Improved methods of agriculture

In the past, farmers saved seeds from one harvest to use for the next season, but these seeds didn’t produce as many crops. Today, special seeds are made through research to give more crops (higher yield). These seeds can resist pests and insects. Some seeds grow faster, while others can grow with less water.

Importance of Water for Crops:

Crops need water at the right time to grow well. Water comes from rain, rivers, lakes, and wells. Dams and bunds are built to store more water and increase groundwater levels.

Most agriculture in India is rain-fed; that is, the success of crops in most areas is dependent on timely monsoons and sufficient rainfall spread through most of the growing season. Hence, poor monsoons cause crop failure. Ensuring that the crops get water at the right stages during their growing season can increase the expected yields of any crop. Therefore, many measures are used to bring more and more agricultural land under irrigation.

1. Wells: Two types of wells are used for irrigation.

• Tubewell: Tubewells are tube-like structures that are used to extract the underground water.
• Dug Wells: Dug wells are the wells dug in the ground in order to extract the underground water. Water from dug well and tubewell both lifted by using pumps.

2. Canals: A canal system is a network created to move water from one source of water, such as a stream or reservoir. The main canal is divided into branches that spread by through the fields so that water can be distributed everywhere.

3. River Lift System: A river lift system is used to draw water from the rivers directly for irrigation purposes. This system is successful in areas where the canal system is not successful.

4. Tanks: Farmers often use small storage reservoirs that can store as well as supply water in the small fields.

5. Rainwater Harvesting: Instead of just letting the rainwater flow away, farmers often store it in the reservoir tank. This water can be used for irrigation purposes.

6. Watershed Management: Small dams are built on the rivers and streams in order to increase the ground levels of the area. These check dams prevent water from flowing away and causing soil erosion.

Traditional Irrigation:

In the past, water was supplied to crops through canals, but much of it was lost due to evaporation and soaking into the ground.