Yield gap of rainfed rice in farmers’ fields in Central Java, Indonesia

Yield constraint analysis for rainfed rice at a research station gives insight into the relative role of occurring yield-limiting factors. However, soil nutrient status and water conditions along toposequences in rainfed farmers’ fields may differ from those at the research station. Therefore, yield constraints need to be analyzed in farmers’ fields in order to design management strategies to increase yield and yield stability.We applied production ecological concepts to analyze yield-limiting factors (water, N) on rice yields along toposequences in farmers’ fields using data from on-farm experiments conducted in 2000-2002 in Indonesia. Potential, water-limited, and N-limited yields were simulated using the ORYZA2000 crop growth model. Farmers’ fields showed large spatial and temporal variation in hydrology (354-1235 mm seasonal rainfall, −150 to 50 cm field-water depth) and fertilizer doses (76-166 N, 0-45 P, and 0-51 kg K ha⁻¹). Farmers’ yields ranged from 0.32 to 5.88 Mg ha⁻¹. The range in yield gap caused by water limitations was 0-28% and that caused by N limitations 35-63%, with large temporal and spatial variability.The relative limitations of water and N in farmers’ fields varied strongly among villages in rainfed rice areas and toposequence positions, with yield gaps due to water and N at the top and upper middle positions higher than at the lower middle and bottom toposequence positions, and yield gaps in late wet seasons higher than those in early wet seasons. Management options (e.g. crop establishment dates, shortening turnaround time, using varieties with shorter duration, supplemental irrigation) to help the late-season crop escape, or minimize the negative effects of, late-season droughts and supplying adequate N-fertilizer are important for increasing yield in rainfed lowland rice in Indonesia. More N-fertilizer should be given to upper toposequence positions than to lower positions because the former had a lower indigenous nutrient supply and hence a better response to N-fertilizer inputs. Systems approaches using production ecological concepts can be applied in yield constraint analysis for indentifying management strategies to increase yield and yield stability in farmers’ fields in other rainfed lowland areas.     

不同地下水埋深污灌硝态氮对土壤-地下水环境影响试验研究

地下水埋深是影响污灌污染物在土壤-地下水系统中运移特性的主要因素之一。通过室内污水入渗试验,研究了不同地下水埋深条件下污灌污染物NO3--N在土壤中的运移特性及对地下水环境的影响。研究结果表明:地下水埋深的不同导致了土壤内水分分布和NO3--N迁移路径的差异,从而影响了NO3--N在土壤-地下水系统中的运移特性。埋深浅,高土水势能和反硝化潜势制约了污水携带NO3--N向下层土壤迁移淋失的趋势,但高土水势能和短迁移路径使下层土壤基质中的NO3--N易被挤入至地下水中,NO3--N污染地下水风险较大。     

Modelling the impact of interventions on the dynamics in village poultry systems

There are many technical possibilities to improve free-range and backyard poultry keeping. Rural households, however, are not adopting these technologies widely. This paper presents a model approach for ex ante evaluation of interventions in village poultry systems. The dynamic deterministic computer model considers mortality, egg production, reproduction, offtake, and their interrelationships. In the base situation, the model reflects the behaviour of a relatively stable village poultry flock. The model was used to explore how interventions influence the dynamics of a village poultry flock. Over the simulated period of three years, NCD (Newcastle Disease) vaccination, daytime housing, supplementary feeding, and control of broodiness each had a positive effect on bird offtake, egg production, egg offtake, and flock size. Crossbreeding had a highly negative effect on these key variables. The impact of interventions is also related to the use of the available resources. Cost–benefit calculations for the Tigray region in Ethiopia and village poultry research sites in Kenya indicated that NCD vaccinations were economically most effective. Housing and crossbreeding had a highly negative impact on net returns. When applied with situation-specific input data, the model can be used in the first stages of research and development approaches to support decisions on priorities of projects in village poultry production.     

