Does Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practice Enhance Productivity and Reduce Risk Exposure? Empirical Evidence from Semi-Arid Tropics (SAT), India

This paper assessed the impact of soil and water conservation practices on farm productivity and risk exposure using data from 1204 plots in the semiarid tropics of India. A probit model was used to assess the determinants of adoption of soil bunds. We employed a moment-based approach for estimating crop revenue, its variability and downside risk exposure, i.e., crop failure. Furthermore, we also used a doubly robust method for assessing the impact of soil bunds on crop revenue, its variability and downside risk. Matching and propensity-based methods were also used to check robustness. The results show that training, access to credit and extension services are key determinants of adoption of soil bunds. Furthermore, the results also suggest that soil bunds not only improve the crop revenue but also reduce its variability. Most interestingly, we show that soil bunds also reduce the chances of downside risk, i.e., crop failure. Therefore, in view of increasing climate change and variability in the semiarid tropics, it can be suggested that soil bunds could be an important adaptation strategy for improving productivity and reducing risk exposure. This paper supports the investment in soil and water conservation technologies for sustaining the livelihood of resource-poor farmers of ecologically fragile regions such as the semiarid tropics.

Productivity of Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajana (L.) Millsp] under Teak (Tectona grandis) Based Agroforestry Systems in Semiarid Tropics

The productivity of teak based agroforestry system was studied during 2016-17 under irrigated ecosystem in Yadagir district of North-eastern dry zone (None II) of Karnataka. Significantly lower pigeonpea grain yield (1766 kg ha-1) and biomass yield (8207 kg ha-1) in association with teak were recorded at 5 m away from the tree line compared to the crop at a distance 10 m (2345 and 10089 kg ha-1, respectively) and 15 m (8207, 10526 kg ha-1, respectively) away from the tree line whereas harvest index remained unaffected. Non-significant differences were observed in grain yield and harvest index, albeit numerically higher grain yield were recorded in the control (2316 kg ha-1) without teak nearby compared to the agroforestry systems and within agroforestry systems boundary planting recorded numerically higher grain yield (2228 kg ha-1) than with bund planting (2081 kg ha-1). Significantly higher girth, volume and biomass of teak were recorded in bund planting (76.37 cm, 0.390 m3 and 215 kg, respectively) followed by silvi-horti system (72.65 cm, 0.381m3 and 209 kg, respectively) and boundary planting (69.10 cm, 0.342 m3 and 215 kg, respectively), whereas significantly lower girth, volume and biomass were recorded in block plantation (51.45 cm, 0.182 m3 and 100 kg, respectively). The study also revealed significantly lower crown spread in block plantation (2.85 m) followed by boundary planting (4.63 m).