Drought Management on Farmland

About this book

This text deals with integrated management of drought on farms. Although drought is a highly variable, near-universal natural phenomenon which has repercussions on a country's water and food supplies and many other sectors of the economy, there are many ways of avoiding, resisting and mitigating the effects of drought. Pro-active preparedness entails using the principles of risk management to upgrade the drought resistance of a farm systematically, and to have auxiliary contingency plans at the ready for use during unusually long droughts. The book provides tools for these strategies as it covers the management of water, soils, crops, rangeland, fodder and livestock, and many other drought-related topics.

Contents

Preface. Introduction. 1. Drought Concepts and Characteristics. 2. Principles of Drought Risk Management. 3. Soil Management in Relation to Drought. 4. Soil Cultivation and Tillage in Drought-Prone Areas. 5. Plant Responses to Drought. 6. Cropping Systems for Moisture Economy. 7. Hardy and Drought-Evasive Cereal Crops. 8. Edible Legumes for Drought-Prone Regions. 9. Vegetables for Drought-Prone Areas. 10. Drought-Hardy Oil-Producing Crops. 11. Root, Tuber and Fibre Crops. 12. Deciduous and Berry Fruits. 13. Fairly Drought-Tolerant Citrus, Subtropical and Tropical Fruits. 14. Nuts. 15. Miscellaneous Crops. 16. Water Storage on Farms. 17. Curbing Evaporative Loss of Stored Water. 18. Water Harvesting. 19. Irrigation Scheduling. 20. Irrigation Systems and Efficiency. 21. Irrigation Methods. 22. Tapping Auxiliary Groundwater. 23. Salinity. 24. Forage Grasses for Drought-Prone Areas. 25. Forage Legumes for Droughty Areas. 26. Rangeland Management for Greater Stability. 27. Livestock Management During Drought. 28. Some Useful Hardy Trees. 29. Some Cardinal Principles of Drought Management on Farmland. 30. Summary: Some Key Drought Management Strategies and Tactics. Selected Bibliography. Index.

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