National Conference on Agriculture: Kharif Campaign 2016 Review

1. NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AGRICULTURE FOR KHARIF CAMPAIGN 2016 RABI REVIEW AND KHARIF PROSPECTS Dr. S K Malhotra Agriculture Commissioner Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

2. AREA AND PRODUCTION OF RABI CROPS IN 2015-16 * IInd advance estimate

3. RAINFALL IN RABI SEASON (MM)

4. WEATHER SCENERIO DURING RABI 2015-16 • Due to moisture stress, less area was covered under wheat, rabi rice and oilseeds while under coarse cereals and pulses it remained same. • Temperature during February and March has been very conducive for crop growth. • Hailstorm and heavy rains in many places across many states has affected crops on a limited scale

5. PLANNING FOR KHARIF 2016 • Forecast of India Metrological Department by 3rd week of April 2016 • Plan for all the possible scenarios to be kept ready • Delayed onset • Prolonged dry spells • Early withdrawal, • Less rainfall • Excess rainfall • Contingency plans for 600 districts of 27 States except Mizoram & Goa ready

6. CURRENT SCENARIO ON MONSOON • The El-Nino condition-main reason for deficient monsoon 2015 • El-Nino is showing signs of weakening for last 1-2 months and condition expected to weaken further & may become neutral by May-June 2016 • Possibility of development of La-Nina conditions during 2nd half of the monsoon season (August-September) • This situation is considered as favorable for good monsoon rainfall, although condition of other parameters is also important

7. EXPECTATIONS • Timely placement of inputs • Arrangement for seeds, fertilizers, nutrients, Plant Protection chemicals, funds for various schemes • Coordination meeting with line departments (credit, power, irrigation) • Preparation for timely crop insurance cover • Weekly video conferencing for reviewing crop situation , input availability and follow up • Mobilizing extension staff for field deployment • Pooling contractual staff under ATMA, NFSM and other schemes • Active involvement of SAUs/KVKs • Technical backstopping cluster demonstration and capacity building • Timely implementation of schemes • Effective monitoring and feed back

8. NEW INITIATIVES FOR PULSES UNDER NFSM • Creation of 150 seed hubs at KVKs and SAUs in three years • Enhancement of breeder seed production at ICAR and SAUs. • Distribution of seed mini kits of pulses • Subsidy for production of quality seed • Bio-fertilizer and bio-control agent units at SAUs • Technology demonstrations through KVKs at farmer’s field

9. WE NEED TO PROMOTE • Summer moong • Pulses as intercrop with other crops like Soybean, Cotton, Sugarcane etc. • Arhar on rice bunds • Transplanted Arhar • Hybrid Arhar • Ridge Furrow and Broad Bed Furrow • Minor pulses (cowpea, mothbean, horse gram, faba bean, lathyrus and rajmash)

10. INTEGRATED CROP MANAGEMENT IN PULSES • Seed treatment, inoculation with Rhizobium and PSB culture • Application of recommended dose of fertilizers • Amelioration of acidic soils with lime/ liming material • Micro-nutrients as per requirement • Gypsum as source of sulphur • Weed management with recommended chemicals • Pest surveillance and integrated pest management (bio-pesticides and mechanical devices)

11. RICE • Mechanical/Line Transplanting • Direct seeded Rice (DSR) • Drum seeder for wet bed • System of Rice Intensification(SRI) • Promoting hybrids • Stress tolerant varieties • Stress tolerant varieties for submergence, drought/low rainfall areas , saline areas • Nutrient and pest management

12. KHARIF OILSEEDS • Intercrop with pulses/cotton/coarse cereals • Use of Broad Bed Furrow and Ridge Furrow techniques for effective moisture stress / excess water management. • Improved varieties of soybean, groundnut, sesame and hybrid of castor and sunflower • Seed treatment with rhizobium (soybean/groundnut), Azospirillum /Azotobactor (sesame) and PSB culture (sunflower). • Replacement of upland / low yielding paddy area with oilseeds / maize / pulses • Introduction of soybean in non-traditional areas – Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha

13. SOYBEAN Last year there was large scale damage to soybean in MP due to white fly, YMV & deficient rainfall, strategies to counter it are: • Use of YMV resistant variety of soybean, like JS 20-29, JS 97-52, PS-1225 and PS-1029 • Management of white fly • Use of BBF and Ridge & Furrow system for management of moisture stress, drainage • Crop rotation and intercropping • Reduce seed rate to optimum levels

14. COTTON Last year there was large scale damage to cotton crop in Punjab and Haryana; strategies to counter it are: Timely sowing (upto 15th May) Monitoring of white fly and other pests Sowing only tolerant varieties/hybrids Application of recommended dose of fertilizer, avoid excessive urea application Use of recommended pesticides with proper application technique

15. REQUIREMENT & AVAILABILITY OF SEEDS FOR KHARIF CROPS 2016 (Quintals)

16. REQUIREMENT & AVAILABILITY OF FERTILIZERS FOR KHARIF: 2016 (LakhTonnes)

17. With the appropriate strategy we will be able to address the constraints and achieve the target THANK YOU