About the Practice
Problem Statement:

Water Conservation

Detail:

Water conservation through agronomic practices and develooopment of bund former Sri. Dhanaraj owns more than 10 acres of land irrigated through open wells in Kalkurichi village of Namakkal district in Tamil Nadu. He cultivates Tapioca, Sugarcane, Vegetables and Coconut. Due to intensive agriculture practised by farmers by applying chemical inputs and non-judicious use of ground water has led to affected the water table and also the water quality is becoming saltish. Sri. Dhanaraj decided to try innovative agronomic practices in order to conserve water and to reduce the ill effects of irrigating saltish water for crops. For the past 3 years he has been adopting the following methods and found it more useful. The innovations are described below: 1.Innovative Spacing method : In Sugarcane and Tapioca usually setts are planted in ridges and furrows. Irrigation is through letting the water in the furrows used as irrigation channels; usually the irrigation is flood through channels placed at every 1-2 feet interval. In this method the entire field is flooded with irrigation water; therefore water requirements for the field is higher; when larger quantity of water is let out to the field it also deteriorates the soil due to saltish nature of irrigation water. Sri. Dhanaraj has understood the problem and he tried innovative spacing method. In this new method he is taking furrows at every 4 feet interval at a width of 1 feet. In between two furrows a raised bed is formed which can be used for incorporating dried stubbles or organic matter for decomposition. Water is irrigated in the furrows and there by 75% of water is saved. Due to water conservation and reduced quantity of water i.e. 25% of water is sufficient and this will not affect the soil due to saltish nature of water. In the next season the ridges will be converted into furrows and there by irrigation water will be avoided in the original area and this avoids becoming deterioration of soil due to saltish nature of water. This method of spacing will be useful for Tapioca, Sugarcane, Cotton, Castor and other bulbous plants. By using this method setts or seeds are planted at the edge of the ridges (raised bed) are maintained with prescribed numbers without reducing the setts and there by yield of the crops is not at all affected. Please refer the diagram. 2.Innovative Bund Former : For preparing raised bed and furrows at required space: He has developed innovative Bund former, which can be mounted through tractor. The spacing of ridges and furrows can easily be adjusted. This tractor can cover 1 acre per day for forming ridges and furrows. It requires only 2 labourers for completing main channel and forming sub channels at 5 feet interval. This Bund former can be used after initial ploughing by using either tractor or plough bullocks. Benefits and Advantages : 1. Water is saved to extent of 75%. 2.The texture of the soil is loose due to 3/4th area of field is not irrigated with saltish water. 3.In the Bund former the tillers or Bund formers are in the same tractor tyre tract, so the soil will not be hardened. 4.Fertilizer can be applied only in the furrows and it is fully utilized. 5.We can adjust the width and depth of the Bund former so that it will be useful for variety of crops such as Turmeric, Sugarcane, Cotton, and Tapioca etc.


About the Innovator

Knowledge Provider / Innovator: Mr. Dhanaraj & Mr. Sathya Prakash Bsc(Agri),
Address: Periyappukaadu, Kalkurichi post, Namakkal Tamil Nadu
City: Namakkal
State: Tamil Nadu
PIN Code 637402

Practice Details

Manufacturing Capacity: b) Design Support c) Sub-contracting e) Franchising
Problem Scale: Grave and global
News Link 5:


GIAN Reference: GIAN/UAL/1045
Please login to view or add comments to this practice.