Previous Year Question

In rainfed agriculture, the water requirement of crops is met primarily through rainfall, while the availability of assured irrigation is limited. Such farming is particularly prevalent in arid and semi-arid regions.

Groundnut: Groundnut is one of India’s principal oilseed crops. A major part of it is cultivated during the Kharif season under rainfed conditions. Its cultivation in the extensive semi-arid areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra depends upon monsoon rainfall. Groundnut can tolerate drought to some extent, but adequate soil moisture is necessary during flowering, pegging and pod development. Waterlogging is harmful to the crop.

Sesamum: Sesamum is a short-duration, relatively drought-tolerant and low-input oilseed crop. It is commonly cultivated on marginal and less-fertile land under rainfed conditions. Its root system helps it obtain moisture from the lower layers of the soil. Sesamum can tolerate drought but is highly sensitive to waterlogging.

Pearl millet: Pearl millet is a major rainfed food crop of arid and semi-arid regions. It can grow under high temperatures, low and uncertain rainfall and even in light or sandy soils. Its comparatively low water requirement and drought tolerance make it suitable for Rajasthan, Gujarat and other low-rainfall regions.

Here, predominantly rainfed does not mean that these crops cannot be cultivated under irrigation. It means that a major part of their cultivated area in India is under rainfall-dependent conditions.