Water: Heart of Agriculture
Mousumi Malo
Assistant Director of Agriculture, Model Farm, Jayrambati, Bankura, West Bengal (722 161), India
DOI: NIL
Keywords: Agriculture, Crop, Production, Water
Abstract
Water is a crucial commodity for agricultural production that contributes an efficacious role in food security. Irrigated agriculture represents 20% of total cultivated land and bestows 40% of the total food produced worldwide, besides, on average; it is at least twice as productive per unit of land as rainfed agriculture, thereby allowing for more production intensification and crop diversification. Worldwide, the application of water and its controlled utilization has been an essential factor in raising crop productivity and ensuring predictability in outputs. Water is fundamental to bring forth the potentiality of the land and to enable improved varieties of both plants and animals to make full use of other yield enhancing factors. By raising productivity, sustainable water management especially when combined with adequate soil husbandry helps to ensure better production both for direct consumption and for commercial disposal, thereby enhancing the generation of necessary economic surpluses for uplifting rural economies.
Downloads
not found
Reference
FAO, Reforming water resources policy- A guide to methods, processes and practices- FAO irrigation and drainage paper 52, 1995.
U.S. Geological Survey. 2000. Estimated Use of Water in the US in 2000. Available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2004/circ1268/htdocs/textir.html.