by D.S. Thakur
Professor of Agricultural Economics
Regional Research Station, Bajaura

Provision of irrigation, soil and water conservation and watershed development are necessary for sustainable agriculture. To save and conserve soil and water are to save life on earth. Therefore, to promote ecological and sustainable farming, provision of cheap water harvesting and storage tanks for irrigation, check dams, earthen cum stone field bounds and boundaries, conversion of outwardly slopping terraces or fields into inwards slopping fields, fuel-fodder grasses, tree plantations and afforestation for soil and water conservation on watershed basis have beeb taken up and continued on a large scale.

Irrigation is the most important factor and input for the development of sustainable agriculture system, as it increases the efficiency of all other inputs too. Therefore, all sources of irrigation like rivers, streams, nullahas, springs, rainwater, etc. should be fully tapped, harvested and developed. Once irrigation becomes available, it is necessary to make changes in cropping patterns, cropping systems and cropping intensity by including more remunerative high value crops and the IIHFS. To increase the efficiency of irrigation, more efficient methods like sprinkler and drip irrigation must be used.