Cauvery Delta Zone Research Articles

Residual Effect of Rice-fish Based Organic Nutrient Management Approaches on Rice Fallow Blackgram Productivity Enhancement in Cauvery Delta Zone of Tamil Nadu

Background: A field experiment was conducted during the rice fallow season of 2023 and 2024 (January to March) at Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute (TRRI), Aduthurai, Tamil Nadu to study the residual effect of rice-fish-based organic nutrient management practices adopted in rice on succeeding blackgram grown as rice fallow. Methods: The experiment was carried out using randomized block design (RBD) with eleven treatments viz., T1- No Green manure-Rice crop alone (RDF), T2-Green manure- Rice crop alone (PSB+KSB+ZSB), T3-T2+Nanourea, T4-Green manure- Rice crop (PSB+KSB+ZSB) + Fish, T5-T4 + Nano urea,T6- Green manure- Rice crop (PSB+KSB+ZSB) + Fish + Azolla, T7-T6 + Nano urea, T8-Green manure-Rice crop (PSB+KSB+ZSB) + Fish + Duck, T9- T8+Nano urea, T10- Green manure- Rice crop (PSB+KSB+ZSB)+ Fish + Azolla + Duck, T11- T10+Nano urea. The treatments were replicated thrice. The blackgram variety ADT 6 was used as a test crop. Result: The results revealed that among the different organic nutrient management approaches followed in the rice-fish based farming system, the residual effect of Green manure- Rice (solubilizing bacteria such as PSB, KSB and ZSB) + Fish + Azolla + Duck (T10) resulted in higher plant height, DMP, LAI and SPAD value in blackgram. Similarly, the highest root length (19.43 cm), root dry weight (1.10 g), root volume (10.68 g/cc), nodule plant-1at 20 DAS (13.82) and nodule plant-1at 40 DAS (22.97) were also obtained with the same treatment. By virtue of higher growth and yield parameters, more number of pods plant-1 (26.88) and seeds pod-1 (7.73), grain yield (789 kg ha-1) and Halum yield (2136 kg ha-1) of blackgram were obtained in the residual treatment of the residual effect of Green manure- Rice (solubilizing bacteria such as PSB, KSB and ZSB) + Fish + Azolla + Duck (T10). The available soil nutrients at 20 DAS of blackgram were higher in Green manure- Rice (solubilizing bacteria such as PSB, KSB and ZSB) + Fish + Azolla + Duck (T10). Due to higher blackgram yield, the same treatment achieved higher gross return (Rs.41561 ha-1), net return (Rs.30156 ha-1) and BCR (3.64). The study also indicated that the trench (300 m3) dug in rice fields for fish rearing provided sufficient moisture for rice fallow blackgram and thereby evaded the terminal stress.

Impact of integrated nutrient management and foliar zinc supplementation on rice (Oryza sativa L.) nutrient uptake and yield in the Cauvery Delta Zone

In 2023, rice production reached 523.9 million tons, making it the fourth most produced crop globally. Accounting for 14% of global fertilizer use, the demand for rice continues to increase. However, the unbalanced application of NPK fertilizers poses significant environmental risks. An integrated nutrient management approach, combining organic and inorganic sources, offers a cost-effective solution to meet crop nutritional needs while enhancing soil health. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted in Experimental Farm of Annamalai University during kuruvai (June-September) 2023 to evaluate the effect of different levels of inorganic fertilizers with different sources of organic manures along with foliar zinc sulphate on the yield and yield components in lowland rice. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with nine treatments. These treatments included different sources of organic manures viz., farm yard manure, vermicompost, press mud and poultry manure and foliar application of zinc sulphate. The results revealed that combining 75% nitrogen through urea and 25% nitrogen from vermicompost and 100 % P and K along with foliar application of zinc sulphate (0.5%) at 25 and 50 days after transplanting (DAT) significantly improved all nutrient uptake of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium and also yield parameters viz., number of productive tillers m-2, number of filled grains/panicle, grain yield, straw yield and harvest index of rice.

