Abstract
AbstractUnderstanding the principal causes and possible solutions for groundwater depletion in India is important for its water security, especially as it relates to agriculture. A study was conducted in an agricultural watershed in Andhra Pradesh, India to assess the impacts on groundwater of current and alternative agricultural management. Hydrological simulations were used as follows: (1) to evaluate the recharge benefits of waterâharvesting tillage through a modified Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and (2) to predict the groundwater response to changing extent and irrigation management of rice growing areas. The GreenâAmpt infiltration routine was modified in SWAT was modified to represent waterâharvesting tillage using maximum depression storage parameter. Waterâharvesting tillage in rainfed croplands was shown to increase basinâscale groundwater recharge by 3% and decrease runâoff by 43% compared with existing conventional tillage. The groundwater balance (recharge minus irrigation withdrawals), negative 11 mm/year under existing management changed to positive (18â45 mm/year) when rice growing areas or irrigation depths were reduced. Groundwater balance was sensitive to changes in rice cropland management, meaning even small changes in rice cropland management had large impacts on groundwater availability. The modified SWAT was capable of representing tillage management of varying maximum depression storage, and tillage for waterâharvesting was shown to be a potentially important strategy for producers to enhance infiltration and groundwater recharge, especially in semiâarid regions where rainfall may be becoming increasingly variable. This enhanced SWAT could be used to evaluate the landscapeâscale impacts of alternative tillage management in other regions that are working to develop strategies for reducing groundwater depletion. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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