Mysuru: With a weak monsoon during the pre-kharif and kharif seasons and low reservoir levels in the Cauvery basin districts, farmers in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar have been advised to cultivate short-duration, less water-intensive crops on both rain-fed and irrigated lands.With inflows into the Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagar dams — lifelines for both districts — remaining low compared to previous years, authorities have appealed to farmers to avoid sowing paddy and to extend sugarcane cultivation, as water must be stored to meet drinking needs.District administrations have also issued advisories against taking up paddy, sugarcane, and other water-intensive crops, given uncertainty about water releases from dams for kharif sowing.Following the advisory, the department of agriculture and horticulture has been publicising the need to avoid these crops.The department has listed less water-intensive options, including millets such as ragi and jowar, maize, pulses such as sorghum, blackgram, and cowpea, and oilseeds such as sunflower and groundnut. It has also directed Raitha Samparka Kendras and authorised agencies to ensure adequate seed supply.Speaking to TOI, joint director of agriculture KH Ravi said that sowing was completed on 53% of the rain-fed land. “As rainfall remained well below normal and the India Meteorological Department [IMD] has also warned that the El Nino effect looms large in coming months, the district administration has asked farmers to avoid sowing paddy and sugarcane this year,” he said.He added that authorities are regularly monitoring reservoir inflows and rainfall in catchment areas, and farmers must cooperate until the situation improves.Senior agriculture scientist of ICAR-JSS Krishi Vignan Kendra BR Gnanesh also advised farmers to grow less water-intensive crops, green manure and fodder crops, and cereal crops, as they are fast-growing and help improve soil fertility instead of leaving land barren when water is not released from dams.
