University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore

Includes subject index

Introduction -- Climate classification of dryland areas -- rainfall and water balance analysis -- Climate and weather forecasting -- Arable land resources management -- Nonarable land resources management -- Water resource management -- Crop water requirements and irrigation scheduling -- efficient utilization of rain water -- Crop planning -- Tillage and sowing implements -- Wedding implements -- Plant protection equipments -- Energy utilization pattern -- Sources of energy -- Harvesting and threshing implements -- Communication facilities, agribusiness and resource centre -- value addition of agricultural products -- Storage of grain -- Food and livelihood security of dryland farmers -- Alternate land use planning -- Watershed management and evaluations.

Dryland farming is defined as when precipitation (P) is less than potential evapotranspiration (ET) in the region or average annual rainfall is above 750 mm. It also refers to cultivation of crops entirely under rain fed condition. According to the world atlas of desertification (UNEP, 1992), dryland is a ration of average annual precipitation (P) to potential evapotranspiration (ET) of less than 0.65. It is also referred as application of techniques which enhance crop production and water resources under dryland ecosystem for livelihood security of dryland farmers.