Cotton is a potentially important commercial crop and plays a vital role in the textile industry in India. As an irrigated crop it is extensively grown in areas where conventional irrigation methods are commonly used. However, the seed cotton yields and water use efficiency achieved with these methods are very low.

Oil palm was introduced in India as a small-holders irrigated crop in 1989 to meet the ever growing demand for vegetable oils. It serves as a marked variation from traditional oil palm areas such as Malaysia and Indonesia, where it is cultivated as a rain fed crop in large nucleus estates.

Olive oil is a basic constituent of the Mediterranean diet. Consumption has significantly increased in the past few years owing to its nutritional value and recognized benefits for human health. Traditionally, olive (Olea europaea L.) is a tree species grown in arid environments, with little rainfall occurring during the periods of major plant water demands.

Pomegranate is known as a drought tolerant crop, yet regular irrigation is mandatory to commercial yield production. Water levels and optimal irrigation regime depend on a plurality of factors as soil type, tree size, physiological phase and potential evaporation. As a rule the tree needs little supplemental irrigation.

China is the world’s largest potato producer, accounting for 22% of the global production. With increased potato production and domestic consumption, together with a gradual transition towards a market economy, China has significantly expanded its trade of potatoes and potato products in the past two decades.

The Philippines is a sugar-producing country, growing it mainly on the islands of Negros, Luzon, Panay and Mindanao. Recently, the Philippine government passed the Biofuel Act of 2006 (or Republic Act 9367) which created a certain market for ethanol investors in the Philippines and paved the way for the development of a new industry: fuel ethanol production.

In Tanzania tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is the fifth largest export crop, providing an annual foreign exchange revenue of over 30 m. US$ The total area cultivated with tea is estimated at 23,300 ha, more than half of which is owned by large estates in the Southern Highlands (Mufindi, Njombe and Tukuyu districts).