ENGLISH

Use of water in food and agriculture

Food and agriculture are the largest consumers of water, requiring one hundred times more than we use for personal needs. Up to 70 % of the water we take from rivers and groundwater goes into irrigation, about 10% is used in domestic applications and 20% in industry. Currently, about 3600 km3 of freshwater are withdrawn for human use. Of these, roughly half is really consumed as a result of evaporation, incorporation into crops and transpiration from crops. The other half recharges groundwater or surface flows or is lost in unproductive evaporation. Up to 90% of the water withdrawn for domestic use is returned to rivers and aquifers as wastewater and industries typically consume only about 5% of the water they withdraw. This wastewaterfrom domestic sewage systems and industries should be treated before being dismissed. Since the 1960s the global nutrition has considerably improved, providing more food per capita at progressively lower prices. This performance was possible through high-yielding seeds, irrigation and plant nutrition. As population keeps increasing more food and livestock feed need to be produced in the future and more water applied to this purpose. Irrigate agriculture will have to claim large quantities of water to produce the food required to feed the world. The main source of food for the population of the world is agriculture: this term also includes livestock husbandry, manages fisheries and forestry. The composition of meals changes gradually as lifestyles change. What agriculture produces is driven by consumer demand, and changes in consumer preferences have an influence on the water needed for food production. Cereals are by far the most important source of total food consumption: in developing countries the consumption of cereals 30 years ago represented 61% of total calories. It decreased to 56% nowadays and this reflects diet diversification, proving that more countries achieve higher levels of nutrition. It is expected that cereals will continue to supply more than 50% of the food consumed in the foreseeable future. A large proportion of cereals is produced for animal feed. Food production from the livestock sector includes meat (beef, pork, poultry, etc.), dairy production and eggs. For vegetative growth and development plants require water in adequate quantity and at the right time. Crops have very specific water requirements, and these vary depending on local climate conditions. The production of meat requires between six and twenty time more water than for cereals. The following tables give an overview of the water consumption in food and agriculture. Specific values for the water equivalent of a selection of food products are given in the first table. The second table shows the amount of water needed necessary for a few products per unit of consumption. A glass of wine acquires for example 120 liters of water, a hamburger 2.400 liters, a cotton shirt 4.000 liters and a couple of shoes made out of cows leather 8.000 liters. The third table gives an overview of the amount of virtual water used in the different kind of

agricultural products. The big difference between the countries is due to the climate, applied technology and the amount of production related to it. Product Cattle Sheep and goats Fresh beef Fresh lamb Fresh poultry Cereals Citrus fruits Palm oil Pulses, roots and tubers Product glass of beer glass of wine glass of milk glass of apple juice cup of coffee glass of orange juice cup of tea chips bag slice of bread egg slice of bread with cheese hamburger potato tomato apple orange cotton T-shirt pair of shoes sheet A4 paper microchip U.S. Rice Wheat Corn Soya beans Sugarcane Cottonseed Carton plaxel Coconut Roast coffee Tea leaves Beef Pork Goat's meat Mutton Chicken Eggs Milk Milk powder 1903 849 489 1869 103 2535 5733 5790 13193 3946 3082 5977 2389 1510 695 3234 Unit head head kg kg kg kg kg kg kg Equivalent water in m3per unit 4000 500 15 10 6 1.5 1 2 1 Equivalent water in liters 75 120 200 190 140 170 35 185 40 135 90 2400 25 13 70 50 4100 8000 10 32

Quantity 250 ml 125 ml 200 ml 200 ml 125 ml 200 ml 250 ml 200 g 30 g 40 g 30 g + 10 g 150 g 100 g 70 g 100 g 100 g 500 g 1 80g/m2 2g

