Datia

Mandate

• Research for management of land degradation in a primary production systems and rehabilitation of degraded lands in the region.
• Developing location-specific technologies in the area of soil and water conservation.
• Centre for training in research methodologies and updated technology in soil and water conservation and watershed management.

Salient Achievements 

• Contour bunds of 0.55 m2 cross section at 0.70 m VI found most effective in conserving more than 75.0 % of the runoff than 0.9 VI thus suitable for red soils of Bundelkhand region.
   
• Based on 5000 points grid (10x10 km) data on USLE parameters, soil loss values have been worked out for Madhya Pradesh. The analysis revealed that about 48.0 % of the area suffers from very slight to slight erosion (< 10 t ha-1yr-1), about 19.0 % under moderate erosion (10-15 t ha^-1yr^-1), and 40.0 % area under severe erosion (20-40 t ha ^-1 yr^-1) in the state.
   
• Centre’s Experience on rainwater harvesting and recycling in red soils through farm pond suggested that it is possible to provide supplemental irrigation through harvested water to long duration kharif crops at critical stages as well as for pre-sowing irrigation to rabi crops. A 2.0 m deep farm pond of dimensions 80 m X 40 m at the top and 72 m X 32 m at the bottom (2:1 side slope) is sufficient for storing 0.5 ha-m water.
   
• To minimize the risk of crop failure under rain-fed conditions of red soils, supplemental irrigation from harvested rain water through a farm pond proved a boon for farmers of the region. Supplemental irrigation from harvested water provided to soybean at the pod filling stage, pre-sowing irrigation for mustard and toria at 30 DAS increased the yield of soybean by 40.0 %, mustard by 130 % and toria by 180 %.>
   
• Intercropping of Soybean + Castor in red soils and Soybean + sesame in black soils found more beneficial than sole cropping of soybean in terms of yield and remuneration. Further deep tillage gave 56 % and 86% higher soybean equivalent yield in red and black soils respectively over conventional tillage.
   
• Contour furrows have been found effective in reduction of runoff on non-arable lands. Reduction in runoff yield of the tune of 35% was recorded when contour furrows were employed in a watershed under grass land use at the research farm then control.
   
• Deep tillage (20 cm) with in-situ surface mulching in the interspaces of sorghum in the red soils increased the grain yield of sorghum by 1.6 times over traditional tillage and reduced runoff and soil loss to the tune of 7.2% and 17.0 % respectively. Soil depth is one of the major edaphic limitations on red uplands. Green manuring of sunhemp done in shallow (30 cm) and medium (60 cm) deep red soils increased the yield of irrigated wheat by 39% and 40 % respectively.
   
• Soil loss tolerance limits have been computed for different physiographic regions of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The T values varied form 2.5 to 12.5 Mg ha^-1 yr^-1, indicating varying degree of soil heterogeneity with respect to infiltration, texture, organic matter content, fertility and soil depth etc. In Eastern part of the region soils are better placed in respect of the soil loss tolerance thresholds, with values ranging from 5.0 to 12.5 Mg ha^-1 yr^-1 or even 7.5 to 10.0 Mg ha^-1 yr^-1. The soil loss tolerance values of majority of the soils of Central highland and Pathar and Bundelkhand upland have been ranged from 7.5 to 10.0 Mg ha^-1 yr^-1.
   
• Rain water harvesting through created catchments (10, 15, 20 and 50 m²), pruning intensities (0, 20, 40 and 60 %) and surface mulching with locally available Butea monosperma and grass, studied on rejuvenated ber plants suggested that a catchment of 15 m² or more was most appropriate for in-situ moisture conservation in such ber orchards as evidenced by higher stem diameter below bud union and canopy.
   
• INM involving vermi-compost @ 1.00 t/ha prior to sowing of kharif crop in green gram-mustard sequence with Aonla based agro-horti system found to be most effective in improving soil health and gave B:C ratio of 3.73:1. Thus considering the scope of vermi composting in the region owing to higher cattle population and uneven climatic features, the technology may go a long way in maintenance of organic carbon of such poor soils as well as sustaining yields and profitability during aberrant climatic situations in red soils of the region.
   
• Green manuring in kharif fallow followed by wheat brings  wheat grain yield benefit to the extent of 35.0 % over traditional practice of keeping fields fallow during kharif season (control) with increased water use efficiency by 30 per cent and net return by 69.0 %. Green manuring of sunhemp also brought reduction in runoff by 38.0 %, soil loss by four times and bulk density (Mg m^-3) from 1.58 to 1.45.
   
• Micro irrigation through rain gun saves about 40-50 % irrigation water over traditional method of flood irrigation with increase in Grain yield of wheat by 7.00 % over flood irrigation (farmer's practice) with 15 per cent increase in net return. Water use efficiency of wheat also increased by 64.0 % under this method over traditional practice of flood irrigation. The benefit cost ratio (B:C ratio) also increased from 2.27:1 to 2.50:1 under micro irrigation through rain gun over traditional practice of flood irrigation. Additionally, this technology saves time, electricity/diesel and labour cost, protect soils from development of salinity, suitable for irrigation on undulating land and almost all the crops.
   
• In red soils of Bundelkhand, V-shape micro-catchment for in-situ moisture conservation is found better for establishment, growth and yield of aonla and also understorey crops. On an average, V-shape micro-catchment reduced the runoff and soils to 18.6 % & 1.66 t ha^-1 with increase in mean fruit yield by 7.54 % compared to farmers practice.