CROP WATER REQUIREMENTS AND CROPPING SYSTEM. IN PROJECT PLANNING (TUNGABHADRA PROJECT)

Abstract

Irrigation agricultural development has a high priority in the present world and especially in India, (according to 1971 census population of India is about 550 million) where production of food stuff must keep in pace with the rapidly increasing population, where as the available land and water resources are limited., which are the main sources of food production. Well planned and efficiently utilized irrigation system will definitely lead us to overcome the growing problem of food shortage to feed the ever increasing population of India as well as of the World. To achieve the optimum utilisation of irrigation system, the fertility of the soil to be main-tained and even improved and economically most suitable cropping system to be adopted in addition to the economic and optimum utilisation of irrigation water supplies. In order to achieve this goal the suitability of the land. for irrigation agriculture purpose is to be assessed by conduct-ing detailed soil surveys and the selection of land for particular type of cropping system is essential. In order to obtain the economic and optimum utilisation of available irrigation water supplies, the crop water requirements of various crops is essential in addition to the maximum efficiency in conveyance of water to the field from Head works and in, application of water on field..