An Analysis of Crop Insurance as an Adaptation Tool of Climate Vulnerability in Cauvery Delta Zone

An Analysis of Crop Insurance as an Adaptation Tool of Climate Vulnerability in Cauvery Delta Zone

Effect of gibberellic acid and plant nutrition on the growth and yield of transplanted rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Cauvery Delta Zone

Effect of gibberellic acid and plant nutrition on the growth and yield of transplanted rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Cauvery Delta Zone

Understanding the Knowledge Level of Farmers towards Climate Smart Agricultural Technologies in Agro-climatic Zones of Tamil Nadu, India

Aims: Although farmers experience various technical, technological, production, labor-related and marketing constraints to carry out agricultural activities, climate change acts as the root cause of several other constraints. Climate change consequences drastically reduce agricultural yield by affecting critical changes of crop growth and questions food and nutritional security; additionally it also imposes economic loss to the country. Hence, to ensure food and nutritional security for the growing population and to ensure sustainable income for the farming community, a farmer has to tackle the consequences of climate change by adoption of CSA technologies Farmer’s knowledge level towards any technology, determine its rate of adoption. Hence, this study aims to assess the knowledge level of farmers towards CSA technologies in Agro-climatic zones of Tamil Nadu.
 Study design: Ex-post facto research design was employed in the study.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in seven agro-climatic zones of Tamil Nadu viz., Villupuram district of North Eastern Zone, Namakkal district of North Western Zone, Coimbatore district of Western Zone, Tiruvarur district of Cauvery Delta Zone, Ramanthapuram district of Southern Zone, Kanyakumari district of High Rainfall Zone and the Nilgiris district of the Hilly Zone of Tamil Nadu during 2022-2023.
 Methodology: From each of Agro-climatic zones of Tamil Nadu, the vulnerable districts or the districts with NICRA project have been identified and the CSA technologies adopted by the farmers were documented. Thirty farmers who adopts CSA technologies from each agro-climatic zone were selected and interviewed personally to assess their knowledge level towards those technologies in a five point continuum ranging from ‘No knowledge’ (1), ‘Minimal knowledge’ (2), ‘Basic knowledge’ (3), ‘Adequate knowledge’ (4) and ‘Superior knowledge’ (5) respectively. The gathered responses were subjected to percentage analysis.
 Findings: The findings revealed that Villupuram, Coimbatore and Tiruvarur farmers had superior knowledge on precision based nutrient management, Namakkal farmers had superior knowledge on use of additives and supplements in livestock feed, Ramanathapuram farmers had superior knowledge on utilization of weather based agro-advisory services, Kanyakumari farmers had superior knowledge on adoption of moisture conservation practices and Nilgiris farmers had superior knowledge on adoption of improved seed varieties and use of biofertilizers.
 Conclusion: Villupuram, Coimbatore and Tiruvarur farmers had superior knowledge on precision based nutrient management; Namakkal farmers had superior knowledge on use of additives and supplements in livestock feed; Ramanathapuram farmers had superior knowledge on utilization of weather based agro-advisory services; Kanyakumari farmers had superior knowledge on adoption of moisture conservation practices and, The Nilgiris farmers had superior knowledge on adoption of improved seed varieties and use of biofertilizers. Thus, it can be concluded that farmers had superior knowledge on CSA technologies based on their perceived climatic change consequences and their accessibility to location specific technologies.

Impact of nitrogen, sulphur and silicon application on the growth and yield of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the Cauvery delta zone of Tamil Nadu

Enhancing agricultural sustainability demands optimizing fertilizer usage for increased yield. Application of key nutrients like nitrogen, essential for plant vigour, sulphur aiding metabolic processes, and silicon fortifying plant resilience, stand vital. Strategically refining the application of these elements is crucial for augmenting crop output while ensuring ecological balance. So, the field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University during Rabi season of the year 2022-2023 to study the effect of nitrogen, sulphur and silicon application on growth and yield of lowland rice. The experiments were laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. The treatment consisted of 100 % and 125 % nitrogen, 30 and 45 kg sulphur/ha and silicon with different combinations. Half dose of nitrogen and full dose of phosphorus and potassium were applied basally just before transplanting except control treatment. 25 kg N/ha supplied through urea according to Leaf Color Chart (LCC4) reading to the respective treatment plots. Among the different treatments tried, 125% RDN (50% N basal + LCC4 @ 25kg N/ha through Urea) + 45 kg S/ha (Sulphur through Gypsum) + 200 kg Si/ha (Silicon through Diatomaceous Earth) recorded the higher plant height (110.48 cm), LAI (6.74), CGR (9.20 g/m2/day), DMP (13441 kg/ha), number of tillers/m2 (567.18), number of panicles/m2 (406.93), number of filled grains/panicle (133.13), grain yield (6419 kg/ha) and straw yield (7935 kg/ha). The results indicated that, combined use of 125 % nitrogen, 45 kg S/ha, 200 kg Si/ha improved the yield attributes and yield of rice.

