Assessing the variation of driver distraction with experience

Driver distraction has been a major concern in highway safety. Driver distraction is related to crashes and crash rate varies with age. Driving experience obviously increases with age. The purpose of this study is to determine the relation between driver experience and distraction. The study measures the distraction levels of various drivers and assesses the variation in distraction based on experience and also gender.;Distraction was defined as looking away from the center of the roadway for more than 2 seconds. Factors like distraction duration, percent time spent looking at the center of roadway and number of glances away from the center were considered in the analysis. The distraction factors were measured using a faceLAB eye tracking system. A statistical analysis was carried to test the significance of the variation. No significant statistical difference was observed in the percent time spent at the center of roadway and the number of glances away from the center based on driver experience and gender. A statistically significant difference was observed in the number of glances made by each group of drivers. Experienced drivers made more glances away from the center compared to less experienced drivers and the number was higher for female drivers than male drivers.;The analysis leads to conclusion that though the distraction level does not vary by experience, more experienced drivers exhibit better scanning of the roadway environment. No difference was observed in the distraction between male and female drivers. However, female drivers exhibited better scanning patterns than male drivers in the absence of additional distracting factors

Impact of land use changes and management practices on groundwater resources in Kolar district, Southern India

Study region: This study analyzes the impact of land use changes on the hydrology of Kolar district in the state of Karnataka, India. Kolar receives on average 565 mm (σ = 130) rainfall during June to October and has a wide gap between its water supply and demand. Study focus: This research identifies the reasons and causes of the gap. A water balance model was successfully calibrated and validated against measurements of groundwater level, recharge and surface runoff. New hydrological insights for the region: The study revealed that between 1972 and 2011, there was a major shift from grass and rainfed crop lands to eucalyptus plantation and irrigated cultivation. About 17.7 % and 18 % of the district area converted into eucalyptus plantation and irrigated lands during this period, respectively. Eucalyptus plantations tended to cause large losses by ET leading to increase in soil moisture deficit and reduction in the recharge to groundwater and in surface runoff (approx. 30 %). The irrigation demand of the district increased from 57 mm (1972) to 140 mm (2011) which resulted in increased groundwater abstraction by 145 %. The expansion of the irrigated area is the major contributing factor for widening the demand-supply gap (62 %) of the freshwater availability. Results could help various stakeholders, including district and national authorities to develop the most suitable water management strategies in order to close the gap between water supply and demand

Traditional Rainwater Management (Haveli cultivation) for Building System Level Resilience in a Fragile Ecosystem of Bundelkhand Region, Central India

This article presents the evidence on how the traditional rainwater management system (haveli system) has contributed toward rehabilitating degraded landscapes and changing them into a productive form in Bundelkhand region of Central India. The haveli system was the lifeline of the region for water security for the last 300 years. Farmers (~1-5%) situated at the upstream of the landscape were harvesting surface runoff in their fields during monsoon by constructing earthen embankments along with provision to drain out water after receding of the monsoon. Farmers traditionally cultivated only during the post-monsoon period, using residual soil moisture along with supplemental irrigation from shallow dug wells. However, this system became defunct due to apathy and poor maintenance. The traditional design of the havelis were also often malfunctioning due to new rainfall patterns and storm events. Farmers are facing new need for haveli rejuvenation and the traditional design and knowledge calls for new innovations, particularly from research and external expertise. In this context, ICRISAT and consortium partners have introduced an innovative approach for haveli rejuvenation by constructing masonry core wall along with outlet at a suitable location. Totally 40 haveli structures were constructed between 2010 and 2021 across seven districts of Bundelkhand region. One of the pilot sites (i.e., Parasai-Sindh) was intensively monitored in order to capture the landscape hydrology, change in land use, cropping intensity and crop productivity, between 2011 and 2017. Out of 750 mm rainfall received during July and September, generated surface runoff is about 135 mm (18% of rainfall) on average. However, rainfall below 450 mm (dry years) rarely generates surplus water as most of the rainfall received in such years are absorbed within the vadose zone, whereas, wet years with over 900 mm rainfall, generate runoff of about 250-300 mm (~30-35%). Rejuvenation of the haveli system created an opportunity to harvest surface runoff within farmers' fields which helped to improve groundwater levels in shallow dug wells (additionally by 2-5 m hydraulic head) which remained available during the following years. This has increased cropping intensity-by converting about 20% of permanent fallow lands into productive agriculture lands-and ensured irrigation availability especially during the critical crop growth stage. This enhanced land and water use efficiency of the system and increased household net income by two to three folds as compared to the baseline status. This article further establishes the link between landscape rejuvenation through haveli system, groundwater resource availability, production system and household income in the fragile ecosystem of Central India. The results are helpful for various stakeholders so that they can take informed decisions on sustainable natural resource management