Effect of water-saving irrigation on rice yield and water use in typical lowland conditions in Asia

With decreasing water availability for agriculture and increasing demand for rice, water use in rice production systems has to be reduced and water productivity increased. Alternately submerged–nonsubmerged (ASNS) systems save water compared with continuous submergence (CS). However, the reported effect on yield varies widely and detailed characterizations of the hydrological conditions of ASNS experiments are often lacking so that generalizations are difficult to make. We compared the effects of ASNS and CS on crop performance and water use, at different levels of N input, in field experiments in China and the Philippines, while recording in detail the hydrological dynamics during the experiment. The experiments were conducted in irrigated lowlands and followed ASNS practices as recommended to farmers in China. The sites had silty clay loam soils, shallow groundwater tables and percolation rates of 1–4.5 mm per day.Grain yields were 4.1–5.0 t ha⁻¹ with 0 kg N ha⁻¹ and 6.8–9.2 t ha⁻¹ with 180 kg N ha⁻¹. Biomass and yield did not significantly differ between ASNS and CS, but water productivity was significantly higher under ASNS than under CS in two out of three experiments. There was no significant water×N interaction on yield, biomass, and water productivity. Combined rainfall plus irrigation water inputs were 600–960 mm under CS, and 6–14% lower under ASNS. Irrigation water input was 15–18% lower under ASNS than under CS, but only significantly so in one experiment. Under ASNS, the soils had no ponded water for 40–60% of the total time of crop growth. During the nonsubmerged periods, ponded water depths or shallow groundwater tables never went deeper than −35 cm and remained most of the time within the rooted depth of the soil. Soil water potentials did not drop below −10 kPa. We argue that our results are typical for poorly-drained irrigated lowlands in Asia, and that ASNS can reduce water use up to 15% without affecting yield when the shallow groundwater stays within about 0–30 cm. A hydrological characterization and mapping of Asia’s rice area is needed to assess the extent and magnitude of potential water savings.     

Can soil bunds increase the production of rain-fed lowland rice in south eastern Tanzania?

Rain-fed lowland rice is by far the most common production system in south eastern Tanzania. Rice is typically cultivated in river valleys and plains on diverse soil types although heavy soil types are preferred as they can retain moisture for a longer period. To assess the effects of soil bunds on the production of rain-fed lowland rice, the crop was cultivated in bunded and non-bunded farmers’ plots under the common agronomic practices in the region, in three successive seasons on Grumic Calcic Vertisols (Pellic). For the three seasons and for the two plot types, crop transpiration was simulated with the BUDGET soil water balance model by using the observed weather data, soil and crop parameters. Comparison between the observed yields and the simulated crop transpiration yielded an exponential relationship with a determination factor of 0.87 and an RMSE of 0.15 tonnes ha⁻¹. With the validated soil water balance model crop yields that can be expected in bunded and non-bunded fields were subsequently simulated for wet, normal and dry years and various environmental conditions. Yield comparison shows that soil bunds can appreciably increase the production of rain-fed lowland rice in south eastern Tanzania in three quarters of the years (wet and normal years) when the soil profile is slow draining (K_SAT equal to or less than 10 mm day⁻¹). In normal years a minimum yield increase of 30% may be expected on those soil types. In wet years and when the soil hardly drains (drainage class of 0–5 mm day⁻¹), the yield may even double. In dry years the yield increase will be most of the time less than 10% except for plots with a percolation rate of 0–5 mm day⁻¹.     

Modelling point and diffuse source pollution of nitrate in a rural lowland catchment using the SWAT model

The assessments of potential environmental impacts of point and diffuse source pollution at regional scales are necessary to achieve the sustainable development of natural resources such as land and water. Nutrient related diffuse source pollutant inputs can enhance crop growth and improve soil eutrophication. However, excessive nutrient input can result in the impairment of water quality. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the long-term impact of point and diffuse source pollution on nitrate load in a lowland catchment using the ecohydrological model SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and to determine the contribution of point and diffuse sources to nitrate load in the entire catchment.The study area Kielstau catchment has a size of approximately 50 km² and is located in the North German lowlands. The water quality is not only influenced by the predominating agricultural land use in the catchment as cropland and pasture, but also by six municipal wastewater treatment plants. Diffuse entries as well as punctual entries from the wastewater treatment plants are implemented in the model set-up. The model was first calibrated and then validated in a daily time step. The values of the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency for the simulations of flow and nitrate load range from 0.68 to 0.75 for the calibration period and from 0.76 to 0.78 for the validation period. These statistical results revealed that the SWAT model performed satisfactorily in simulating daily flow and nitrate load in lowland catchment of Northern Germany. The results showed that diffuse sources are the main contributor to nitrate load in the entire catchment accounting for about 95% of the total nitrate load, while only 5% results from point sources. The model results also indicated that agriculture is the dominant contributor of diffuse sources and the percentage of agricultural land area is considerably positively correlated to nitrate load at the different subbasins. The area covered by forest is found to be negatively correlated with nitrate load.     