Amount of virtual water per food per country in m3/ton Indo Austra Nether China India Russia Brazil Japan Mexico Italy World Average nesia lia lands 1972 4254 3584 3209 1525 4600 1822 3257 2506 3419 690 1654 2375 1588 1616 734 1066 2421 619 1334 801 1937 1397 1285 744 118o 1493 1744 530 408 909 2617 4124 3933 2030 2106 1076 2326 3177 1506 1789 117 159 164 141 155 120 171 175 1419 8264 4453 1887 2777 2127 3644 3210 18694 10072 4268 6281 4812 8242 749 2255 2071 1590 1954 2545 7488 14500 21030 16633 33475 20682 11110 7002 3002 9474 6592 4940 9205 12560 16482 21028 14818 17112 16961 11019 37762 21167 11681 15497 2211 4397 6947 3938 5909 4818 4962 6559 6377 3790 4856 3994 5i87 5290 4543 3839 4175 2560 10252 4180 2791 4043 5202 6692 7621 5956 6947 6267 3571 16878 7572 5298 6143 3652 7736 5763 5549 2914 3913 2977 5013 2198 2222 3918 3550 7531 4919 5400 1844 3337 1884 4277 1389 1404 3340 1000 1369 1345 1143 915 1001 812 2382 861 641 990 4648 6368 6253 5317 4255 4654 3774 11077 4005 2982 4602

Cheese Cow leather

3457 4963 6793 6671 5675 4544 4969 4032 11805 4278 3190 14190 13513 17710 22575 15929 18384 18222 11864 40482 22724 12572

4914 16656

The amount of water involved in agriculture is significant and most of it is provided directly by rainfall. A rough calculation of global water needs for food production can be based on the specific water requirements to produce food for one person. The present average food ingest 2800 kcal/person/day may require 1000 m3 per year to be produced. The world population is about 6 billion, so water needed to produce the necessary food, excluding water losses due to the irrigation system, is 6000 km3. Most of it is provided by rainfall stored in the soil profile and only 15% is provided through irrigation. Irrigation therefore needs 900 km3 of water per year for food crops. On average just about 40% of water withdrawn from rivers, lakes and aquifers for agriculture effectively contribute to crop production (the rest is lost through evaporation and deep infiltration). Consequently the current global water withdrawals for irrigation are estimated to be about 2000 to 2500 km 3 per year. The irrigation level varies from area to area, mostly depending on climate conditions and on the development of irrigation infrastrure. The following figure shows the area equipped for irrigation as percentage of cultivated land by country.

Irrigation-water management has a log way to adapt to the increasing production requirements, however water-saving technologies are already available and can significantly reduce the waste of water. If incentives are in place, as increasing the price of irrigation water, farmers will adopt watersaving irrigation technologies. The main technologies likely to be used in developing countries, where labour is normally abundant but capital scarce, are underground and drip irrigation. Both technologies depend on the frequent application of small amounts of water as directly as possible to the roots of crops. Reducing the pollution loads of water used by farms, industries and urban areas would enable much more of it to be re-used in irrigation. There are enormous potential benefits to be had from the use of wastewater for irrigation. Agriculture will remain the dominant user of water at the global level. In many countries, in particular those situated in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world, this dependency can be expected to intensify. The contribution of irrigated agriculture to food production is substantial but in future the rate of growth will be lower than in the past. Both irrigated and non-irrigated agriculture still have scope for increasing productivity, including water productivity. Arguably, the expansion of irrigated agriculture protected people on the nutritional fringe from premature death, and preserved tracts of

land under forest and wetlands from encroachment by hard-pressed farmers. However, pressures to encroach on such lands persist.

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Can Sea Water be Used for Irrigation ?

Several scientific reports have indicated about the possibility of use of sea water for various purposes including that for irrigation. However, due to relatively higher costs of treatment, there has been very limited use of sea water mainly for drinking purposes. The National Water Policy, 2002 states that for effective and economical management of our water resources, the frontiers of knowledge need to be pushed forward in the several directions by intensifying research efforts in various areas. The areas for intensive research listed in the National Water Policy, inter-alia, include use of sea water resources

