May 2, 2000 / Reuters / John Chalmers
NEW DELHI -- The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid
Tropics (ICRISAT), based in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, was
cited as saying Tuesday it has pioneered two drought-tolerant chickpea crop
varieties that have reversed the fortunes of poor farmers in one of five
Indian states suffering from an acute water shortage, adding, "In the
semi-arid tropics, drought occurs two out of every five years. And even when
there is rainfall, it is erratic, varying from year to year, and within
seasons. Further, only 30-60 percent of this rainfall is used effectively
for crop production; the remaining 40-70 percent of rainwater is lost as
runoff, evaporation and deep drainage."
ICRISAT added that in Andhra Pradesh, one of several Indian states currently
reeling under severe drought conditions, it had introduced short-duration
chickpea varieties which mature in 85-100 days and therefore escape
end-of-season drought.
For farmers near Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, 1999 was particularly harsh:
there were no rains at all after October 21.
But those who grew the Swetha and Kranthi chickpea varieties harvested as
much as 1.7 tonnes per hectare.
(posted without permission)