The effect of system innovations on water productivity in subsistence rainfed agricultural systems in semi-arid Tanzania

Rainfed subsistence farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa generally obtain low crop yields as a result of highly erratic rainfall seasons. This paper presents results of research conducted to test the effects of improvements in farming techniques for subsistence rainfed systems. The research was carried out in the Makanya catchment of northern Tanzania where rainfall of less than 600 mm a⁻¹ and spread over two agricultural seasons per year is clearly insufficient to support staple food crops under the present farming systems in the area. The research sought to prove that, with improved efficiency in tillage techniques, grain yields can improve even under the existing challenging hydro-climatic conditions. The research tested farming system innovations (SIs) at four sites located within a spatial distance of 10 km where a combination of runoff diversion (RD), on-site rain water harvesting (WH) and conservation tillage (CT) were compared against the traditional farming methods of hand-hoeing under strict rainfed conditions (Control). For RD, runoff generated from natural storms was directed into infiltration pits dug along the contour with the excavated soil deposited upward of the trenches (fanya juus). The impact of these techniques on maize yields under different SIs was investigated.The results showed that the innovations resulted in increased maize grain yields of up to 4.8 t ha⁻¹ compared against current averages of less than 1 t ha⁻¹. The average productivity of the available water over four seasons was calculated to range between 0.35 and 0.51 kg m⁻³. For the SIs that were tested, the distribution of yields within a cultivated strip showed variations with better yields obtained on the down slope side of the cultivated strip where ponding effects resulted in higher water availability for infiltration and storage. However, due to the large seasonal climate variability, statistical analysis did not show significant differences in the yields (p < 0.05) between different cultivation techniques.The study showed that there is scope to improve grain yields with the little available rainfall through the adoption of techniques which promote water availability and retention within the field. The re-partitioning of water within the field creates mitigation measures against the impact of dry spells and allows alternative cropping in addition to the traditional maize cultivated in the rainfall seasons.     

Effects of winter crop and supplemental irrigation on crop yield,water use efficiency and profitability in rainfed rice based cropping system of eastern India

Soil moisture availability is the main limiting factor for growing second crops in rainfed rice fallows of eastern India. Only rainfed rice is grown with traditional practices during the rainy season (June–October) with large areas (13 m ha⁻¹) remaining fallow during the subsequent dry season (November–March) inspite of annual rainfall of the order 1000–2000 mm. In this study an attempt was made to improve productivity of rainfed rice during rainy season and to grow second crops in rice fallow during dry (winter) season with supplemental irrigation from harvested rainwater. Rice was grown as first crop with improved as well as traditional farmers’ management practices to compare the productivity between these two treatments. Study revealed that 87.1–95.6% higher yield of rice was obtained with improved management over farmers’ practices. Five crops viz., maize, groundnut, sunflower, wheat and potato were grown in rice fallow during dry (winter) season with two, three and four supplemental irrigations and improved management. Sufficient amount of excess rainwater (runoff) was available (381 mm at 75% probability level) to store and recycle for supplementary irrigation to second crops grown after rice. Study revealed that supplemental irrigation had significant effect (P < 0.001) on grain yield of dry season crops and with two irrigation mean yields of 1845, 785, 905, 1420, 8050 kg ha⁻¹ were obtained with maize (grain), groundnut, sunflower, wheat and potato (tuber), respectively. With four irrigations 214, 89, 78, 81, 54% yield was enhanced over two irrigations in respective five crops. Water use efficiency (WUE) of 13.8, 3.35, 3.39, 5.85 and 28.7 kg ha⁻¹ was obtained in maize, groundnut, sunflower, wheat, potato (tuber), respectively with four irrigations. The different plant growth parameters like maximum above ground biomass, leaf area index and root length were also recorded with different levels of supplemental irrigation. The study amply revealed that there was scope to improve productivity of rainfed rice during rainy season and to grow another profitable crops during winter/dry season in rice fallow with supplemental irrigation from harvested rainwater of rainy season.     

Modelling the effect of household composition on the welfare of limited-resource farmers in Coastal Cañete,Peru

Family composition and its changes over time are believed to have a major impact on the welfare and sustainability of small-scale, limited resource farm households. In order to understand and test the effects of household composition on overall farm household well-being, a simulation model was developed based on information from 60 small farms from the Coastal Cañete Valley, Peru. The model accounts dynamically for the birth, age and death of household members and for crop, livestock, and economic activities. A representative farm with ten scenarios representing the range of household composition was simulated. Results in 10, 20 and 40-year runs showed that family composition has a large influence on economic stress. Families with fewer members were economically better off after 10, 20, and even 40 years. With more young or very old members, the expenses and consumption requirements exceeded the benefits from the additional labor, and debt was greater and of longer duration. Changing prices and yields across their observed ranged of variability influenced simulated financial position, but not the ranking of results among household composition scenarios.     

