Drainage Technologies for Enhancing Productivity of Temporary Waterlogged Vertisols

Abstract

A field study on Broad Bed and Furrows (BBF) to control surface waterlogging and mole drain to control temporary sub-surface water logging in Vertisols regions of Madhya Pradesh in soybean-wheat cropping system was conducted for a period of four years from 2016 to 2019. The BBF system comprising of 65 m length, 1.50 m spacing, and different depths (150 - 250 mm) resulted in 29-35% and 14-15% increase in soybean crop yield over control in normal and above normal rainfall (rainfall > 1050 mm) and below normal rainfall condition (rainfall < 750 mm), respectively. Mole drainage (MD) comprising of mole drains of 85 mm size formed at 4 m drain spacing and at a depth of 500 mm with 65 m lateral length resulted in 51% increase in soybean grain yield over the control under normal and above normal rainfall conditions. Soybean grain yield increased by 66- 74% under the treatment comprising of BBF coupled with MD over the control in above normal rainfall condition. The grain yield increase under mole drainage coupled with BBF for below normal rainfall condition was non-significant over the treatments comprising of BBFs only. The benefit-cost ratio for soybean crop cultivation using BBF, MD, BBF coupled with MD and conventional systems were found to be 1.65, 1.99, 2.03, and 0.98, respectively. The payback period of mole drainage technology was found to be less than 2 years. The effect of mole drainage on subsequent wheat crop recorded 11-12% increase in yield over the control. Field study revealed that BBF and BBF coupled with MD systems are technically feasible and economically viable for effective drainage of Vertisols.