Rainwater management : production of cluster bean as influenced by moisture conservation in runoff plots

摘要

Studies on the cultivation of cluster bean - Pearl millet and Cenchrus ciliaris on the runoff plots (catchment) of three sizes viz. 10 x10 m, 10 x 20 m, and 10 x 40 m of 0.5% slope were conducted on loamy sand soil at Central Research Farm of CentralArid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur during 1993 to 1996. Yields were maximum on bigger catchment size (10x40 m) compared with small catchment (lOxlOm). Maximum grain yields of cluster bean (8.13 q/ha), pearl millet (24.72 q/ha) and dry forage yields ofC. ciliaris (28.75 q/ha), water use efficiency of pearl millet (7.2 kg grain/mm/ha), cluster bean (2.65 kg grain/mm/ha) and C. ciliaris (8.74 kg DM/mm/ha) were recorded in 400 m~2 runoff plots. The percent increase in grain yield due to the size of catchment was 24% in cluster bean, 5% in pearl millet and 11% in the forage yield of C. ciliaris on catchment 400 m~2 compared to 100 m~2. The runoff as percentage of seasonal rainfall from cluster bean plots ranged 8.7 to 10.7%, pearl millet 6.8 to 8.9%, least 4.9 to 6.3% from grass plots and maximum 14.2 to 17.0% from cultivated fallow plots. Therefore, possibilities for the cultivation of cluster bean on loamy sand runoff plots for harvesting rain water do exist. Though cluster bean is more remunerativethan C. ciliaris, but vegetation cover of C. ciliaris grass prevents high volume of runoff and soil erosion in runoff water more efficiently than crop.