Alternative cropping strategies for assured and efficient crop production in upland rainfed rice areas of eastern India based on rainfall analysis

The productivity of rice in rainfed upland soils of eastern India is very low (<1 t/ha) and unstable because of erratic monsoon, moisture deficit during dry spells, light textured with less fertile soils and several biological constraints (weeds, pests and diseases). Keeping the urgent need of augmenting the productivity of vast rainfed upland rice ecosystem of eastern India (4.3 million ha), crop diversification technology was generated through on-farm research trials in representative upland rice soils of eastern India after analyzing agro-climatic (rainfall variability, probability and onset of effective monsoon) and edaphic (soil water retention properties) constraints and prospects. Based on rainfall analysis, direct seeded, low water requiring, rice substituted alternative upland crops namely maize, groundnut, pigeonpea, greengram and blackgram (sole or intercropping) was sown in light textured upland rice soils on 24th meteorological weeks (11–17 June) in 3 years 2000–2002 with two to three summer ploughings during pre-monsoon shower (May). Study revealed that in deficit rainfall years (2000 and 2002), when rice yield was affected adversely in light textured upland, higher rice equivalent yield and rain water use efficiency were obtained from groundnut+pigeonpea intercropping followed by sole groundnut and sole pigeonpea. Study also revealed that productivity of rice substituted crops in the same upland did not fluctuate much between rainfall excess (2001) and rainfall deficit years (2002 and 2000). Double cropping in rainfed upland rice soils was also explored through maize–horsegram/sesamum rotation with increased productivity and rainwater use efficiency. The crop diversification technology was found to be very effective for drought mitigation.     

Modelling of the effect of dry periods on yielding of spring barley

The paper presents a weather-yield model developed for the purpose of estimating spring barley yield on the basis of dry spells occurring in individual periods between the phenological phases of that plant. For that purpose research material on spring barley, originating from the years 1976-1997, was used as well as diurnal sums of precipitation. Five periods were considered in the analysis: sowing-emergence, emergence-tillering, tillering-heading, heading-milk ripeness and milk ripeness-full ripeness. In the study a model of changes in the amount of water available for plant during rainless periods was used. Five measures were adopted for characterisation of the approximation error: correlation coefficient, mean relative error, relative root mean square error, model efficiency and coefficient of residual mass. The analyses performed demonstrated that yield reduction is significantly influenced by rainless periods that occur in the sowing-emergence and tillering-heading inter-phase periods. The adopted criteria for yield reduction estimation show considerable similarity for the emergence-tillering and heading-milk ripeness inter-phase periods. At the same time, their influence on yield reduction is three-fold lower than during the sowing-emergence and tillering-heading inter-phase periods. Analyses performed with the use of the developed model indicate that yield size is affected by rainless periods of duration longer than 30% of the inter-phase period.     

The effect of rice straw mulch on evapotranspiration, transpiration and soil evaporation of irrigated wheat in Punjab, India

Soil evaporation (Es) is considered to be a non-productive component of evapotranspiration (ET). So, measures which moderate Es may influence the amount of water available for transpiration (T), the productive component of ET. Field experiments investigating the effects of rice straw mulch on components of the water balance of irrigated wheat were conducted during 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 in Punjab, India, on a clay loam soil. Daily Es was measured using mini-lysimeters, and total seasonal ET was estimated as the missing term in the water balance equation. Mulch lowered total Es over the crop growth season by 35 and 40 mm in relatively high and low rainfall years, respectively. Much of this “saved water” was partitioned into T, which increased by 30 and 37 mm in the high and low rainfall years, respectively. As a result, total ET was not affected by mulch in either year. In both years, there was a trend for higher biomass production and grain yield with mulch, but with significant differences only in 2006-2007. Transpiration efficiency (TE) with respect to grain yield was 18.8-19.1 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ in 2006-2007, and 14.6-16.4 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ in 2007-2008. While wheat grown in the presence of mulch tended to lower TE, this was only significant in 2007-2008. The results suggest that while mulching of well-irrigated wheat reduces Es, it does not “save” water because the crop compensates by increased T and reduced TE.     