Seawater Farming
Problem Seawater farming addresses the severe lack of freshwater and undesirable soil conditions for agricultural activities in coastal regions. Saltwater, instead of freshwater, can be used to directly support a wide range of sustainable agricultural activities and enrich the soils in the coastal regions. Freshwater, which is defined by having much lower salts and ions concentration than seawater and brackish water, only composes about 2.75% out of all water on Earth, and 74.5% of all freshwater are contained in the glaciers, which are not readily available for consumption. Freshwater is not distributed evenly, and in many regions around the world, such as the Sub-Sahara region and the Sub-Indian continent, water is seriously scarce or heavily contaminated. Freshwater plays an important role in the biological system and are used in many human activities: drinking, recreation, industry and most importantly, food production. Food production, such as agriculture, consumes a large body of freshwater and the lack of freshwater poses a grave challenge to food security and the eradication of hunger in many places in the world. Seawater farming directly addresses this problem by proposing

a radically different method of agriculture that does not depend on freshwater and thus relieves the existing constraint on the current freshwater body. In addition, field researches and experiments have shown that seawater farming can transform soil conditions and increase humidity and rainfalls, which will help to further increase the body of freshwater for future consumption. While many projects have demonstrated the viability of seawater farming in specific locations, little researches have been done to study seawater farming in a wide variety of conditions. In addition, existing seawater projects rely on a combination of technology and indigenous socioeconomic factors, which might not be easily replicated elsewhere. Thus, although seawater farming has great potential, we need to proceed with caution to prevent severe disruption to the existing environments, which are often very fragile. Therefore, we propose to implement small-scaled, pilot seawater projects in different locations around the world to do field research and collect data. The timeline for the small pilot project is about 2-5 years. After that period, an evaluation will be done in order to decide upon the implementation of large-scaled seawater farming projects. The specific details of the pilot projects, such as locations, budgets and methodology, will be further elaborated in later section.

SST
Essay on the modes of irrigation in India
SHIYA

All the different sources of irrigation in India are divided into two major divisions; viz. Flow irrigation and Lift irrigation. The water of a reservoir or tank usually remains at a higher level, and when a channel is connected to it, water automatically flows down the channel which serves the purpose of a canal for irrigating the

land. In this case the water level remains higher than the fields. Such irrigation is known as the flow irrigation and it is generally possible in the plain areas. But where the farm lands lie at a higher level and the canals or tanks lie at a lower level, it becomes necessary to lift the water by pump etc. to irrigate land. Water is lifted from wells and tanks by a crude country method (by tend) and from tube-wells by pumps for irrigation. Nowadays the ground water is used for irrigation by lifting it by means of electric or diesel pump sets. Water is also lifted from wells tanks or rivers by pumps and irrigation is done through channels. This method of irrigation is known as the Lift Irrigation. Now a days sprinkle irrigation is being very much popular as more land can be irrigated with less water in this method. The Irrigation Projects of India are classified into three types according to their capacity of irrigation. They are (i) Major Irrigation Projects, (ii) Medium Irrigation Projects and (iii) Minor Irrigation Projects. Irrigations in India carried are on in three different ways according to their sources, such as (i) by canals, (ii) by wells, and (iii) by tanks. Out of the total area under irrigation, 40 per cent are irrigated by canals, 40 per cent by wells and 12 per cent by tanks. The rest 8 per cent of land are irrigated by other methods. 1. Irrigation by Canals: This is the most convenient method of irrigation. About half of the total area under irrigation by canals is situated in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. It is easy to dig canals in these areas since the land is level and soil soft. There are two types of canals; such as: perennial canals and inundation canals. Artificial reservoirs are created by constructing annicuts. Barrages or dams across rivers for perennial canals. Irrigation is being done in the Mahanadi delta area by constructing barrages at Naraj and at Jobra of Cuttack city across the Mahanadi and at Choudwar across the river Birupu. When there is excessive flow of water in the rivers in flood, the extra water flows in the canals rising from those rivers. Such canals are effective only during floods; hence those are known as the inundation canals. This type of canal is very few in number in the country, more in Punjab than elsewhere. There are many perennial canals in different regions of the country and the most famous of those are the Upper Bari Doab Canal and the Sir hind Canal in Punjab, the West Yamuna Canal and the Chakra Canal in Haryana. The Chakra Canal is the largest canal of the country. This canal serves the purpose of irrigation in the states of Punjab and Haryana. The Rajasthan Canal (The Indira Gandhi Canal) of Rajasthan is the longest canal of Asia. The northwestern part of Rajasthan is being irrigated by it. The other important canals are the Shard Canal, the Beta Canal, the Upper Ganga and the Lower Ganga Canals of Uttar- Pradesh. Many canals have been dug out of the rivers Krishna, Godavari und Tungabhadra of Andhra Pradesh. The other important canals are the Son Canal of Bihar, the Damodar Canal of West Bengal, the Mahanadi and the Rushikulya Canals of Orissa, the Mettur and the Periyar Canals of Tamilnadu. The Krishnarajsagar, the Tungabhadra and the Ghataprava Canals of Karnataka. 2. Irrigation by Wells: The rain-water sinks down easily in the areas where the soil is soft and porous. So water is available at a lower depth when wells are dug and it helps irrigation. Primarily irrigation is carried on by wells

