Human labour use with existing and prospective technologies in the semi-arid tropics of South India

Ghodake, R D and Ryan, J G and Sarin, R (1981) Human labour use with existing and prospective technologies in the semi-arid tropics of South India. Journal of Development Studies, 18 (1). pp. 25-46. ISSN 0022-0388

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Abstract

The study, based on work in six villages, seeks insights into the likely effect of the introduction of prospective land-, water-, and crop-management technologies, being researched at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, on the existing village labour-use patterns in one major relevant region: peninsular India. Explicit attention is given to the similarities and differences between small and large farms and their relevance to the adoption of the prospective new technologies. Regional variation in labour utilization reveals a tremendous employment-creating potential in the existing tank and well irrigation systems in the Alfisols of peninsular India. The prospective technologies should increase employment, compared with existing technologies, by at least 100% in the Alfisols and by over 300% in the deep Vertisols - but with some increase in the seasonal variability of labour demand. Given the existing availability of labour, there will be, with the improved watershed technologies, major farm labour bottlenecks. These should eventually generate increased wage rates and employment potentials. However, even temporary adverse effects on the timelieness of operations could be critical to the success of a double-cropping and/or intercropping technology aiming at greatly increased yields. This would create demands for selective mechanization, for example, of threshing

Item Type: Article
Divisions: UNSPECIFIED
CRP: UNSPECIFIED
Subjects: Others > Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics
Depositing User: Ms K Syamalamba
Date Deposited: 05 Dec 2011 10:56
Last Modified: 05 Dec 2011 10:56
URI: http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/4789
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00220388108421815
Projects: UNSPECIFIED
Funders: UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement: UNSPECIFIED
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