12 research outputs found
Impact of Shelterbelts on Net Returns from Agricultural Production in Arid Western Rajasthan
This paper has documented the impact of shelterbelt on agricultural returns by collecting primary data from 80 farmers each in shelterbelt and non-shelterbelt areas. To decompose the total change in net returns, separate production functions have been estimated for shelterbelt and non-shelterbelt farms. The study has revealed an increase of 430.8 per cent in net returns due to shelterbelt plantation, in which shelterbelt technology has contributed 399.4 per cent and increase in use of complementary inputs, 31.4 per cent. In the change of 399.4 per cent, shelterbelt has accounted for 305.6 per cent, i.e. shifting from non- shelterbelt to shelterbelt and remaining 93.8 per cent has been due to inputs used by non-shelterbelt, which might be due to improvement in soil health.Agricultural Finance,
Not Available
Not AvailableRemoval of soil particles by wind is an active landdegradation
process in the Indian Thar Desert. To
compute the soil loss due to wind erosion, eroded
aeolian masses are mostly collected by samplers, which
are available with different designs at desert areas of
the world. In the Indian Thar Desert, dust catcher in
the design of Bagnold sampler was generally used to
collect eroded masses at different heights from the
surface, but this had a few drawbacks. Keeping in
mind the constraints of the existing sampler, a new
wind-erosion sampler was designed, fabricated, tested
and installed in the Indian Thar Desert at Jaisalmer.
This erosion sampler has the ability to adjust its orifice
towards the wind direction and thus is capable of
collecting aeolian masses from any direction. With
this sampler, eroded aeolian masses were collected
and analysed during several dust-storm events and
periodic wind-erosion events during June–September
2009. Computation of mass flux (ML–2 T–1) and soil
loss from the collected aeolian mass data successfully
captured the intensity of dust-storm/wind-erosion
events and their variation within a season. Therefore,
the new erosion sampler may be used as a tool to
monitor and assess dust-storm events in the Indian
Thar Desert.Not Availabl
Not Available
Not AvailableWind erosion is the most noticeable land degradation process in the hot arid region of India that covers
about 16% of the geographical area of India. It results into loss of considerable amount of nutrient-rich
particles from the region. Field investigations were carried out in a rangeland site located at Jaisalmer
centre of Central Arid Zone Research Institute in the province of western Rajasthan to quantify the
nutrient loss through wind erosion. The aeolian mass fluxes (M L-2 T-1) were collected at four different
heights: 0.25 m, 0.50 m, 0.75 m, and 2 m above land surface. Analysis of eroded soil was performed
using Foss Heraeus CHN-O-rapid elemental analyzer. The results have revealed an average loss of 4 g
C kg-1 and 0.37 g N kg-1. Present study shows that the C and N content in eroded soils were highest
during the month of July and the accumulated annual loss was approximated as 45.9 kg C ha-1 and 4.3
kg N ha-1. To mitigate such appreciable soil nutrient losses through wind erosion, suitable rangeland
utilization practices, which can help to retain the soil health and would also support the crop/grassland
productivity in arid ecosystem, need to be evolved on priority.Not Availabl
Not Available
Not AvailableSoil organic carbon (SOC) is the largest among three
major carbon pools of global ecosystems. During the
past few years, global warming and forcible land-use
changes have resulted in a huge loss of this major
carbon pool and as a consequence, concentration of
atmospheric CO2 has increased. To mitigate the
potential risks arising from atmospheric abundance of
CO2, adoption of carbon sequestration strategies at
different landscape scales is a major option. For this
purpose, proper estimates of SOC stock per unit area
are essential. In this study, we have estimated the SOC
stock of a typical agricultural farm from hot arid ecosystem
of India and also its spatial variation within
the farm. The surface map of the SOC stock revealed
that introduction of cultivation practices in fragile
lands of the desert region has resulted in huge depletion
of soil carbon. For example, the SOC stock of 10-
years cultivated plots was found to be almost half of
the SOC stock of recently cultivated plots of the farm.
