Grand Naine

� Use of virus free tissue culture plants of Nendran

� High-density plantation with density of 3,000�4,000

� Management of pseudostem borer using integrated methods

� Integrated nutrient management including zinc, boron and manganese