🌾 Drought — Types and Management

Drought is one of the most serious weather hazards in agriculture because it develops slowly, affects crops over large areas, and can reduce water, fodder, employment, and farm income all at once. Its management therefore requires both field-level and policy-level responses.

What Is Drought?

Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall that creates water shortage and disturbs the normal balance of the hydrological system.

In agriculture, drought is important not only because rainfall is low, but because crop water demand is no longer met at the right time.

Types of Drought

1. Meteorological Drought

This occurs when rainfall is substantially below the normal amount for a region.

• Moderate drought: rainfall deficiency of 26-50%
• Severe drought: rainfall deficiency of more than 50%

2. Agricultural Drought

This occurs when soil moisture becomes insufficient to meet crop water needs.

It may occur:

• after poor rainfall,
• due to poor water-holding capacity of soil,
• or during critical stages such as flowering and grain filling.

3. Hydrological Drought

This results when rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and groundwater decline after prolonged rainfall shortage.

4. Socio-Economic Drought

This is the stage where water shortage starts affecting food, fodder, employment, and other economic goods and services.

Drought-Prone Areas in India

Several parts of India are chronically drought-prone, especially:

• western Rajasthan,
• Kutch and Saurashtra in Gujarat,
• Marathwada and Vidarbha in Maharashtra,
• northern Karnataka,
• Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh,
• parts of Tamil Nadu.

These regions typically combine low or erratic rainfall with high evapotranspiration demand.

Effects of Drought on Agriculture

• poor germination and crop stand,
• reduced tillering and vegetative growth,
• flower drop and poor grain filling,
• reduced fodder availability,
• low groundwater recharge,
• increased livestock stress and rural hardship.

Important Point

The effect of drought depends heavily on crop stage. A short moisture stress during flowering can be more damaging than a longer dry spell during vegetative growth.

Drought Management Strategies

Crop-Based Measures

• grow drought-tolerant and short-duration varieties,
• adopt contingency crop planning if monsoon is delayed,
• use mixed cropping or intercropping to reduce risk,
• choose crop sequences suited to local rainfall.

Soil and Water Conservation

• mulching to reduce evaporation,
• contour cultivation to reduce runoff,
• farm ponds, check dams, and percolation tanks for harvesting rainwater,
• deficit irrigation during critical crop stages when water is scarce.

Agronomic Measures

• timely sowing with the first effective rains,
• optimum plant population,
• weed control to reduce competition for moisture,
• conservation tillage to preserve soil water.

Institutional Measures

• drought early warning systems,
• crop insurance such as PMFBY,
• government drought relief and employment programs,
• district contingency planning and advisories.

Summary Cheat Sheet