Jowar and Cotton Dryland Farming on Vikarabad Deccan Soils

Vikarabad district's rain-fed black cotton soils support traditional dryland farming of jowar (sorghum) and cotton. The district's farmers have practised continuous dryland farming on these soils for generations, with the soil's natural moisture retention capacity making irrigation partially unnecessary during normal rainfall years. Traditional jowar varieties used in Vikarabad include the red jowar (rakta jowar) valued for its grain quality and resistance to lodging in wind. The traditional crop rotation of cotton followed by Bengal gram (chana) maintains nitrogen levels in the soil without chemical fertiliser. Community seed banks maintained by women's self-help groups in several Vikarabad villages preserve traditional dryland crop varieties that have been displaced by commercial hybrid seeds.