Modelling of water and nitrogen balances in the ponded water and soil profile of rice fields in Northern Greece

This paper presents a water and nitrogen balance model for the surface ponded water and soil profile system of rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields. The model estimates the daily water balance components, as well as, the daily losses and transformations of nitrogen. Data from two neighbouring rice fields during the growing season of 2005 in the Thessaloniki plain of Northern Greece were used for the application of the model. The data set of field A was used for the calibration of the model, while the data set from the field B for validation of model. Simulation results of total inorganic nitrogen in the soil and runoff water exhibited reasonable agreement with the measured data during calibration and verification of the model. Significant amounts of applied irrigation water were lost through surface runoff and deep percolation into the groundwater. The sum of nitrogen inputs from fertilization, mineralization and irrigation water were 292.7 and 280.4 kg ha⁻¹ for field A and B, respectively. Nitrogen uptake by algae in ponding water and plants was one of the main processes of nitrogen reduction in the rice field systems with an amount of 125.7 and 131.8 kg ha⁻¹ for field A and B, respectively. Leaching through percolated water was the other significant process with 118.3 and 120.8 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. Gaseous losses of nitrogen (via volatilization and denitrification) were also substantial processes of nitrogen reduction in the flooded compartment. The study showed that the simple model presents important results for the water and nitrogen management in rice fields. This information can be used for irrigation water saving and prevention of water resources contamination in rice-based agroecosystems.     

Disentangling the effect of environmental factors on yield and nitrogen uptake of irrigated rice in Asia

Rice yield is the result of the interaction between genotype (cultivar characteristics), environment (climate and soil conditions), and management. Few studies have attempted to isolate the contribution of each of these factors. Here the rice growth model ORYZA2000 was used to analyse the variation in yield, nitrogen (N) uptake, and internal N use efficiency (INUE, grain yield per unit total crop N uptake) of rice in different environments. First, ORYZA2000 was calibrated and evaluated using an empirical data set that spanned three varieties, three years, and eight locations in Asia. Next, we used the model to investigate the relative contribution of indigenous soil N and external N supply and of the weather factors temperature and radiation to observed variation in yield.     

Modelling the impacts of group ranch subdivision on agro-pastoral households in Kajiado,Kenya

Pastoral communities in East Africa are facing considerable challenges arising from shifts in land tenure policy from communal to individual landholdings and high human population growth rates. Over the last 30 years, livestock-to-human ratios have generally declined to levels that will no longer support pure pastoralism. Many Maasai have thus diversified into cultivation, wage labour, and small businesses. Livelihood expectations are rising, with concomitant increases in the need for cash. We describe the modification of PHEWS, a simple rule-based model that tracks cash flow and calories in agro-pastoral households. We use it, coupled to Savanna, a sophisticated ecosystem model, to quantify some of the effects of subdivision and land fragmentation on household livestock numbers and on food security. For the group ranches simulated, model outputs indicate that subdivision results in substantial reductions in livestock numbers, partially because households have to sell more animals to generate the cash needed, with serious long-term consequences on herd sizes and food security. If subdivision occurs, even to parcels as large as 196 km², livelihood strategies may need to be modified to maintain current levels of household well-being. Model results have been discussed in community meetings in southern Kajiado, but more work is needed on communication mechanisms to utilise more effectively the results of imperfect but useful integrated assessments of complex problems concerning land use and human well-being.     

Assessment of the FAO AquaCrop model in the simulation of rainfed and supplementally irrigated maize, sugar beet and sunflower

Farming in Serbia is traditionally rainfed. Analyses show that drought events of varying severity are frequent in this region, although there is no specific pattern. There is a distinct need for an objective assessment of the impact of drought on strategic field crops, to solve the dilemma whether irrigation is required or not. For this reason, and based on available field data, the FAO AquaCrop water driven model was selected to simulate yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) for three major field crops (maize, sunflower, and sugar beet), under two scenarios: (1) natural water supply and adequate supply of nutrients, and (2) supplementary irrigation and adequate supply of nutrients. The experiments presented here were conducted between 2000 and 2007 in northern Serbia, where chernozem soil is prevalent. Data of 2003 cropping seasons were used for local calibration, whereas the remaining years for validation. Results were such that local calibration resulted in very minor changes of AquaCrop coefficients (e.g., maize basal crop coefficient, sunflower harvest index, etc.). Simulated maize yield levels exhibited the greatest departure from measured data under irrigation conditions (−3.6 and 3.3% during an extremely dry and an extremely wet year, respectively). Simulated sunflower yield levels varied by less than 10% in 8 out of 10 comparisons. The most extreme variation was noted during the extremely wet year. The difference between simulated and measured values in the case of sugar beet was from −10.2 to 12.2%. Large differences were noted only in two or three cases, under extreme climatic conditions. Statistical indicators - root mean square error (RMSE) and index of agreement (d) - for all three crops suggested that the model can be used to highly reliably assess yield and IWUE. This conclusion was derived based on low values of RMSE and high values of d (in the case of maize and sugar beet 0.999 for both yield and IWUE, and in the case of sunflower 0.999 for yield and 0.884 for IWUE). It is noteworthy that under wet conditions, the model suggested that sunflower and sugar beet do not require irrigation, as confirmed by experimental research. These data are significant because they show that the AquaCrop model can be used in impartial decision-making and in the selection of crops to be given irrigation priority in areas where water resources are limited.     

