Madhya Pradesh

The cultivated area (14.9 million ha) constitutes almost half of the total geographical area of the state. A greater part of the area (62%) is rainfed with large precipitation during monsoon. The black soils/red soils are low to medium in soil fertility. The major crops are soybean, wheat, chickpea and cotton. Suggested interventions for natural resource management for agriculture in the state are as follows:

� Site-specific nutrient management on 0.5 million ha in soybean-wheat to produce additional 

  1 million tonnes of foodgrains

� Raised bed planting in 4.25 million ha to increase pulses production by 0.5 million tonnes

� Vermicomposting/phosphocomposting to enhance productivity of the soybean-wheat system

� Water harvesting/recycling for life saving and supplemental irrigations

Wheat

Madhya Pradesh is an important wheat growing state, accounting for 8.7% of production and 14.3% of the area under cultivation. The area under wheat in the state is 3.7 million ha and the production is 6.1 tonnes, at a productivity of 1.6 tonnes/ha. There is an yield gap of 2.07 tonnes/ha between farmers� fields and frontline demonstrations. Major constraints in production are poor varietal replacement, heat and drought stress and late sowing. Technological interventions suggested are:

� Improved varieties

  Irrigated timely sown: GW 366, GW 322, GW 273 ,HI 8498 (Durum), HI 8381(Durum)

  Irrigated late sown: HD 2864, MP 4010, DL 788-2

  Rainfed timely sown: HI 1500, HW 2004, JWS 17, HD 4672(Durum), HD 8627(Durum). These are also  

 suitable for resistriced irrigated condition

� Growing improved varieties of bread wheat (GW 366, GW 322, GW 273) and durum wheat (HI 8498,

   HI 8381) with restricted and judicious irrigation

� Bed planting for efficient nutrient and water management

Sorghum

It is cultivated in 5.48 lakh ha, mostly during kharif season. The major constraints in increasing production in the state are low adoption of improved production technology, moisture stress, susceptibility to shoot fly and earhead bug under delayed plantings, inadequate supply as well as availability of seeds of improved dual-purpose varieties and hybrids. Suggested interventions are:

� Improved varieties/hybrids like CSH 18, CSV 15 and Indore 12