The results also showed that previous reports on
large-scale estimates of SOC stock for hot arid region
of India do not match with the current estimate from
a farm scale of the same region. Consideration of spatial
variation of SOC during calculation of SOC stock
has helped us prepare a surface map of SOC stock of
the farm, which may further be used as an essential
requirement for implementation of site-specific carbon
sequestration strategies and proper carbon credit
programmes in the agricultural farms of India.Not Availabl
Not Available
Not AvailableWind erosion is the most noticeable land degradation process in the hot arid region of India that covers
about 16% of the geographical area of India. It results into loss of considerable amount of nutrient-rich
particles from the region. Field investigations were carried out in a rangeland site located at Jaisalmer
centre of Central Arid Zone Research Institute in the province of western Rajasthan to quantify the
nutrient loss through wind erosion. The aeolian mass fluxes (M L-2 T-1) were collected at four different
heights: 0.25 m, 0.50 m, 0.75 m, and 2 m above land surface. Analysis of eroded soil was performed
using Foss Heraeus CHN-O-rapid elemental analyzer. The results have revealed an average loss of 4 g
C kg-1 and 0.37 g N kg-1. Present study shows that the C and N content in eroded soils were highest
during the month of July and the accumulated annual loss was approximated as 45.9 kg C ha-1 and 4.3
kg N ha-1. To mitigate such appreciable soil nutrient losses through wind erosion, suitable rangeland
utilization practices, which can help to retain the soil health and would also support the crop/grassland
productivity in arid ecosystem, need to be evolved on priority.Not Availabl
Impact of Shelterbelts on Net Returns from Agricultural Production in Arid Western Rajasthan
This paper has documented the impact of shelterbelt on agricultural returns by collecting primary
data from 80 farmers each in shelterbelt and non-shelterbelt areas. To decompose the total change in
net returns, separate production functions have been estimated for shelterbelt and non-shelterbelt
farms. The study has revealed an increase of 430.8 per cent in net returns due to shelterbelt plantation,
in which shelterbelt technology has contributed 399.4 per cent and increase in use of complementary
inputs, 31.4 per cent. In the change of 399.4 per cent, shelterbelt has accounted for 305.6 per cent, i.e.
shifting from non- shelterbelt to shelterbelt and remaining 93.8 per cent has been due to inputs used
by non-shelterbelt, which might be due to improvement in soil health
Not Available
Not AvailableSince ages, the traditional grazing grounds have been lifeline of the pastoral economy in arid region of Rajasthan. Owing to many fold increase in the human and livestock populations, these grazing grounds have been subjected to excessive pressure of grazing and utilization. As a results the area under traditional grazing resources – gochar, oran, beers, jorh, adaw, bhelwars or choili, etc. have declined otherwise it used to maintain equilibrium of nutrients in the soil for traditional cropping systems. Due to over-grazing, most of such grazing resources are in degraded form with poor productivity. The traditional management practices of grazing resources by the community at village level with the system of kar and/or go-had (grazing boundaries) have also disappeared. The continuous decrease in grazing resources and increase in livestock population coupled with changing cropping patterns lead to conflicts between pastoral v/s herders and herders v/s farmers. The alarming situation warrants to look in to the opportunities- protection, reseeding, scientific grazing management which allows resting period to grasslands/pasture, integrating silvi-pasture systems etc., and the issues- free grazing, herd size linked with equity on community grazing land, pastoral migration, etc. for conservation and rehabilitation of pastures and other grazing resources in arid region. Sensitization of people and capacity building at village level to ensure peoples participation, development of grazing calendar, establishment of fodder banks and formulation of a grazing policy like revenue policies both at State and National level would augment not only forage productivity of these shrinking grazing resources and enthuse their better management on sustainable basis but would also lead to better management of grazing resources with community participation.Not Availabl