Dryland Horticulture

Sustainable livelihood security for resource-poor farmers is a top priority for the nation. However, there is a significant difference in the productivity of various horticultural commodities among different eco-regions, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, which have the potential for significant horticultural production. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a sustained and steady growth in rural income to improve living standards for various stakeholders. To address this issue, appropriate strategies need to be devised for climatically vulnerable regions. Farmers net income can be increased by efficient management of nutrients, water, and agri-inputs, integrated horticulture-based farming systems, better market price realization, post-harvest management, and value addition, as well as integration of secondary enterprises to improve the productivity of arid and semi-arid horticultural crops. This book provides several such interventions, presented in various chapters, which can be of great help in improving the productivity and profitability of horticultural commodities.