in the western part of Uttar Pradesh, some parts of Bihar and in the blank cotton soil area of the Deccan. In addition to it, in the coastal strip of Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh, some parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat irrigation is also carried on by wells. Some or the other type of lift irrigation is required-for using the well-water for irrigation. Old methods like inot or ieiida are still practiced in many areas. Power-driven pumps have become very popular in most parts. In some areas cattle or camels are used to lift water by the Persian wheels. The power-driven (electric or diesel) pumps can also lift water from a much greater depth from tube-wells. Now a days wind mills also lift water from the wells for irrigation purpose. Irrigation by wells is more expensive, so more profitable farming of vegetables is carried on in those areas. 3. Irrigation by Tanks: Tank irrigation is the most feasible and widely practiced method of irrigation all over the Peninsula, where most of the tanks are small in size and built by individuals or groups of farmers by raising bonds across seasonal streams. The soil of this plateau is hard and stony and its land is undulated and so, it is not easy to dig canals or wells in those areas. There are big tanks which have been created by raising high bonds on one side of the valley of hills. Small channels are dug out of both the sides of the tanks to irrigate lands. There are big reservoirs like Nizam Sagar, Usman Sagar, Hossain Sagar, Krishna raj Sagar etc. in the peninsular India. Besides, in rural areas of the Peninsula there are large numbers of small tanks for irrigation, but such tanks dry up during acute drought period and don't help in irrigation. Underground Water Resources: A huge quantity of water has been stored under the ground since long. Now an organisation named the Central Underground Water Board has been set up in order to utilize this water. A map has been prepared by this organisation after surveying all over the country. This map shows the regions where underground water is easily available and at what depth. Nowadays pure drinking water is being supplied by deep bored tubewells in the rural areas where pure drinking water is not available and in the coastal strip of Orissa having brined water. Lift irrigation is being carried on by sinking deep bored tube wells in the areas having scarcity of water for agriculture. People had not such idea regarding the underground water before India attained independence. So the underground water resources had not been developed. Multipurpose River-Valley Projects: Many multipurpose river valley projects have been developed in our country in order to utilize the vast water-resources of our rivers. Many purposes can be solved by creating reservoirs by constructing strong dams and embankments or bonds in the river beds. Flood control, irrigation, generation of hydro-electricity, navigation, soil conservation, afforestation, pisciculture, water supply etc. have been the chief aims of these multipurpose projects. So these projects have been turned as Multipurpose River-Valley Projects. In addition to this, these projects have also been spots of tourist interest to attract tourists. Owing to generation of hydro-electricity, power supply has been cheap and convenient and growth of industry has been possible in our country.

The Methods of Irrigation Practiced in India Wells and Tube-wells irrigation: Well irrigation is the popular method of irrigation all over the country. It is widespread in the northern plains, coastal plains and some parts of the peninsular India where ground water is available. Wells and tube wells irrigation are widely practiced in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Maharashtra. Tank irrigation: The regions where wells and tube-wells and cannot be dug out owing to stony round and regions where subsoil or ground-water is not available, rain-waters are collected in the tanks or reservoirs and are used for irrigation. Tank irrigation is common in southern India. Tank irrigation is widespread in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Canal irrigation: Canal lead irrigation water from rivers or storage reservoirs. Inundation canals: These canals lead off water from a river during flood. These are simple, but do not provide water all the year round. Perennial canals: These canals lead off water from a river all the year round. There are also canals, which are fed by water stored behind a large dam or barrage.Modern multipurpose river valley projects, which build up dams, not only provide water for irrigation, but also help to control floods, and generate hydroelectric power.