Landscape resource management for sustainable crop intensification

Abstract Crop intensification is required to meet the food demands of an increasing population. This paper presents data from three paired scaling-up initiatives to compare the benefits of landscape-based interventions over individual plot-level interventions using evidence generated in the Indian semi-arid tropics. A range of soil and water conservation interventions were implemented in a decentralized manner following the landscape-based approach. The plot-level approach focused only on balanced fertilizer application and improved crop cultivars while the landscape-based interventions primarily addressed moisture availability, which was the key to reducing risks of crop failure besides aiding productivity gain and enhanced land and water-use efficiency. These interventions have additionally harvested 50–150 mm of surface runoff and facilitated groundwater recharge in 550–800 mm rainfall zones. Individual plot-level interventions also improved the crop yield significantly over the control plots. However, crop intensification was not achieved due to limited moisture availability. Landscape-based interventions produced 100%–300% higher crop production per year, greater income generation (&gt;100%), and improved water productivity. Landscape-based interventions were also found to be beneficial in terms of reducing soil loss by 75%–90% and improving base flow availability additionally by 20–75 d in a year compared to untreated watersheds. With increased moisture availability, fallow lands in respective watersheds have been utilized for cultivation, thereby enhancing crop intensification. The findings of the study provide critical insights into the design of approaches suitable for scaling-up projects in order to both create impact and target the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.</jats:p

Building resilient agricultural system through groundwater management interventions in degraded landscapes of Bundelkhand region, Central India

Study region: The study was carried out at community scale watershed in one of the fragile ecologies of Central India. Study focus: This paper quantifies the impact of rainwater management (RWM) interventions on major water balance components, irrigation use, crop intensification and energy consumption and their interrelationships. New hydrological insights for the region: RWM interventions harvested additional 35 mm of surface runoff in various masonry structures and facilitated groundwater recharge from 720 mm rainfall received. The net groundwater recharge during monsoon season was estimated 7

Sustainable intensification opportunities for Alfisols and Vertisols landscape of the semi-arid tropics

Land and water management interventions are key to achieving sustainable intensification in the drylands. This study explores opportunities for doing so in Vertisols and Alfisols using 34-year (1976–2009) long-term experimental data. Four cropping systems were evaluated in each soil types with two land form management interventions, i.e., raised beds and flat beds. Surface runoff generated and soil water content in each system were monitored along with crop yields. In Vertisols, maize-chickpea sequential cropping and sorghum+pigeon pea intercropping on raised beds representing an improved practice was followed for 34 years (1976–2009). Sole chickpea and sole sorghum were grown on flat beds as a traditional system during the same period. In Alfisols, groundnut/pigeon pea intercrop and sole sorghum were grown for 5 years (2002–2006) and sorghum/pigeon pea intercrop and sole castor were grown for 3 years (2007–2009) under raised bed and flat bed conditions, respectively. The use of improved practices in Vertisols produced 3–5 times higher yield compared to traditional practices with net returns estimated at US$800–1300/ha/year compared to US$ 90–350/ha/year under the traditional practice. Despite growing an additional crop, chickpea yield under the improved practice was close to the yield obtained from the traditional practice. In Alfisols, raised beds improved crop yields by 15–20% compared to the flat bed method, leading to an additional net return of US$ 80–100/ha/year. Sorghum/pigeon pea intercrop was found to be superior followed by sole castor, groundnut/pigeon pea intercrop and sole sorghum in Alfisols. Hydrological monitoring revealed opportunities to harvest surface runoff, especially in Alfisols, by building low-cost rainwater harvesting structures that can provide life-saving irrigation during dry spells. An interpretive machine learning (IML) approach was used to estimate four response variables (Sorghum equivalent yield; Net Income; Technical Water Productivity, and Economic Water Productivity) using five different predictor variables (i.e., cropping systems, land form, soil order, effective rainfall (Reff= rainfall-runoff), and water regimes (dry, wet, and normal). Results showed that cropping system is the highest mean feature importance for all the productivity parameters followed by effective rainfall. This paper also discusses soil water dynamics, production functions and technical and economic water productivity which could aid in resource optimization and in developing strategies for land, water and crop management interventions with the aim of bridging yield gaps in the semi-arid tropics

