Soil Conservation

NABARD runs major initiatives like:

• Watershed Development Programme

• Tribal Development Fund

• Wadi model (Gujarat)

• Climate-resilient agriculture
  

Understanding soil erosion, runoff, and recharge is essential to:

• Design projects

• Evaluate proposals

• Monitor outcomes

Soil & water conservation reduces:

• Crop failures

• Farmer distress

• Migration and suicides

NABARD coordinates with:

• PMKSY (______)

• IWMP (______)

• MGNREGA (______)

NABARD coordinates with:

• PMKSY (irrigation)

• IWMP (watersheds → stores rain)

• MGNREGA (soil & water works)

NABARD finances:

• Irrigation projects

• Check dams

• Watershed development

• Micro-irrigation

The primary purpose of tillage is

to flip the soil surface, break down soil clumps, and remove unwanted weeds and debris.

Summer Ploughing is

Ploughing the field across the slope during hot summer with the help of specialized tools

Also called

off- season Tillage

Primary objective is

to open the soil crust for pre- monsoon showers

Contour Farming involves

Involves ploughing, planting and weeding along the contour (across the slope rather than up and down)

Recommended for lands with the slope range of __________

2 to 7%

Vegetative Barrier is

A strip planted with a grass or shrub that runs across the slope

Recommended for lands with slope ___________

<1%

Intercropping is

Growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land with a definite row pattern

Crop Rotation

Crops are changed year by year in a planned sequence

Strip Cropping is

A practice of growing field crops in narrow strips either at right angles to the direction of the prevailing wind or following the natural contours of the terrain, to prevent wind and water erosion of the soil

Mulching

A material placed on the soil surface to maintain moisture, reduce weed growth, mitigate soil erosion, and improve soil conditions

Can be organic like _________ or inorganic like _____________

(grass clippings, straw, bark chips)

(stones, brick chips, plastic)

Soil Amendment Practices

Includes all inorganic and organic substances mixed into the soil for achieving better soil constitution regarding plant productivity

Chisel Ploughing

A common tool to get deep tillage (prepared land) with limited soil disruption

Alternate Land Use Pattern (ALUP)

All systems which are alternative to crop production are called as alternate land use systems

Broad Bed and Furrow System (BFF)

System involves preparation of a broad bed of 90 cm, furrow of 45 cm, and sowing of crop at a row spacing of 30 cm

Usually constructed in ______ soils

black

Advantage:

- In-situ conservation of rainwater in furrows

- better drainage of excess water,

- proper aeration in the seedbed and root zone

Contour Bunding

To intercept the runoff flowing down the slope by an embankment and also to control runoff velocity

Suitable for slope _______

>1.5%

Graded Bund

When a grade is provided along the bund for safe disposal of runoff water over the area between two consecutive bunds

Suitable for slope _________

1.5%

Bench Terraces

Constructed by cutting and filling to produce a series of level steps or benches

Suitable for slope _______

6.0%

Contour Trenches

Trenches formed in 5 to 10 feet vertical distance

Suitable where slope of the land is __________

> 33.33%

Contour Stonewall - Constructed where the slope is _________ under the guidance of engineers

> 15 to <30%

Compartmental Bunding

Entire field is divided into small compartments with pre-determined size to retain the rain water where it falls and arrest soil erosion

Suitable for lesser rainfall areas and the slope is _______

<1%

Random Tied Ridging

Ridges are vertically tied at shorter interval to create rectangular water harvesting structures.

Conserves soil and moisture in redsoils

Basin Listing

Basins are constructed using a special implement called basin-lister, across the slope

Provides maximum time to rain water for infiltration into the soil

Percolation Ponds

Small ponds located mostly in low lying areas of waste lands and formed, in order to store the run-off of rainwater and to allow it to percolate downwards and sideways

Farm Ponds

Small water bodies formed either by the construction of a small dam or embankment across a waterway or by excavating or dug out