5 research outputs found
Efficient land water management practice and cropping system for increasing water and crop productivity in semiâarid tropics
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]âchickpea (Cicer arientinum L.) and maize (Zea mays)âgroundnut
(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 9.35â10.44% in 0- to 0.3-m, 4.56â9.30% in 0.3- to 0.6-m
and 3.85â5.26% 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, sorghumâchickpea 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