Watershed Management

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT:

Watershed means an area of land whose runoff drains to a common point i.e. in the river or waterpool 

Watershed may be defined as a natural unit of land whose runoff collects & flows out of the area through a single common outlet into river or other waterbody 

Watershed management programme has following features:

a) Soil & water Conservation Measures:

In it the emphasis is given on soil surveying , contour and graded binding , repairing of old bunds and dams , land reclamation, digging of farm ponds

2) Scientific Dry farming:

The agricultural activities like contour ploughing, pre- monsoon ploughing, deep ploughing, mulching, development of new varieties according to agro - climatic zones , weed control , integrated nutrient management and integrated Pest management improve the production in Dryland areas.

3) Forestry and development of pasture

4) Animal husbandry and development of Dairy:

Proper animal husbandry, artificial insemination, economic assistance to the milk producing cooperative societies are to be adopted 

Aims and objectives of Watershed Management:

  1) To protect , conserve & improve the land resources for efficient and sustained production

2) To protect and enhance water resource, moderate floods & reduce silting up of tanks , Increase irrigation and conserve rainwater for crops and thus mitigate droughts

3) To  utilise the natural local resources for improving agriculture and allied occupation or industries so as to improve socio- economic conditions of ge local residents

Thais watershed management is the planned use of watershed lands in accordance with pre determined objectives, such as the control of erosion, stream flow , sedimentation and the improvement of vegetative cover and other related resources

Watershed management having following steps:

1) Water Harvesting

2) Location specific technology for crop production

3) Adoption of intercropping and crop substitution according to soil suitability

4) Afforestation on cultivable wastes and marginal lands

5)  Practice of Dryland horticulture to minimise risk . Mango , guava , ber , pomegranate, sapota and tamarind have good potential on marginal land

6) More efficient exploitation & use of ground water and irrigation

7) Development of dairying and pasture management

8) Stall fed goat and sheep farming needs to be popularized

9) Popularisation of sericulture and mulberry Cultivation

10) Processing of farm & horticultural produce

11) Sound extension and training programmes for the farmers

WATER HARVESTING:

Water harvesting is defined as the collecting and storing water on the surface of soil for subsequent use .

It is a method to induce , collect , store and conserve local surface runoff for agriculture in arid and semiarid regions 

The term 'Water Harvesting' was first time used by myors

In India three types of water harvesting techniques are generally practiced

a) Inter-row water harvesting: Practiced in arid areas with light soil where annual rainfall does not exceed 400-450 mm 

b) Inter -plot or Microplot Water Harvesting:

In  this case water is harvested in the passages or furrows between the plots when rainfall is comparatively more

c) Water Harvesting in farm ponds & Reservoirs:

Surface runoff from small watersheds is stored in farm ponds & reservoirs for utilization as supplemental or life saving irrigation

LIFE SAVING IRRIGATION:

Irrigation is scheduled when soil moisture approaches to permanent wilting point to save the crop . This supplemental irrigation is known as life saving irrigation 

JALSHAKTI:  A chemical which when applied (mixed) in soil , improves the aeration, infiltration and waterholding capacity of the soil 

Evapo-transpiration :(ET)

The evapo-transpiration is the evaporation from the soil surface and transpiration from the plant surface 

Such losses can be reduced by 

1) Mulches

2) antitranspirants 

3) Wind breaks 

4) Weed control

ANTITRANSPIRANTS: 

Such materials are applied to transpiring plant surfaces to reduce water loss from the plant 

Antitranspirants are of four types

a) Stomata Closing Type :

Such antitranspirants reduce water loss through stomatal closing

e.g. phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA)

, herbicides like Atrazine in low concentrations , ABA and CO2

b) Film forming Type:

Retard moisture loss due to formation ofthin film as physical barrier 

E.g. Mobileaf , hexadecanol , Silicone , oils , waxes

c) Reflecting type : Such materials reflect the radiation and thus reduce leaf temp and vapour pressure gradient from leaf to automosphere and ultimately transpiration is reduced

e.g . Celite and kaolin 

Application of 5% Kaolin spray reduces transpiration loss

d) Growth retardants : 

Such chemicals reduce shoot growth and increase root growth and thus enable the plants to resist drought 

It also induces stomatal closure 

e.g. cycocel (ccc)

WINDBREAKS AND SHELTER BELTS:

WINDBREAKS:  are such structures which break the wind flow and reduce wind speed 

SHELTERBELTS

are rows of trees or shrubs planted for protection of crop against wind .

They provide a protective shelter against 

✍️Agricos 

Vaishnavi Nimkar 🌾🌱