Soil Characteristics of Casuarina, Eucalyptus, Melia and Teak Plantations in Tamil Nadu, India

Soil is the major source of nutrients for the growth of plants and determining the degree of soil physicochemical characteristics are very necessary to evaluate the soil fertility. The present investigation was conducted to study the soil properties of important plantations in the Cauvery delta zone of Tamil Nadu. The tree species selected for the study were Casuarina, Eucalyptus, Melia and Teak. Composite soil samples were collected from the selected plantations at three different depths; i.e., 0-15, 15-30 and 30-45 cm. The maximum OC (0.69 %) was recorded in Casuarina clonal plantation (CH-5) of > 5 years at 0-15 cm depth. The mean soil pH in selected plantations of the Cauvery delta zone varied from 5.96 ± 0.08 to 7.40 ± 0.08. Nitrogen availability (307.57 kg ha-1) and potassium availability (339.57 kg ha-1) was maximum in >5 years of Casuarina clonal plantation (CH-5). The available phosphorus content was high in the surface soils (0-15 cm) of >6 years of E. camaldulensis (26.31 kg ha-1). The study has contributed to the understanding of the soil properties in different plantation species of clonal and seedling origin in Tamil Nadu.

Productivity, economic efficiency and agronomic efficiency of traditional rice varieties as influenced by EM compost and fertilizer nitrogen under Cauvery delta zone of Tamil Nadu, India

Field experiment was carried out at the Experimental farm, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar to study the productivity, economic efficiency and agronomic efficiency of traditional rice varieties as influenced by EM compost and fertilizer nitrogen under Cauvery delta zone of Tamil Nadu (2018). The experiment conducted in split-plot design and treatments were replicated thrice, the three traditional rice varieties were assigned as main plot treatments viz., Mapillai samba, Illupai poo samba and Seeraga samba, and integrated nutrient management were assigned as sub plot treatments, it includes control, graded dose of nitrogen alone ant it combination with FYM, EM (effective microorganisms) compost, pressmud, green manure. From the results of field study, among the rice varieties, Mapillai samba significantly recorded higher grain yield of 2574 kg ha-1, straw yield of 3831 kg ha-1 and harvest index of 39.85 and nitrogen use efficiency of 36.58 (NUE) agronomic efficiency of 21.68 (AE) and apparent N recovery (%) of 56.93 (ANR). The aforesaid parameters were least under Illupai poo samba rice variety. In respect of INM treatments, plots received with 75% RDN along with EM compost @ 5 t ha-1 significantly recorded maximum grain yield of 2967 kg ha-1, straw yield of 4341 kg ha-1 and harvest index of 40.56. Also the same treatment recorded higher values of nitrogen use efficiency of 39.56 (NUE), agronomic efficiency of 25.58 (AE) and apparent N recovery (%) of 66.44 (ANR). The lowest grain yield, straw yield and harvest index of rice were registered under control. But lowest values of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), agronomic efficiency (AE) and apparent N recovery (%) (ANR) were recorded under 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN). In respect of economics, among the treatment combination seeraga samba rice variety received with 75% RDN + EM compost @ 5 t ha-1 registered higher gross return, net return and return per rupee invested.

Screening of Soil Ameliorants to Enhance the Productivity of Green Gram (Vigna radiata L.) under Sodic Soil in Cauvery Delta Zone of Tamil Nadu

Background: In India, about 6.75 million ha, which is around 2.3% of the country’s geographical area is salt affected of which 3.79 million ha is sodic soil. Total sodic soil area in Tamil Nadu is around 0.36 million ha, accounting for 9.5% of total sodic soil area in India. Reclamation of salt-affected soil using drainage is expensive and leaching with good quality water is uneconomical in shallow water table areas. Addition of organic amendments performs a dual role in these situations by enhancing gypsum solubility and improving soil physico-chemical characteristics. Methods: In this context a field experiment was conducted at Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tiruchirappalli during summer season of 2021 and 2022 to study the reclamation potential of ameliorants under sodic soil. The experiments were laid out in split plot design with three replications. The treatments comprised of different soil amendments in main plot and foliar nutrition in sub plot. Result: The results showed that, gypsum @ 50% GR+CSR GROMOR @ 25 kg ha-1 registered significantly higher growth parameters viz., plant height (53.5 and 58.4 cm), no. of branches plant-1 (7.27 and 6.75), DMP (2791 and 2801 kg ha-1), physiological characters viz.,CGR (4.12 and 4.46 g m-2 day-1), SPAD value (27.70 and 29.96), RWC (64.10 and 56.15%) and soluble protein (74.60 and 69.72 mg g-1) at harvest. It also increased grain yield of 834 and 875 kg ha-1 with higher exchangeable Ca and Mg with lower Na content during 2021 and 2022 year of experiments.

