Efficient land water management practice and cropping system for increasing water and crop productivity in semi‐arid tropics

Kamdi, P and Swain, D K and Wani, S P (2020) Efficient land water management practice and cropping system for increasing water and crop productivity in semi‐arid tropics. Agronomy Journal (TSI), 112 (4). pp. 2552-2568. ISSN 0002-1962

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Abstract

In Indian semi-arid tropics (SATs), low water and crop productivity in Vertisols and associated soils are mainly due to poor land management and erratic and low rainfall occurrence. This study was conducted from 2014 to 2016 at the ICRISAT in India to test the effect of broad bed furrows (BBF) as land water management against conventional flatbed planting for improving soil water content (SWC) and water and crop productivity of three cropping systems: sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]–chickpea (Cicer arientinum L.) and maize (Zea mays)–groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) as sequential and pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.)] + pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] as intercropping, grown under different nutrients management involving macronutrients (N, P, and K) only and combined application of macro- and micronutrients. The results stated that the SWC in BBF was higher over flatbed by 9.35–10.44% in 0- to 0.3-m, 4.56–9.30% in 0.3- to 0.6-m and 3.85–5.26% in 0.6- to 1.05-m soil depths during the cropping season. Moreover, depletion of the soil water through plant uptake was higher in BBF than in flatbed. Among the cropping systems, sorghum–chickpea was the best in bringing highest system equivalent yield and water productivity with the combined application of macro- and micronutrients. The BBF minimized water stress at critical crop growth stages leading to increase crop yield and water productivity in SATs. Thus, BBF along with the application of macro- and micronutrients could be an adaptation strategy to mitigate erratic rainfall due to climate change in SATs.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Research Program : Asia
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Land Water Management
Subjects:	Others > Cropping and Farming Systems Others > Watershed Management Others > Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics
Depositing User:	Mr Arun S
Date Deposited:	09 Jul 2020 09:20
Last Modified:	09 Jul 2020 09:20
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/11527
Official URL:	https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20207
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement:	We acknowledge the support of Dr. A.V.R Kesava Rao, Honorary Fellow, ICRISAT and Dr. Mukund D. Patil, Senior Scientist, ICRISAT for extending laboratory facilities for soil moisture monitoring and soil physical analysis. The financial support from ICRISAT for execution of the experiment is gratefully acknowledged.
Links:	Google Scholar

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