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In 2011, India launched its first programme to enhance climate resilience of agriculture. The National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), spearheaded by ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), aims to improve production and risk management technologies.

It was launched in 151 villages across the country for technology demonstration. But the programme has been far from being a roaring success.

Climate-resilient agriculture

Climate-resilient agriculture (CRA) is an approach that includes sustainably using existing natural resources through crop and livestock production systems to achieve long-term higher productivity and farm incomes under climate variabilities.

This practice reduces hunger and poverty in the face of climate change for forthcoming generations.

Improved access and utilization of technology, transparent trade regimes, increased use of resources conservation technologies, an increased adaptation of crops and livestock to climatic stress are the outcomes from climate-resilient practices.

Strategies and technologies for climate change adaptation

 

Tolerant crops: This provided 20-25 per cent higher yield than the indigenous cultivars.

Tolerant breeds in livestock and poultry:

Indigenous breeds have unique characters that are adapted to very specific eco-systems across the world. These unique characters are resistant to droughts, thermoregulation, ability to walk long distances, fertility and mothering instincts, ability to ingest and digest low-quality feed, and resistance to diseases.

Feed management: Betterment of feeding systems as an adaptation measure can indirectly improve the efficiency of livestock production. Some feeding methods include altering feeding time or frequency and modification of diet composition.

These measures can decrease the risk from variations of climate by encouraging higher intake or compensating low-feed consumption, decreasing excessive heat load, reducing animal malnutrition and mortality and reducing the feed insecurity during dry seasons respectively.

Water management:  Water-smart technologies like a furrow-irrigated raised bed, micro-irrigation, rainwater harvesting structure, cover-crop method, greenhouse, laser land levelling, reuse wastewater, deficit irrigation and drainage management can support farmers to decrease the effect of variations of climate.

Agro-advisory: Response farming is an integrative approach; it could be called farming with advisories taken from the technocrats depending on local weather information. The success of response farming, viz., decreased danger and enhanced productivity has already been taken in Tamil Nadu and many other states.

Soil organic carbon: Different farm management practices can increase soil carbon stocks and stimulate soil functional stability. Conservation agriculture technologies (reduced tillage, crop rotations, and cover crops), soil conservation practices (contour farming) and nutrient recharge strategies can refill soil organic matter by giving a protective soil cover.

Feeding the soil instead of adding fertilizers to the crop without organic inputs is the key point for the long-term sustainability of Indian agriculture.

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