Infocus agriculture Crop Diversification: High-density orchards can be a game-changer

Surinder S Kukal and Kamaljeet S Khaira

AGRICULTURE in the northwestern region, the country’s food bowl, is at a crossroads due to several reasons, the most important being depleting and deteriorating soil and water resources, mainly due to lack of precise policies on crop diversification and resource conservation. Crop diversification is being advocated repeatedly to check further depletion of water resources. It is emphasised that paddy should be replaced in Punjab and Haryana with alternative crops, least considering the fact that presently no crop is as profitable as paddy due to its assured procurement at the minimum support price. Nor is there any other crop which could have survived a calamity such as the 2023 floods in these states. Such calamities are expected to occur more frequently in future. Intensive cultivation without recycling crop residue is taking its toll on the physical, chemical and biological fertility of the soil. Water conservation through micro-irrigation of crops, recommended by researchers, is not gaining popularity among farmers.

Orchards offer a possible path for the conservation of soil and water resources. Shifting from traditional to high-density orchards, coupled with micro-irrigation, can prove to be a good alternative to the rice-wheat cropping system, both for resource conservation and higher productivity and profitability. High-density orchards are becoming popular among farmers of HP, J&K and the higher reaches of Uttarakhand due to higher returns. But the system is facing many hurdles that are impeding its wider adoption in the region.

Orchards offer a possible way for the conservation of soil and water resources. Shifting from traditional to high-density orchards, coupled with micro-irrigation, can prove to be a good alternative to the rice-wheat cropping system, both for resource conservation and higher productivity and profitability. High-density orchards are becoming popular among farmers of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and higher reaches of Uttarakhand due to higher returns. But the system is facing many hurdles that are impeding its wider adoption in the region.

Challenges for high-density orchards

Lack of systematic research: High-density plantation (HDP) requires precision techniques, especially with respect to the trellis system. With the fruit plants being more sensitive to soil moisture and nutrient availability than field crops, precise information on input quantity and time of application plays an important role in determining the fruit’s productivity and quality. Lack of such site-specific scientific recommendations is hindering the adoption of HDP by farmers in the region.

Non-availability of quality planting material: Potential HDP farmers need to have high-quality planting material, especially rootstock dwarfs and/or cultivar dwarfs for high-density plantation at a reasonable cost. Presently, HDP farmers in the region are importing the planting material from faraway places within or outside the country, thus adding to their transportation and other costs.

Lack of regular electricity supply for drip irrigation: Drip irrigation is essential for irrigation and fertigation in HDP orchards. Such a system requires more working hours for irrigation as the electrically operated pump has to bear the pressure for extraction of water, pushing it through main lines, sub-lines and laterals towards the drippers. This leads to a decrease in the motor efficiency by up to 40% of that in case of flood irrigation. During the harsh summer months (April to June), farmers face difficulties with respect to irrigation and/or fertigation due to limited-hour electricity supply.

Non-availability of labour: HDP requires sufficient labour for precise pruning and training, loading, grading and packing, etc. Spraying is much more important in HDP orchards as it requires essential solutions of humic acid, fulvic acid, amino acids, etc., apart from pesticides. This requires assured local labour, which is scanty in villages due to MGNREGA works. Farmers, therefore, have to grapple with labour shortage in high-density orchards in the region.

Policy support

HDP leads to a higher amount (90%) of A-grade fruit compared to 60% in case of normal planation. It also leads to at least 4-6 times higher yield than traditional orchards. The profitability can improve further if farmers properly grade, pack and market their produce. However, they need the government’s intervention.

n Regular supply of electricity: In view of the higher number of working hours required for the drip system of irrigation, it is imperative that HDP farmers in the region must get 24-hour electricity supply at least during the period from April 15 to June 15 and for four hours during morning and evening hours for the rest of the time.

n Subsidy on small machinery: Since HDP is labour-intensive, farmers need to be subsidised for small machinery — 3.15-ft-wide, 24-30-HP tractor, tractor-mounted sprayer, spray-mounted blower and other equipment. The existing subsidy policies in northwestern states for small machinery and equipment need to be revised in the light of present-day high-density horticulture needs.

n Diversion of MGNREGA labour: Farmers are of the view that most of the village labour force is involved in MGNREGA works and is not available for labour-intensive HDP horticulture. It is laudable that the Punjab government recently decided to extend MGNREGA labour to kinnow farmers. A similar policy may be framed to divert MGNREGA labour to high-density orchard farmers in different states at the rate of three persons per acre per year.

• Subsidy on liquid fertilisers: Being sensitive to nutrient availability, the HDP orchards need to be fertigated as per schedule using costly liquid fertilisers. The government policy to provide a limited subsidy (with a ceiling on land and amount of subsidy) on liquid fertilisers needs to be reviewed for HDP farmers.

Many farmers in the region are aware of the consequences of resource degradation. They are ready to take up potentially profitable and resource-conserving ventures, but need handholding by the government. With policy support, they can easily shift from the highly intensive rice-wheat system to permanent agriculture in the form of micro-irrigated HDP orchards.

Kukal is a member of Punjab Water Regulation & Development Authority and Khaira is a Nabha-based progressive farmer

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