How climate smart agriculture can fortify TN’s parched fields.
Sustainable farming operations preserve and protect watersheds and improve soil health and water quality through climate smart agriculture (CSA) which can tackle three main objectives — sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and income; adapting and building resilience to climate change; and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible.
A combination of water management methods including drip irrigation, sprinklers and underground canal system can reduce evaporation and effectively utilise almost 95% water.
The energy utilised for such services should be smart and clean.
They should be educated on crop-specific water requirement, rainwater harvesting, waste water management, integrated farming systems and inter cropping and alternative cropping to increase farm income.
By modifying cropping pattern, dependency on water can be reduced.
Integrated farming is creating a healthy ecosystem by a mix of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and inland fisheries.
Animal waste serves as the feed for plants and fish.
Functioning, healthy ecosystems provide a wide range of benefits — water for irrigation and drinking, nutrients for soil and curbing pests and diseases.
Urban communities should also acknowledge the importance of farmers.