Inventory of leafhoppers in irrigated rice in Tamil Nadu

Leafhoppers diversity was studied in irrigated rice ecosystems of Cauvery Delta Zone, High Rainfall Zone and Western Zone. Leafhopper assemblage comprised 14 species of Cicadellidae and among them Maiestas dorsalis (Motschulsky) was found to be the most abundant species (35.02%), followed by Cofana spectra (Distant) (23.15%). The order of species diversity in the observed districts were Western Zone (13 species) > High Rainfall Zone (8 species) > Cauvery Delta Zone (4 species). Shannon Weiner Index revealed a higher diversity in High Rainfall Zone and Western Zone (H'= 1.77 > 1.76). Margalef's Index of species richness was observed highest in Western Zone (a = 1.93). Pielou's Evenness Index was found to be almost similar for Western Zone (0.30) and Cauvery Delta Zone (0.29) while High Rainfall Zone exhibited highest evenness (0.37). Jaccard index of similarity of 50% (highest) was observed between Western Zone and Kanyakumari, Cauvery Delta Zone and High Rainfall Zone. Berger-Parker Index of dominance (D) revealed M. dorsalis to be the most dominant in Western Zone (0.25) and Cauvery Delta Zone (0.66) while High Rainfall Zone showed a high dominance of Nephotettix nigropictus (Stål) (0.27). Among the leafhoppers studied Balclutha incisa (Matsumura), Cicadulina bipunctata (Melichar), Empoascanara maculifrons (Motschulsky), Exitianus sp., Thomsonia porrecta (Walker) were recorded for the first time in rice ecosystem of Tamil Nadu. The present study will be a baseline information on the diversity of leafhoppers in irrigated rice of Tamil Nadu and will complement the data collected in the future to gain a holistic understanding on the leafhopper diversity of Tamil Nadu.

Survey and Isolation of Rice False Smut Pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke) Takahashi

Roving survey has been conducted during first quarter of 2023 at selected paddy fields of Cauvery Delta zone (Tanjore, Perambalur) and Western zone (Coimbatore, Erode) of Tamil Nadu to assess the Percent Disease Incidence for rice false smut disease in which the maximum disease incidence was recorded in Erode district (40%). The infected spikelet were observed with the characteristic symptoms where the individual rice grains turned into large, fluffy and velvety green balls, later these balls turns hard during maturity. The pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens was isolated from the infected smut balls in potato sucrose agar medium in which the fungus appears as small white colonies after seven days of isolation.

Socio-economic Impact of Farm Mechanization on the Regional Economy of South India: Case of Paddy Farmers of Trichy, Tamil Nadu

Farm mechanisation has a potential to improve the efficiency, productivity and cost-effective paddy cultivation while reducing the labour-intensive traditional methods which hinders timely farm operations. This study aims to analyse effect of farm mechanization on socio-economic condition of the farmers of Cauvery Delta Zone in Trichy district of Tamil Nadu. Based on the access to canal water, urbanisation and availability of non-farm opportunity, four blocks in Trichy district were selected. Two villages from each block were randomly selected. Fifty respondents from two villages and fifty-five respondents from two villages (total 210) randomly selected and data collected through personal interviews. Results revealed that majority of the paddy farmers (67%) with medium usage of machinery followed by (18%) of high level of utilization and (15%) with low level of utilization of machineries. In addition, the impact of mechanization studied under four components namely, crop specific, labour, social and economic impact and the results have clearly exhibited significant positive impact on paddy cultivators.

