Abstract
The best management practices of soil conservation, water management (rainwater and groundwater), and soil fertility enhancement were tested and demonstrated in farmers’ fields, in red soils (Alfisols), black soils (Vertisols), and alluvial soils (Entisols and Inceptisols) of India, under a range of crops and cropping systems. The project involved a community-based interactive participatory operational research model, with an intrinsic value of large-scale social and extension domain for adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.
In the dry land soils of South India disc ploughing to 30-cm depth during summer and contour bunding, and tied ridges with mulching were conservation-effective measures. Under the bimodal rainfall pattern in the region, intercropping of pigeon pea with pulses and use of compost and green manuring enhanced crop yields. Drip irrigation and arid horticulture were also successful in this region.
On-farm experiments conducted on alluvial soils of Punjab with diverse crop rotations of different water requirements showed that at Nawashahr the average yield of wheat was similar in the rice-wheat system (RWS) (4.0 Mg/ha) and maize-wheat system (MWS) (4.3 Mg/ha). Substituting maize for rice in the monsoon season is preferred because of savings in water. In Faridkot district, the economic returns were higher for the cotton-wheat system (CWS) which optimizes the use of groundwater resource better than the RWS.
Efficient on-farm water management using fertigation technology, agroforestry and fish culture, and intercropping with poplar were useful cyclic interventions in the land use and management strategy for sustainable agriculture in the intensively cultivated alluvial soils of Punjab.
For sustainable management of Vertisols of central India, yield of soybean increased by about 100% with raised bed and furrow system and by 55% in broad bed and furrow system compared with the flat bed system. Adoption of integrated nutrient management (INM) based on soil testing increased the yield of soybean (Glycine max) and wheat by 71% over farmers’ practice at Narsinghpur compared with about 100% in the case of soybean and 187% in the case of wheat at Hoshangabad. Intercropping of soybean with pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) in 4:2 ratio produced higher net return (Rs. 27,620/ha) and benefit:cost ratio (3.3:1) over either of the monocropping system. Aqua-agriculture system was a better alternative to traditional monocropping (Haveli system) in the monsoon season. Aquaculture in the ponded water in the bunded field during monsoon season and growing of wheat or chickpea in the winter season proved successful, and is being adopted in the region.
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Palaniappan, S. et al. (2009). Sustainable Management of Natural Resources for Food Security and Environmental Quality: Case Studies from India – A Review. In: Lichtfouse, E. (eds) Climate Change, Intercropping, Pest Control and Beneficial Microorganisms. Sustainable Agriculture Reviews, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2716-0_12
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