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Conservation agriculture for improving water productivity in Vertisols of semi-arid tropics

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/9498/
http://dx.doi.org/10.18520/cs/v110/i9/1730-1739
 
Title Conservation agriculture for improving water productivity in Vertisols of semi-arid tropics
 
Creator Patil, M D
Wani, S P
Garg, K K
 
Subject Soil Science
 
Description Large variability and uncertainty of rainfall are the
main limiting factors for crop growth in rainfed agriculture.
Agriculture water management interventions
are considered as suitable adoption strategy to enhance
crop yield, productivity and income in rainfed condition.
Three-year experimental data collected at the
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-
Arid Tropics, Patancheru, India are analysed to study
the impact of in-situ interventions (tillage and crop
residue) on field water balance and grain yield under
the two different cropping systems (maize + chickpea
sequential and maize/pigeon pea intercropping). One
dimensional water balance model is calibrated to capture
field hydrology (soil water, surface runoff).
Weather data calibrated for 36 years showed that incorporating
crop residues reduced surface runoff by
28% compared to control fields. However, the impact
of tillage and residue treatment on soil water was
not consistent throughout the growing period. Water
productivity values for intercropping systems (WUE =
0.61 to 1.49 kg m–3) were relatively higher compared
to sequential cropping systems (WUE = 0.47 to 1.06 kg
m–3). Second crop in sequential cropping system often
suffered from water stress that led to poor crop yield.
However, a few rain events at the end of the monsoon
period were beneficial to second crop. Simulation results
indicated that the conservation agriculture could
save up to 30% yield loss incurred due to water stress
during deficit rainfall compared to conventional agricultural
practices.
 
Publisher Indian Academy of Sciences
 
Date 2016-05-10
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights —
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/9498/1/1730.pdf
Patil, M D and Wani, S P and Garg, K K (2016) Conservation agriculture for improving water productivity in Vertisols of semi-arid tropics. Current Science, 110 (09). pp. 1730-1739. ISSN 0011-3891