Agriculture in India
Jan 19, 2010LechuIndia4 Comments Introduction

Agriculture in India has a long history dating back to ten thousand years. Today, India ranks second worldwide in farm output. Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry and logging accounted for 16.6% of the GDP in 2007, employed 60% of the total workforceand despite a steady decline of its share in the GDP, is still the largest economic sector and plays a significant role in the overall socioeconomic development of India. India is the largest producer in the world of milk, cashew nuts, coconuts, tea, ginger, turmeric and black pepper, and has the worlds largest cattle population (281 million).It is the second largest producer of wheat, rice, sugar, groundnut and inland fish. It is the third largest producer of tobacco.India accounts for 10% of the world fruit production with first rank in the production of banana and sapota. Indias population is growing faster than its ability to produce rice and wheat.

There are 11 types of agriculture in India:

1. shifting agriculture 2. subsistence farming 3. intensive agriculture 4. extensive agriculture 5. commercial agriculture 6. plantation agriculture 7. mixed farming 8. monoculture 9. dry farming 10. crop rotation 11. mixed farming

The success of any agriculture is influenced by the availability of proper irrigational facilities. The farmers are still depending heavily on rainfall, specifically monsoon. Irrigation is a method by which water is supplied to plants from the outside or the artificial source of water where natural precipitation falls short.Irrigation is indispensable to Indian agriculture. In India rainfall is caused by the influence of the summer monsoon; it is seasonal and unpredictable. Often it is unreliable. But agriculture needs a regular supply of water by irrigation

Seasonal rainfall: The Southwest monsoon, which advances from the southern seas in summer, brings rainfall. For this, most of the rainfall in India occurs in summer. In dry winter, , agriculture suffers from scanty rainfall. For this season,irrigation is indispensable. Uneven distribution of rainfall: The summer rainfall, which occurs in India, is not evenly distributed all over the country. The areas receiving scanty rainfall needsirrigation even during summer monsoon. Better land use: With irrigation, cultivation can be done well all the year round. It allows better use of land.

Introduction of new method of cultivation: In recent years, new agricultural methods have been employed. New high yielding seeds are used to get more crops; even harvesting periods are being reduced to minimum, so that two or more harvesting can be raised in a year. This new agriculture needs more waters. For these, irrigation is essential.

The Methods of Irrigation Practiced in India

Wells and Tube-wells irrigation: Well irrigation is the popular method of irrigation all over the country. It is widespread in the northern plains, coastal plains and some parts of the peninsular India where ground water is available. Wells and tube wells irrigation are widely practiced inPunjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Maharashtra. Tank irrigation: The regions where wells and tube-wells and cannot be dug out owing to stony ground and regions where subsoil or ground-water is not available, rain-waters are collected in the tanks or reservoirs and are used for irrigation. Tank irrigation is common in southern India.Tank irrigation is widespread in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Canal irrigation: Canal lead irrigation water from rivers or storage reservoirs. Inundation canals: These canals lead off water from a river during flood. These are simple, but do not provide water all the year round. Perennial canals: These canals lead off water from a river all the year round. There are also canals, which are fed by water stored behind a large dam or barrage.Modern multipurpose river valley projects, which build up dams, not only provide water for irrigation, but also help to control floods, and generate hydroelectric power.

Major Crops of India

Kharif crops: The crops, which grow during the Kharif season, are known as Kharif Crops. Kharif crops are rice, millets, sugarcane etc. These crops are harvested in winter. Rabbi crops: The crops, which grow during Rabi season, are known asRabi Crops. Rabbi season begins in autumn. The chief rabbi crops are wheat, barley, gram, pulses, linseed and mustard. These crops are garneted in spring season. Cash crops: The Crops, which earn money, particularly the foreign exchange, are known as Cash Crops. Tea, jute, cotton etc., are main Cash Crops in India. Plantation crops: Plantation Crops are those, which yield crops over a period of years from planted trees or bushes in garden like farmlands.

