Sustainable Development through the Soil and Water Conservation Work: A Case Study of Village in Maharashtra

Indian Journal of Economics and Development ◽

10.35716/ijed/ns20-053 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 28-35

Keyword(s):

State Government ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Agricultural Development ◽

Crop Yields ◽

The State ◽

Soil And Water Conservation ◽

Farm Income ◽

Large Irrigation ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Soil And Water

It’s not possible to have relied on the large irrigation programmes only to solve Maharashtra’s recurring and acute water scarcity. In recent years, the state has recognized soil and water conservation activities as a potential option for agricultural development in rainfed, semi-arid areas. Further government has clubbed all the schemes regarding soil and water conservation run by different departments of the state government under the umbrella of Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan. The results revealed that the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan activities had a significant impact on groundwater recharge, access to groundwater and hence the expansion in irrigated area. It has been found to alter crop patterns, increase crop yields and crop diversification and thereby provided enhanced employment and farm income. Local villagers were at the forefront of the programme, not just in decision- making, but also in actual execution and monetary contributions. In a nutshell Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan has not resulted in physical output but it gave support to the ecological and socio-economic progress of the beneficiaries. Looking at all the above results, Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan seemed to be one of the basic strategy for doubling the farmer’s income in rainfed and semi-arid regions of Maharashtra

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Trade-offs between non-farm income and on-farm soil and water conservation investments of smallholder farmers in the semi-arid tropics of India

Agricultural Economics Research Review ◽

10.5958/0974-0279.2017.00004.0 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 47

Author(s):

S. Nedumaran ◽

Naveen P. Singh

Keyword(s):

Water Conservation ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Soil And Water Conservation ◽

Farm Income ◽

Trade Offs ◽

On Farm ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Soil And Water

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Indigenous soil and water conservation techniques: effects on runoff, erosion, and crop yields under semi-arid conditions

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr01037 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 367 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

I. I. C. Wakindiki ◽

M. Ben-Hur

Keyword(s):

Water Conservation ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Soil And Water Conservation ◽

Water Infiltration ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Soil And Water

A joint contribution from the Department of Soil Science, Egerton University, PO Box 536, Njoro, Kenya, and the Agricultural Research Organization, the Volcani Center, Israel, No. 603/01, 2001 series. Smallholder farmers in arid and semi-arid regions use indigenous soil and water conservation (ISWC) techniques, such as trash lines and stone lines spaced about 15 m apart across the slope. This work evaluated the effects of size of trash lines and decreasing the space between trash or stone lines to 2 m on runoff, erosion, and corn and cowpea yields. Big trash line (BTL), small trash line (STL), and stone line (SL) techniques, and a control (no ISWC technique) were evaluated in 12 runoff plots (2 by 6 m each) with 10% slope in a semi-arid area in Kenya, during 5 consecutive rainy seasons. The ISWC techniques significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreased runoff and soil loss, and increased corn and cowpea yields, compared with the control treatment in most of the rainy seasons. The BTL was, in general, the most effective technique; no consistent differences were found between the STL and SL techniques. In BTL, STL, SL, and control, the seasonal average runoff for each treatment was 25, 31, 29, and 51 mm, respectively; the seasonal average soil loss was 0.23, 0.33, 0.3, and 0.67 Mg/ha, respectively; and the seasonal average biomass (grain and stover of corn and cowpea) was 4.8, 4.0, 4.0, and 2.5 Mg/ha, respectively. The seasonal biomass increased linearly and significantly (P ≤ 0.01) with increasing water infiltration. As more water infiltrated, more water was available for crop production, and the yield was higher. trash lines, stone lines, steep land, seal formation.

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