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Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi

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20131
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Subject: Agricultural Physics and Meteorology × Author: Kumar, Birendra × End date: 2013 × Start date: 2013 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    SOIL AND RAINFALL CHARACTERIZATION OF PALAMAU DISTRICT FOR CLIMATE RESILIENT AGRICULTURE
    (Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand, 2013) Kumar, Birendra; Kumar, Ramesh
    Weather and soil based analysis was conducted in climatically vulnerable Palamau districts of Jharkhand with a view to characterise the rainfall, quantify the crop growing environment and planning of crops and varieties for normal, early and late drought conditions at block level. The area is predominantly under rainfed and facing vagaries of rainfall like untimely onset of monsoon, scanty, uneven distribution and spatial variability in rain over the years and more frequent intermittent droughts during crop growth period resulting low productivity in the district. Soil samples collected from 12 blocks were analysed for important physical properties (soil texture, bulk density, field capacity, permanent wilting point etc.) and reported soil data (NBSSLUPBAU, report No. 946) on important physico-chemical and chemical parameters (pH, Org. C, avail. N, P and K) were used for characterising the soils. Daily rainfall data for 30 years (1981-2011) of 12 major blocks collected from the DSO and DAO office of Palamau district were analysed for weekly, monthly, seasonal and annual distribution, meteorological drought, Initial and Conditional probabilities, Agricultural drought and Incomplete gamma probability.Weather Cock v1.0 software developed by coordinating unit of AICRP on Agrometeorology CRIDA, Hyderabad was used for rainfall analysis. Soils of most of the blocks were in sandy loam to Loamy sand in texture except Chainpur, Hariharganj, Lesliganj and Panki where it varied from loam to Clay loam. Soils were mostly acidic to neutral in reaction. In some blocks (Chhatarpur, Husainabad, Panki and Manatu) soils were alkaline in reaction. Fertility level in terms of organic matter was in medium to higher range. Available N was low in Patan, Pandu and Panki and medium in rest of the blocks. Available P was low to medium in range and no deficiency of K was observed in any block of Palamau. An overall decreasing trend in annual rainfall was observed in most of the block except Chainpur and Hariharganj where it is slightly increasing. Sharp decrease in annual rainfall was noticed in Manatu (-17.3 mm/year) and Lesliganj (-14.8 mm/year). During monsoon, rainfall witnessed slightly increasing in six blocks and rest in decreasing trend. Distribution of rain received among the seasons showed its maximum (86-90%) concentration during monsoon season and only 10 to14 percent in remaining three seasons (Post monsoon, winter and summer). Initial and conditional probability of rain has been observed between 26- 36 SMW for 50 mm limit within the blocks and it has expanded for lower limits of rain (25and 10 mm) by 2-3 weeks. Severity of meteorological drought analyzed for all 12 blocks indicated that Manatu block was worst affected and 4 out of 30 years were under severe drought. Three blocks i.e. Bisrampur, Chainpur and Pandu faced only one year severe drought. All 12 blocks faced 2-6 years moderate drought within the period. Frequencies of agricultural droughts were more during late period (36-42 SMW) than that of early period (22-28 SMW). Among the blocks, Chainpur faced maximum (37%) early droughts while late droughts were observed maximum (53%) in Satbarwa. Amount of getting rain on weekly and annual basis at five probability levels (i.e. 90, 75, 50, 25 and 10 %) were analysed using Incomplete gamma distribution which shows that both annual and weekly rainfall were close to their 30 years average value at 50% level of probability. Crop growing environment has been identified for all 12 blocks separately. Planning of crops with varieties for normal, early drought and late drought conditions has been worked out based on prevailing weather conditions, rainfall variables, and soil characteristics for kharif and early season rabi crops.