Assimilation of Remote Sensing Data into Crop Growth Model for Yield Estimation: A Case Study from India

Crop yield estimation is important to inform logistics management such as the prescription of nutrient inputs, financing, storage and transport, marketing as well as to inform for crop insurance appraisals due to loss incurred by abiotic and biotic stresses. In this study, we used a suite of methods to assess yields at the village level (\5 km2) using remote sensing technology and crop modeling in Indian states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Remote sensing products were generated using Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 time series data and calibrated with data collected from farmers’ fields. We derived maps showing spatial variation in crop extent, crop growth stages and leaf area index (LAI), which are crucial in yield assessment. Crop classification was performed on Sentinel-2 time series data using spectral matching techniques (SMTs) and crop management information collected from field surveys along with ground data. The locations of crop cutting experiments (CCEs) was identified based on crop extent maps. LAI was derived based on the SAVI (soil-adjusted vegetation index) equation were using Landsat 8-time series data. We used the technique of re-parametrization of crop simulation models based on the several iterations using remote sensing leaf area index (LAI). The data assimilation approach helps in fine-tuning the initial parameters of the crop growth model and improving simulation with the help of remotely sensed observations. Results clearly show a good correlation between observed and simulated crop yields (R2 is greater than 0.7) for all the crops studied. Our study showed that by assimilation of remotely sensed data in to crop models, crop yields at harvest could be successfully predicted

Building climate resilience in degraded agricultural landscapes through water management: A case study of Bundelkhand region, Central India

Rainfall variability and water scarcity continue to hamper the food and income security of smallholder farming systems in poverty-affected regions. Innovations in soil and water management, especially in the drylands, are critical for meeting food security and water productivity targets of Agenda 2030. This study analyzes how rainfed agriculture can be intensified with marginal impact on the landscape water balance. The impact of rainwater harvesting structures on landscape hydrology and associated agricultural services was analyzed in the semi-arid Jhansi district of Bundelkhand region in central India. The Parasai-Sindh pilot watershed was subjected to a 5-year (2012–2016) monitoring of rainfed system improvements in water availability and crop intensification due to surface water storage (haveli system), check dams, and field infiltration structures. Hydrological processes were monitored intensively to analyze the landscape’s water balance components. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures altered the landscape’s hydrology, limiting average surface runoff from 250 mm/year to 150 mm/year over the study period. Groundwater levels increased by 2–5 m (m), alleviating water scarcity issues of the communities in recurring dry years. Nearly 20% of fallow lands were brought under cultivation. Crop yields increased by 10–70% and average household income increased from US$960/year to US$ 2700/year compared to that in the non-intervention landscape. The combined soil–water–vegetation efforts strengthened water resilience and environmental systems in agricultural landscape

Impact of soil and water conservation measures on farm productivity and income in the semi-arid tropics of Bundelkhand, central India

Soil and water are crucial resources for agriculture, especially in arid and semi-arid rain-fed areas, yet farm-level economic impacts and the factors influencing the adoption of measures for their conservation are little studied. The present study used data from 400 farm households to assess factors influencing the adoption of soil and water conservation measures (SWCMs) and their impacts on farm productivity and income in a semi-arid region of central India. We employed a probit model to determine the factors influencing the on-farm adoption of SWCMs and a propensity score matching technique for assessing their impacts. The findings indicate that farmer age and education, off-farm income, farm size and land ownership and access to training are key drivers of the adoption of SWCMs. SWCMs accentuated the input costs by INR 1689–2847 per ha during the rabi cropping season (October–February), but also increased crop productivity and net revenue from farming. The impact in the rabi season was less sensitive to the unobserved confounders than in the kharif season (June–September). Therefore, SWCMs could represent an important strategy for unlocking the cultivation potential of large rain-fed areas and for sustaining the livelihoods of farm households in the ecologically fragile arid and semi-arid tropics

Transforming livestock productivity through watershed interventions: A case study of Parasai-Sindh watershed in Bundelkhand region of Central India

CONTEXT: Global experiences reveal the positive impact of watershed-based interventions in improving livelihoods and environmental security. In the drylands, increasing forage resources and improving livestock productivity is a critical challenge. OBJECTIVES: The overarching aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of watershed-based interventions on livestock population, productivity, fodder resources, and biomass availability. The paper describes the interrelationship between land, water, crop, and livestock and how the gap in forage deficit can be bridged through a range of watershed interventions