Adaptation Strategies for Climate Variability in the High Rainfall Zone of India, Assam

The NICRA project is being implemented in two villages viz., Chamua (since 2010–2011) and Ganakdalani (since 2012–2013 till 2016–2017), which are situated in the west of Lakhimpur district of North Bank Plains Zone of Assam. Chamua village is situated in Kherajkhat Mauza (Taluka), which is 45 km away from North Lakhimpur, the headquarter of district Lakhimpur. On the other hand, Ganakdoloni is situated at Dhalpur Mauza, situated 60 km away from North Lakhimpur and 15 km away from the local township Narayanpur. During 2017–2018 four villages viz., Jakaipelua, Borbali, Borkhet, and Nogaya were adopted under the project. Analysis of long-term rainfall data confirmed the significant decreasing trend of annual as well as monsoonal rainfall in both the Brahmaputra and Barak basins of Assam, India. Variability of rainfall has been increasing in terms of the increased frequency of high-intensity rains and the reduced number of rainy days, leading to localized flash floods and the occurrence of multiple dry spells. Mean season-wise rainfall 2011–2021 indicates long dry periods during the winter season, leading to prolonged dry spells affecting crop growth. About 69% of total rainfall (average annual rainfall of Assam is 2000 mm) is received during the monsoon season, resulting in flash floods leading to crop damage. Out of 12 years of investigation, 10 years are deficit years, resulting in crop stress both during the monsoon and post-monsoon period. Preparation and implementation of real-time crop contingencies are important in responding to weather aberrations in different strategies like preparedness, real-time response, etc. Identification of various adaptation strategies, including climate-resilient crops and cultivars, rainwater harvesting and recycling, efficient energy management through farm mechanization, dissemination of weather information, and weather-based agro-advisories to farmers in a real-time basis, is important adaptation technologies for building climate-resilient agriculture. The study showed that adaption of climate-resilient crop and cropping system and use of harvested rainwater resulted in a 12 to 30% increase in yield observed by the cultivation of high-yielding rice varieties (HYVs) (Ranjit, Gitesh, Mahsuri, etc.) when sown in time (before 15th June) over late sowing conditions (after 20th June). In the case of early season drought, replacement of long duration traditional varieties with short duration HYV and life-saving irrigation using harvested rainwater increased yield by about 59% (short duration var. Dishang) over non-irrigated fields. In case of mid-season and terminal drought, application of an additional dose of 22 kg ha−1 MOP at maximum tillering to grain growth period an increase in yield of about 33% (Ranjit), 32% (Gitesh), 64% (Shraboni), and 57.5% (Mulagabharu) has been observed over farmers’ practice. In highly flood-affected areas under lowland situations replacement of submergence tolerant varieties (Jalashree and Jalkuwari) with traditional deepwater rice varieties resulted in reduced crop loss due to the genetic trait of the deepwater rice, which can withstand water logging for a long period. With an increase in the level of mechanization through the use of machinery available in the custom hiring center the human and animal hour requirement for paddy cultivation was reduced from 795 to 350 hrha−1 and 353 to 23 hrha−1, respectively. Alternate land use in terms of low-cost poly house, vermicompost production, and mushroom cultivation also resulted in nutritional security and generation of higher income for the farmer

Climate Risk Management at Farmer’s Field through Adaptation Strategies for Resource-Poor Farmers of Assam, Northeast India

Farmers in Assam's North Bank Plains Zone are generally resource-poor and have limited adaptation ability; rainfall anomalies make the Zone's rainfed agriculture very sensitive, risky, and unprofitable. Participatory on-farm trials involving 25 farmers (5 from each village) representing different land situations for evaluating various adaptive strategies on rice-based cropping systems were conducted from 2011 to 2020. Ten years of rainfall data (2011-2021) are evaluated in connection to dry spells and their effects on rainfed rice-based farming systems. The village receives 2848.5 mm of annual rainfall, with distribution patterns of 25%, 67%, 5.0%, and 3% during the pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter seasons, respectively. Among the years under study, it has been observed that during 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2020, the district received excess annual rainfall and deficit in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2021,respectively. The current studies were designed with two primary strategic components in mind viz., Real-time Contingency Planning (RTCP) and Preparedness. Interventions under the RTCP were designed to deal with delayed monsoon onset, early-season drought, mid-season dryspell, and terminal drought in winter rice and rabi crops. Preparedness includes changes in cropping pattern, in situ and ex situ rainwater management systems, alternate land use under low-cost polyhouse, mushroom cultivation, vermicompost production, fodder bank and village seed bank to cope with weather aberrations. An increase in yield of HYV rice varieties Ranjit (33%), Mahsuri (12.3%) and Gitesh (32%) was observed when sowing was done before 15 June over late sowing conditions. An increase in yield of 21.73 % and 44.60%. 58.67% as compared to farmers' Practice during 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2016-17 respectively, has been observed. The performance of double cropping systems recorded the highest B: C ratio of 2.03 and 1.75 in winter rice + rapeseed followed by winter rice + potato sequence as compared to mono-cropping of winter rice