ABSTRACT
In arid and semiarid regions of India drought is a recurring phenomenon affecting both human and cattle populations on a large scale. Low annual rainfall in these regions coupled with highly erratic and unpredictable patterns are the root cause. Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka make up the bulk of this region while some stretches are also found in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. In these regions farming is unprofitable and unsustainable, and over the years soil fertility has also gone down owing to low biomass production and high cattle pressure on land for vegetation and fodder. In the context of climate change, this situation is expected to get worst unless some drought-proofing mechanisms, technologies, and management practices are implemented. 464These include alternate land use systems, namely integrating locally suited perennial fruit trees (horticultural fruit trees) on arable lands with rainy season crops, adoption of rainwater-harvesting structures, application of available limited water for irrigation through advanced methods (viz., drip, trickle, partial root zone drying) and at critical stages or during post-rainy and summer seasons, mulching land between rows of fruit trees with crop residues or legume crops, covering the tree bases with organic or plastic mulch, and adopting sustainable soil management practices to build resilience against drought.
