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ECO-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGIES
WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES
Soil and
Water Conservation for sustainable development
As
fertile soil and good quality water have become precious natural resources,
their efficient and economical use is the first and foremost action to
conserve them. The practical methods for soil and water conservation can be
broadly divided into two classes.
Agronomic Practices.
Mechanical Measures.
AGRONOMIC PRACTICES
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By following different agronomic practices we can reduce soil
erosion, increase moisture-holding capacity of soil and can minimize
problems like water logging, soil salinization etc.
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Following agronomic practices are performed to achieve the
above-mentioned objectives.
1) CONTOUR- FARMING:
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Generally, as the rain falls, a lot of runoff is
generated which generally leads to soils erosion on its way downward.
This removes the top fertile soil along with soil nutrients and plant
seeds thus leading to scanty and uneven growth of crop.
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To avoid this a simple practice of farming is done across the slope
so that there are no steep slopes on the field. The ridges and
furrows thus formed act as continuous barrier to the free movement of
water downwards thus provides more infiltration time. Hence, the
removal of soil along with nutrients is checked to a great extent
leading to increment in soil fertility and crop yield.
2) MULCHING PRACTICE:
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Mulching is one of the simplest and beneficial
practices for soil and water conservation. Mulch is simply a
protective layer of material that is spread on top of the soil to
prevent it from blowing and being washed away. Mulch can either be
organic-such as grass clippings, straw, bark chips and similar
materials or inorganic such as stones, brick chips and plastic.
Conservation tillage is a common practice that creates mulch on the
soil surface. It leaves the crop residue on the top of the soil as
mulch. The mulching practice yields following benefits:
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Protects the soil from erosion.
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Conserve moisture in soil thus saving the need for frequent
irrigation.
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Reduce compaction of soil due to impact of heavy rains.
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Maintains a more even soil temperature.
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Prevents weed growth to check loss of soil nutrients.
3)
ENHANCING THE GROWTH OF SPECIFIC CROPS:
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Enhancing the growth of specific crops which provide the maximum
cover, reduce runoff and soil loss e.g. legume crops in general
furnish a better cover and hence better protection to cultivated land
against erosion than ordinary cultivated crops. These may vary from
region to region depending upon topographical and climate conditions.
4) STRIP
CROPPING:
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It
is a combination of contouring and crop rotation in which alternate
strips of row crops and soil conserving crops (sods) are grown either
at right angles to the direction of the prevailing wind, or following
the natural contours of the terrain to prevent soil erosion of the
soil. When soil is detached from the row crops by the forces of wind
or water, the dense soil conserving crops traps some of the soil
particles and reduces wind translation and/or runoff.
5)
MIXED CROPPING:
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In
this practice two or more crops are grown in the same field at a
particular time. Some of the benefits of mixed cropping are a better
and continuous cover of the land, good protection against the beating
action of the rain. The different crops grown in mixed cropping have
their roots at different depths holding the soil more firmly thus
preventing soil erosion.
MECHANICAL MEASURES
1)
CONTOUR-BUNDING:
In
this practice small bunds are constructed at regular intervals across
the slope of the land. This practice is very useful in arid and
semi-arid areas with high infiltration and permeability rates.
2)
SUBSOILING:
3) BASIN
LISTING:
4) BENCH
TERRACING:
By
above-mentioned agronomic and mechanical measures, we can have
efficient soil and water conservation.
Eco-Friendly Water
Technologies
Page Revised on Oct.2009
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