A dimension within Dryland Seed Saving
Concentrates on farming techniques suited for arid regions, focusing on crops, seeds, and cultivation.
150 voices speak to this
Positive
Overall Community Sentiment
AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.

Facing the prospect of future water scarcity, our community relies on cultivating traditional zero-irrigation crops to secure food and conserve precious resources.

Our tribal community shares how to cultivate vital crops like chickpeas, corn, and lentils, even in dry conditions without relying on irrigation.

After the main harvest, we harness the land's natural moisture to cultivate a vital second crop, ensuring food and oil for our families.

Even without irrigation, our traditional seeds and old farming methods ensure our crops ripen, providing food for our homes.
In our area, crops that require zero irrigation, such as pulses and oilseeds, are cultivated.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
Yes, we used to cultivate and are still cultivating moong, urad, chana, masoor seeds etc. with zero irrigation and are getting more profit.
— Naukeshi Sahu · Kalahandi, Odisha
Yes, we cultivate without water, such as hardy crops. These include Moong, Urad, and Mustard.
— Ulapi Sahu · Balangir, Odisha
Yes, we used to cultivate and are still cultivating moong, urad, chana, masoor, and other seeds with zero irrigation. And more profit.
— Naukeshi Sahu
In our region, zero-irrigation crops of pulses and oilseeds are cultivated, which include pigeon pea, lentil, etc.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
We cultivate mung bean, urad bean, chickpea, lentil, moong, etc., without water, and we are still doing it.
— Naukeshi Sahu
We can grow crops without irrigation like Ragi, Masoor, and Horse Gram. Millet.
— arun raja · Kon, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We cultivate horse gram, green gram, black gram, and chickpea, for which we do not arrange irrigation.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
We can grow other crops like chickpeas, lentils, khesari, peas, and linseed without water or irrigation.
— arun raja · Ormaura, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We cultivate a second crop without water or irrigation, using green gram, black gram, and horse gram. We don't use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. We grow them very well from seeds, resulting in good produce for eating.
— Parikshit Majhi
We cultivate our crops without irrigation, relying on natural moisture like dew water. For example, we grow mung bean, black gram, and mustard. These three particular crops, we cultivate without irrigation.
— Ulapi Sahu · Balangir, Odisha
We are tribal people. We do our own farming. We have been farming without water. We grow chickpeas, moong, kulthi, and black gram.
— Parikshit Majhi
We cultivate zero-input crops like chickpeas, flaxseed, and pigeon pea. Even with less water, the crops ripen, and their seeds are also collected. Narayan Lal Baranda.
— narayanlalbaranda5@gmail.com · Jhapa, Dungarpur, Rajasthan
In our region, even without rain, we cultivate crops like moong, urad, and horse gram. We also preserve their seeds by mixing them with neem leaves.
— Kunakanta Behera · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
We cultivate zero-irrigation pulses.
— Sunil oraon · Bero, Ranchi, Jharkhand
After harvesting the paddy, we cultivate crops like moong, urad, chana, and masoor in that field without irrigation. We save these for our home. We then prepare the soil there for further cultivation.
— swornalata nayak · Patnāgarh, Balangir, Odisha
We do farming without irrigation, such as barley and pulse varieties like 'baturi' and 'kerav'. Barley does not need water, and 'baturi' and 'kerav' are sown after the rice harvest and grow well. We also preserve their seeds, which are useful for sowing next year.
— Ram Kumari
In our region, zero irrigation crops are cultivated, mainly pulses and oilseeds.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
Immediately after the Kharif cultivation, we cultivate pulse crops like moong (green gram) in the Rabi season. This is done with zero irrigation, using seeds that we have saved beforehand.
— Santosh Barik · Narala, Kalahandi, Odisha
We cultivate moong, horse gram, black gram, and mustard without water. We call it Nipania cultivation in Sambalpuri.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
After the Kharif paddy harvest, we cultivate moong without irrigation as a Rabi crop.
— MUKTA THAKUR · Kokasara, Kalahandi, Odisha
In our region, zero irrigation crops like oilseeds and pulses are grown.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
We cultivate pulses and oilseeds without irrigation. In years with good rainfall, these crops thrive.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
In our region, especially minimal-input, zero-irrigation crops like pigeon pea, black gram, red lentil, etc., are cultivated.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
We farm with less irrigation. Batari peas, horse gram, and pigeon pea are also grown.
— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Yes, we do farming without water, chickpeas, Siawi jowar
— Kachala Choudhary
For our zero-irrigation Rabi crops such as black gram, mung bean, sunflower, and chickpea, we follow seed practices.
— Abhimaneu Sabar
Yes, we practice zero-irrigation farming and also conserve seeds. For example, horse gram, Kodo millet, little millet, finger millet, and black gram are zero-irrigation crops.
— Sukhdas Mandavi · Mohla, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Chhattisgarh
Yes, we cultivate crops without water, in which we grow chickpeas.
— Kachala Choudhary
In our region, zero irrigation crops are sown, mainly pulses and oilseeds, and we practice traditional farming and conserve pulse seeds.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
We are cultivating moong without water. The government is not giving us any seeds. We are cultivating with our own seeds and making a profit from it.
— Kusha Mahakud
Muna Netran Bag, Village Mahulapada, Chhadiagoda Panchayat. We are cultivating green gram, black gram, and chickpeas without irrigation.
— RUDRA PRASAD BAG · Mahulpāra, Nuapada, Odisha
We cultivate green gram without water. The government had provided green gram seeds for one year, and we will keep those seeds to cultivate green gram every year.
— Kusha Mahakud
In our region, tribal people cultivate pulse and oilseed crops, which are zero-irrigation crops.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
After the Kharif paddy cultivation is over, we cultivate green gram (moong) as a waterless Rabi crop.
— Premsila Naik
Yes, we can do dryland farming for crops like chickpeas, mustard, etc.
— Laxmanlal
Yes, they grow other crops with zero irrigation. Here, for example, horse gram, ragi, kodo millet, black gram, kodo millet.
— Birohin · Mohla, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Chhattisgarh
We cultivate pulses with less irrigation. Field peas, horse gram, and pigeon pea are all grown with less irrigation.
— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We keep seeds of mustard, green gram, horse gram, tuber crops, black gram, and taro for cultivation without water.
— Puspanjali Nag
We store moong pulse seeds using traditional methods and sow the seeds as a Rabi crop with zero irrigation after the Kharif season crop harvest.
— Ahalya Sahu · Kalahandi, Odisha