Feasibility and sizing of unlined on-farm pond for partial rice substitution in rainfed uplands of eastern India

Rice (Oryza sativa L.)-dominated rainfed uplands of eastern India are facing two major problems such as lack of irrigation water sources and low productivity. In fact, unlined on-farm pond (OFP) technology in this terrain could prove to be an effective agricultural drought mitigation measure for monsoon crops but failed to ensure supplemental irrigation (SI) to the next winter crops. Consequently, the OFP technology could not pick up in the region. In order to overcome the shortcomings in the technology, the location of the OFP has been changed and a new concept of partial rice substitution (PRS) has been introduced in the present study to provide SI for the second crop in winter. Maize (Zea mays L.) and rice crops at upper and lower compartments of the field, respectively, were tried at various crop substitution ratios (CSR) of 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, and 30:70 during monsoon season. Rainfall excess from both the compartments was harvested in an unlined OFP located in between the compartments and used for providing SI. In winter, black gram (Vigna mungo L.) and mustard (Brassica campestris) were taken in the upper and lower compartments, respectively, based on availability of water in the OFP. Water balance models were used to simulate the soil moisture in crop root zone as well as storage of water in the OFP. The optimal size of such unlined OFP for average land holdings (1200 m²) in rainfed uplands and under 60:40 CSR was found to be occupying 6 % area of the crop field.