Water Management through Puddling Techniques

Abstract

Paddy is the major cereal crop grown in India under stagnated water condition in agricultural fields. Puddling operation is carried out to create the stagnated water condition by creating an impervious layer in the sub soil surface. Puddling is a land preparation practice and it will decide the water usage in fields throughout the cropping period. To improve the puddling quality and stagnation of water, the puddling techniques viz., T1 = cage wheel, T2 = rotavator, = cage wheel + rotavator and T4 = power tiller with rotary tool were taken for the study. T3 Since number of passes also influencing the puddling index, each treatment was analyzed for = single pass and P2 = double pass. The implements were tested in silty loam soil and the parameters P1 like puddling index and infiltration rate were measured using standard measurement procedures. Infiltration rate of field was reduced by increasing the puddling index with stagnated water condition. T4P2 technique had the highest puddling index of 70.91 per cent and lowest infiltration rate of 6.5 mm/d whereas T1had the lowest puddling index and highest infiltration rate. In upland area, the power tiller P1 attached with rotary tool was the most suitable method because infiltration rate observed minimum among all the treatments. When the infiltration rate reduces, the frequency of irrigation can be reduced resulting in saving of water during the crop period. In lowland paddy cultivation, usage of cage wheel with two pass allows infiltration of water resulting in proper drainage and reduces water stagnation.