Rice
Rice is the most important food-grain of India. It is the staple food of the country where rainfall exceeds 100 cm. India ranks second in the production of rice, after China.Climatic conditions of Rice is a crop of the Tropical Monsoon lamed. It

requires hot and humid climate. It needs temperature of over 16 degree C to 20 degree C for its cultivation. The temperature must be higher during growing season. It thrives well in plenty of bright sunshine with an average temperature of 27 degree C and water. Rice requires abundant rainfall, ranging from 150 cm to 200 cm. plenty of water should remain standing on the ground up to 5 cm to 10 cm in the rice-field in the earlier part of its growing season. Rice requires flooded fields. Extensive plains and lowlands provide excellent conditions for paddy cultivation. On hills and mountains, rice is grown on terraces. Rice grows on a wide variety of soils. But alluvial loan with sub-soil of clay is ideal. Because the clay like impermeable sub-soil holds water to stand in the fields. Level lands with alluvial soils of the river valley and deltas are ideal for rice cultivation. The rice cultivation requires cheap and abundant labor, as most of the works in rice fields, such as sowing, transplanting and harvesting are done by hand.

Wheat
Wheat is a rabbi crop in this country. India ranks fourth in the production of wheat in the world. Favorable Geographical Condition for Wheat Cultivation: In India, wheat is a winter crop. Wheat requires a moderate cool climate with moderate rain. In India, it is grown in winter. It needs temperature 10 degree C to 15 degree C for its cultivation. It thrives well in an average temperature of 16-degree C. Warm and sunny weather is essential at the time of ripening. Wheat requires a rainfall of 50 cm to 100 cm during the growing season. Too much rain is injurious to the plant. On irrigated lands, a rainfall of 40 cm to 50 cm is sufficient. Light rainfall and cloudiness before the grain ripens increase the productivity.Alluvial level plains are ideal for wheat cultivation. Slightly rolling plains are also suitable. Plains should be well drained so that water cannot stand there. Wheat requires fertile alluvial soil. Clay loamy soils or even black cotton soils are suitable. Soil should retain moisture. A certain amount of lime in the soil is beneficial. Labor factors are not as important in the wheat cultivation as in the case of rice. However, labor is essential for the cultivation. The other requirements of wheat cultivation include (i) irrigation, (ii) high yielding varieties of seeds and (iii) capitals.

Tea
Tea is an important beverage. It is popular drink in India and abroad. Tea is the most important cash crop in India. Favorable Geographical Conditions for Tea Cultivation: The tea plant is essentially a Tropical one. Tea plant needs a hot and wet climate. Temperature: It requires temperature between 10 degree C and 35 degree C; but the areas where the summer temperature averages about 25 degree C are most favorable for its growth. The tea plant needs a rainfall varying between 150 cm and 200 cm. The rainfall should be well distributed throughout the year. Heavy dew and high humidity cause rapid growth of new leaves. Other weather conditions: The tea plant needs a shade from the direct sunlight. For this, in between the bushes special shade- trees are grown. Stagnant water is harmful for tea plant. Hence, mountain and hill slopes are preferred.

The tea grown at higher elevation has better flavors and taste. Tea requires fertile soils, rich in nitrogen and iron. Sandy loams are the best for its growth. Soils of the forested land are rich in organic matter. It is an ideal soil. Plenty of cheap is efficient labor is needed; because, picking of leaves and preparing them for manufacture involve a great deal of work to be done by hand; women play a key role in the plucking of two leavesand-a-bud.

Coffee
Coffee is the second most popular beverage of India. Its cultivation is confined in South India. Favorable Geographical Conditions for the Cultivation: Coffee is grown on the tropical highlands. Coffee is a typical highland crop of theTropics. It requires temperature between 16 degree C and 28 degree C all the year round. It is sensitive to cold and frost. Direct sunrays are injurious to the plant; it is often grown in the shades of other trees. The coffee plant needs a rainfall ranging between 125 cm and 200 cm. The rainfall should be well distributed throughout the year. Hilly slopes are suitable for coffee plantation; because, the land can be kept free from water logging. In fact, the mountain slopes at elevations varying from 500-1800 meters in the tropical highlands are the best for its plantation. The coffee plant needs deep loamy soil formed from weathered lava. Coffee soils in India belong to red and latertic soils. They are rich in iron and organic matter. Coffee cultivation needs plenty of labor for planting, seeding transplanting, plucking the coffee cherries, and processing of coffee in the factory. In India, most of the coffee grown, belongs to the Arabic or the Roberta verities. The Arabic a variety is of superior quality.