Evaluation of drainage and tillage effect on watertable depth and maize yield in wet inland valleys in southwestern Nigeria

A study was conducted in three wet inland valley bottoms, namely, high (MHW), medium (MMW) and low (MLW) watertable sites to evaluate the effect of drained (D) and control (Do), and mound-tillage (MT), ridge-tillage (RT) and no-tillage (NT) treatments on watertable depth and yield of maize in 1990 wet and 1990/1991 dry season in southwestern Nigeria. The watertable depth averaged 30.0 cm in the drained plot and <15.0 cm in the control plot in 1990. The watertable tended toward its lowest depth averaging 44.8 cm in the drained and 26.2 cm in the control plot in 1990/1991. Soil moisture content was lower (P<0.01) and air-filled porosity greater (P<0.01) in the mound-tilled compared with the ridge tilled and no-till soils in both drained and control plots in 1990 and 1990/1991. Equally, green maize yield from the mound-tillage and ditch drainage system was greater (P<0.01) than the ridge-tillage and no-tillage systems in both seasons. Maize may be grown successfully with a ditch drainage and mound-tillage system in the wet soils in inland valley bottoms regardless of their watertable regimes in southwestern Nigeria.     

Promoting the adoption of natural resource management technology in arid and semi-arid areas: Modelling the impact of spineless cactus in alley cropping in Central Tunisia

The arid and semi-arid areas of North Africa are becoming deserts. Most of the research and development projects in these areas aim at developing alternative technologies to reduce land degradation and favour sustainable economic activities. The ‘spineless cactus-alley cropping system’ is an interesting alternative in the low rainfall areas of North Africa. This system limits land degradation by the use of perennial crops, produces cheap and drought resistant sources of feed, and favours biomass production in the inter spaces. The important question is how to promote the adoption of this technology. A bio-economic model has been developed to identify the conditions of development of the ‘spineless cactus-alley cropping system’ in an agro-pastoral community of Central Tunisia. Scenarios relating to different types of institutional support, either monetary or informational, were analysed. The results revealed larger cash flow, more livestock and less cereal cultivation on marginal land. Adoption of the technology is clearly favoured by public financial support and also largely by transmission of information on the expected yield of the system. The findings suggest that extension services play a crucial role in creating awareness among farmers of the impact of technology in terms of yields and income diversification.     

Modelling the effect of canal bed elevation on seepage and water table rise in a sand box filled with loamy soil

The HYDRUS 2D finite difference two-dimensional water balance model was experimentally tested for transient and steady state seepage flux, mound height, and piezometric water level from soil surface as a function of time and horizontal distance from the centre of the canal (half width = 45 cm) under different canal bed elevations (20, 0, −40, −80 and −120 cm denoted as experiments D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5, respectively) and constant water head of 5 cm in a sand box (200 cm × 170 cm × 150 cm) filled with Hisar loam soil. Differences of means between measured and predicted values of infiltration flux, seepage flux and mound height as tested by paired t test were not found significant (P = 0.05). Seepage flux and mound height increased with increasing canal bed elevation. Phreatic level depths were everywhere much shallower than the piezometric water level depths in experiments D1, D2 and D3. However, in experiments D4 and D5 both phreatic and piezometric levels were at similar depths. The seepage parameters and mound height increased, and water table depth decreased, linearly with increasing canal bed elevation. Lowering the canal bed to 120 cm below the soil surface reduced the seepage rate to that of lined canals. The projections in a large flow domain also revealed that lowering the canal to −2 and −4 m below soil surface stabilized the water table at 2.5 and 4.5 m below soil surface, respectively. The practical implications are that open drains should be used for irrigation in areas underlain with a brackish groundwater aquifer and gravity canals may be allowed only where groundwater aquifer is of good quality and sub-surface water withdrawal is practiced for irrigation.