IMPACT OF CONTOUR TRENCHES ON RUNOFF AND SOIL LOSS IN FINGER MILLET AND GROUNDNUT CROPS IN ALFISOLS OF EASTERN DRY ZONE OF KARNATAKA
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Date
2021-09-09
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UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES GKVK, BENGALURU
Abstract
study was conducted in All India Coordinated Research Project for Dry Land
Agriculture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru, to evaluate the impact of contour trenches on soil
and water conservation in finger millet and groundnut crops with treatments viz., contour
trenches at 10 m interval, contour trenches at 25 m interval and with no trenches(control).
In contour trenches with 10 m spacing in both finger millet and groundnut plots, total
reduction in runoff was 36.71 per cent and 37.59 per cent respectively over the control
plot and soil loss was reduced by 56.09 per cent and 58.42 per cent respectively over
control plot. The higher soil moisture was recorded in both finger millet and groundnut
plots with contour trenches at 10 m spacing at 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 DAS and at harvest at
15 cm and 30 cm depth. This would have resulted in better plant growth and crop yield
compared to other treatments. Higher net returns (Rs.39,074 ha-1) and B:C ratio (2.51)
were obtained in finger millet with contour trenches at 10 m interval. Similarly
groundnut crop with contour trenches at 10 m interval recorded the higher net return (Rs.
19,180 ha-1) and B:C ratio (1.54). From the this investigation, it is concluded that in both
finger millet and ground nut crops, contour trenches at 10 m spacing was found to be
efficient in reducing both runoff and soil loss and also in getting higher crop yield and
economic returns.