In-situ soil moisture conservation for optimizing production of fruit crops in submontaneous Kandi tract in Haryana.
Shanwal A. V., Khan S. M., Singh B. V., Agarwal S. K., Panwar K. S.
Author Affiliation: Department of Dryland Agriculture, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125 004, India.
Annals of Biology (Ludhiana) 12 : 215-220
Abstract : The Kandi area, a badly eroded area which receives little rainfall, includes the Shivalik hills in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The effect of fruit tree (mango, peach, pear, lemon and guava) plantations on in-situ soil moisture conservation was investigated in Sirsa Nadi and Boli Yamuna watersheds in Ambala and Yamuna Nagar districts, respectively, during 1992-94. Trees were planted in V-ditches, crescent bunds, pits with vegetative barriers or in simple pits. Planting in V-ditches conserved the most soil moisture (7.1-11.5%) followed by planting in crescent bunds (6.9-11.2%), pits with vegetative barriers (6.4-11.0%) and simple pits (6.2-10.8%). Generally, the best growth and survival were observed for trees planted in V-ditches.