An economic analysis of crop pattern under rainfed and well irrigated farms in cauverycommand areas of karnataka

Groundwater is the major source of irrigation in Karnataka especially in rain fed south-eastern districts of Kolar, Bangalore, Tumkur and Chitradurga. It is the key component in agricultural development in these areas. In this study, the economics of Crop pattern of rain fed and well irrigated cropsis studied in Tumkur district in hard rock areas of Karnataka State. The study area is covered by the Hemavathy river basin. In addition, in parts of the central Dry agro-climatic zone of Karnataka, in the Cauvery basin, the river Hemavathi is put to productive use. This study is a modest attempt towards the economics of Crop pattern of rain fed and well irrigated crops under three situations of recharge in Tipturtaluk, Tumkur district of Karnataka. Here the irrigation wells located under canal command (GWCI) (Gadabanaalli), the irrigation wells located under tank command (GWTI) (Echanur), receiving the Hemavathy river water, with a water spread of 363 acres and another vilallge Kibbanahalli where groundwater wells are located independently (called groundwater under sole irrigation GWSI), which depend only on rainfall source have been considered. The crop pattern in rain fed situation is compared in across the three irrigation tanks GWTI, GWCI and GWSI. The major rain fed crops cultivated by farmers were Ragi, Jowar and Dolichos (Avare).Considering the crop pattern with groundwater irrigation in GWTI, GWCI and GWSI, the major crops grown are Paddy, Coconut, Arecanut, Banana, Tomato, Brinjal and Okra. The major portion of irrigated area was devoted to coconut it is about 44 per cent in GWTI, 55 per cent GWCI and 58 percent in GWSI. Arecanut formed second major irrigated crop in all the three situations. More than 70 percent of the gross cropped area is devoted to perennial crops like Coconut and Arecanut in the study area across the three types of farm situations. This type of cropping pattern dominated by perennial crops in itself is a prima facie indicator of the farmers’ coping mechanism to the groundwater scarcity, since perennial crops have greater capacity to withstand scarcity than seasonal and annual crops.