Cotton
Cotton is a leading fibred crop and the most important commercial crop in India. Favorable Geographical Conditions for cotton cultivation: Cotton is essentially a tropical crop; but it is also grown in subtropical regions where there is no frost. Cotton plant requires medium temperature and rainfall. It needs summer temperatures between 20 degree C and 30 Degree C.Abundant sunshine are necessary during the growth of the plant. The plant requires rainfall of 50 cm to 80 cm. In areas of low rainfall, cotton is grown with the help of irrigation.During the period of fruiting, warm days and cool nights are required. Frost is injurious to its growth. well-drained alluvial plains are ideal for cotton production. Slightly sloping plains are also used for its cultivation. Good drainage is essential, because the plant does not toleratewater logging.It thrives best in light alluvial soils, rich in lime or black lava soils. That recur soil of the Deccan is very much suitable for its quality of retaining moisture. Cotton cultivation needs plenty of cheap and co-operative labor, as most of the work in the field is done by hand. It is needed for picking cotton bolls as well as other processes, such as, for ginning, pressing and packing.

Jute
Jute is a fibred crop; it is inferior to cotton. It is one of the most important cash crops of eastern India and is popularly known as the golden fibre for its colors and high cash value. Favorable Geographical Conditions for Growth: Jute is essentially a Tropical Monsoon crop. Jute needs a hot and humid climate. It grows is India under the following agro-climatic conditions. It grows best in areas having a minimum temperature of 27 degree C during the period of growth. The jute plant requires a rainfall of 170 cm to 250 cm evenly distributed during the growing period. Plenty of clean water is also required after growing period for retting and washing. The plant requires a high relative humidity between 80 and 90 per cent. Jute requires flooded fields. Extensive plains and lowlands provide excellent conditions for jute cultivation. Jute is grown in clay loams. It grows well on alluvial soil found in the flood plains and deltas of rivers. Annual floods of the rivers supply the silt and new alluvium necessary for the plant, as jute is a soil- exhausting crop. Plenty of cheap labor is also essential as most of the work (sowing, weeding, harvesting, retting, washing etc.) is done by hand.

ABOUT KERALA IRRIGATION

The uneven distribution of rainfall causes damages to crops by flooding during monsoon and by drought during the summer season. Thus it is seen that Irrigation is a must for the successful cultivation of crops on Kerala. Through there are various methods for providing Irrigation Water, the best and the most reliable method which can be used for for Kerala is the construction of storage reservoirs for impounding water during the monsoon and utilizing the water in the reservoir for critical periods of the crops when there is insufficiency. During 1960s and 70s State faced acute storage of food grains. Hence, major and medium projects were taken up during that time to provide Irrigation facility for paddy. A major portion of the cultivable land could be made as ayacut under these projects. But, in the present context, priority has changed. Almost all projects are being converted into multi purpose projects in order to maximize the utilization of existing resources. In order to improve the Irrigation potential, innovative MI Schemes have also been implemented in almost all parts of the state in the form of Lift Irrigation Schemes, improvement of existing lakes and ponds, diversion schemes for natural streams, prevention of salinity intrusion in rivers, drainage works to paddy fields, construction of check dams, vented cross bars, sluices. Construction of sea walls,

flood damage control works including side protection works of natural streams and channels, etc. are other major areas of activities under the Irrigation Department. Irrigation Department is aimed at providing a most efficient Irrigation system to the state of Kerala,which functions as the backbone for the improvement of agriculture in the state. Apart from the above Irrigation Schemes, this department is responsible for protecting the Sea coast of 478 Km from sea erosion. This is achieved by protecting the coast by the construction sea wall.Construction of groynes are also done by this department at selected areas. Another important activity of this department is the Inland Navigation works.The west coast canal from Kovalam to Neelaswaram for a length of 590 Km except a distance of 168 KM under National water way No.III is to be developed as State Water ways.