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Agroclimatic Characterization of APRLP-ICRISAT Nucleus Watersheds in Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and Kurnool Districts :Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report no. 30

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Title Agroclimatic Characterization of APRLP-ICRISAT Nucleus Watersheds in Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and Kurnool Districts :Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report no. 30
 
Creator Rao, A V R K
Wani, S P
Singh, P
Irshad Ahmed, M
Srinivas, K
 
Subject Watershed management
 
Description Knowledge on agroclimatology of a region is a valuable tool in crop planning. Agroclimatic analysis of
the APRLP nucleus watersheds in three target districts (Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and Kurnool) has been
carried out on the basis of agromet data for the period 1971–2003. During the southwest monsoon season,
more than 1000 mm rainfall was received at Nemmikal and Appayapally, while it was as low as 143 mm
at Nandavaram. More than 85% of the annual rainy days occur during the five-month period – June to
October.
Though all the locations have a semi-arid type of climate, there is a tendency for the climate to temporarily
shift towards the drier side. About 45% of the study period now shows an arid type of climate. Among the
watersheds, Malleboinpally has the most stable climate with 85% of the total years in its normal semi-arid
climate. At Nemmikal, there appears to be a slight trend towards dryness in the past 25 years, after 1978,
as the climate was never the dry sub-humid type, and it has slowly been tending towards the arid type.
Analysis of water balances in extreme rainfall years indicated that many locations recorded water surplus
even in dry years. Between the wet and dry years, variation in the water surplus is much higher compared
to the water deficit. Nemmikal (medium-deep Vertisol) and Nandavaram (deep Vertisol) watersheds
provide greater opportunity for double cropping. Appayapally, Thirumalapuram and parts of Nemmikal
watersheds with medium-deep Alfisols, provide opportunity for double cropping with relatively short
duration crops, but are more suitable for intercropping with medium-duration crops such as pigeonpea
and castor. Watersheds in Kacharam, Mentapally, Sripuram, Malleboinpally and Karivemula have medium-deep Alfisols and provide greater potential for sole cropping during rainy season with crops of 120–130
days duration, and intercropping with short to medium-duration crops to make better use of soil water
availability. Early season drought occurs at Karivemula and Thirumalapuram and early and mid-season
droughts occur at Nandavaram. These sites would require crop/varieties tolerant to early or mid-season
droughts depending upon the location.It is also observed that Mentapally, Malleboinpally, Nemmikal and
Appayapally have greater potential for water harvesting.
Assured rainfed crop-growing season is about 165 to 175 days for the Vertisols areas and about 130 to 150
days for the Alfisols areas. There is variation in both the beginning and ending of the season; however, the
end is more variable compared to the start. No definite relationship exists between the beginning and length
of the growing season.
 
Publisher International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
 
Date 2006
 
Type Monograph
NonPeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
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Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/2223/1/Agroclimatic_characterization_of_APRLP-ICRISAT_nucleus_watersheds_in_Nalgonda%2C_Mahabubnagar_and_Kurnool_Districts.pdf
Rao, A V R K and Wani, S P and Singh, P and Irshad Ahmed, M and Srinivas, K (2006) Agroclimatic Characterization of APRLP-ICRISAT Nucleus Watersheds in Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and Kurnool Districts :Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report no. 30. Monograph. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics , Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India.