Soil management of alfisols for water conservation and utilization

Yule, D F; Cogle, A L; Smith, G D; Rao, K P C; George, P J

Soil management of alfisols for water conservation and utilization

1991

Yule, D F | Cogle, A L | Smith, G D | Rao, K P C | George, P J

Alfisols are abundarrt soils used for rainfed agrkulfure but have a wide rarrse of problrrtrs due lo lora irrfilfratiorr rates. We studied a ranse of soil and crop managemenl options (fillngc and muklring for anrtunl crops, a~rrl ~wrerrninl crolrs) t:, incrcase infiltration during 1989 and 1990. With annual crops sfraw ~rrul~.ahn d FYM trrulch reducrd runof by 52% ar~d1 7% reslwcfitrly compared to barc freatmenfs but tillage h d small and inconsislent effecfs. Perennial crops produced high rutaolf duritrg the esfahlisl~~rrepnetr iod in 1988 and sukquetrfly a wide range of response depending or1 flu foliage slructure of fire r.roj>. Tall groroirtg pererrnial pigeon pea did not reduce runoff compared lo crops with no surface amendment but llrc derrse, shorf, s~rrtrulitrg stylosarrthes harr~ata reduced runofl more than straw mulch. Reduction in runof will decrease soil erosion and nrny increme draitra~e by up to 200 nrm pcr year. This drainage is a mmsive potential resource for dcrp rooted crups or irrigation fro111 grou~ritiuafer. Sustairrnble agrkultural production a1 a wntershed scale will involve soil manageme71t lo increase irtftltrafion in rairrfed areas and exploitafion of cortscqurnt increases in groundwater resources by irrigation or deep roofed crops.

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