Evaluating of abiotic stress tolerance-inducing substances on the growth, physiology and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Moisture stress due to delayed onset of monsoon, drought or frequent dry spell is one of the major abiotic stresses that affect rice production in Tamil Nadu. It reduces the yield of rice up to 85 % based on its severity. The foliar application of abiotic stress tolerance inducing substances may aid in mitigating stress-induced damages and increase the yield of rice plants. Salicylic acid, ZnSO4, gibberellic acid, humic acid, pink pigment facultative methylotrophs (PPFM), etc. are reported to increase antioxidant enzyme activities and resistance to drought stress however, its effects on crops were location specific. Field experiments were conducted at Annamalai University Experimental Farm, Annamalainagar, Cuddalore District in Cauvery Delta Zone of Tamil Nadu during “Kuruvai” and “Nanvarai” (Kharif and Rabi) seasons of 2021 and 2022 to study the effect of foliar application of stress tolerance inducing substances on the performance of transplanted rice under moisture stress condition. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with 12 treatment combinations including control; Recommended dose fertilizer (RDF) with + acute soil drying + water spray/ KNO3 @ 2% and ZnSO4 @ 0.5% two foliar sprays/ salicylic acid @ 200 ppm/ gibberellic acid @ 40 ppm/ humic acid @ 0.2%/pink pigment facultative methylotrophs (PPFM) @ 2% and was replicated thrice. Among the treatments, application of recommended dose of fertilizer (120 kg N, 40 kg P2O5 and 40 kg K2O/ha) along with KNO3 @ 2% and ZnSO4 @ 0.5% at panicle initiation and 15 days after first spray and humic acid @ 0.2% at booting stage and 15 days after first spray (flowering stage) increased the plant height of 41.01%, dry matter production of 84.70%, leaf area index of 94.25%, number of productive tillers/m of 32.43%, number of filled grains/panicle of 39.14%, reduced unfilled grains /panicle of 368.23%, increased grain yield of 87.23% and straw yield of 82.57% and benefit cost ratio of 1.86.

An Analysis of Constraints Faced by Organic Farmers in the Cauvery Delta Zone of Tamil Nadu, India

Aim: This study examines the multifaceted challenges encountered by organic farmers operating within the Cauvery Delta Region of Tamil Nadu.
 Study Design: Ex-post facto research design was used to investigate and reveal the challenges that organic farmers have encountered over the preceding years.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Cauvery Delta Zone of Tamil Nadu. Five districts were selected for the study namely, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Tiruchirapalli. Respondents were interviewed during the period of June 2023 – July 2023.
 Methodology: The study aimed to include 40 organic farmers from each district, resulting in a collective sample size of 200 respondents across these districts, facilitated through snowball sampling technique. A well – structured interview schedule which included the major constraints faced by organic farmers of the CDZ was developed based on review of past literatures and discussion with experts in the area of organic farming. Based on the ranks given by the respondents to the constraints, the data was analyzed and conclusive results were obtained using the Rank Based Quotient (RBQ) technique. Constraints were studied in 7 different dimensions namely, labour, technical, service and supply, credit and economic, environmental, cropping and marketing constraints. 
 Results: The prime constraints with a higher RBQ values identified in these dimensions were, Labour scarcity due to MGNREGA (93.13), Cumbersome (Slow and complicated) certification process (79.90), Lack of supportive institutions for organic farming (91.80), Inadequate subsidies for organic agriculture (92.75), Use of polluted river water for irrigation (93.90), Lack of inputs specifically for weed management (96.63), Challenge in finding proper marketing channel (90.38). In addition to this, some minor issues were also identified as constraints in the study area.
 Conclusion: Through an in-depth exploration of these challenges, the study aims to provide insights that can guide policy makers, practitioners, and stakeholders in devising strategies to overcome the obstacles faced by organic farmers in the Cauvery Delta Zone which could have a threshold effect in boosting up the organic productivity of the state.

Mapping Rice Area in the Cauvery Delta Zone of Tamil Nadu Using Sentinel 1A Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Data

Since remote sensing based crop inventory provides accurate and timely information as compared to the conventional survey methods of estimating area, Multi-temporal Sentinel 1A Synthetic Aperture Radar data was used for the estimation of rice area during Samba season 2022 in the Cauvery delta zone comprising Thanjavur, Thiruvaru, Mayiladuthurai, and Nagapatnam districts of Tamil Nadu. SAR data was preferred over optical satellite data due to excess cloud cover during cropping the major season in Tamil Nadu. Temporal back-scatter (dB) signature of rice crop was generated from the multi-temporal processed SAR data utilizing the modules of a fully automated MAPscape software aiding the discriminating of the crop from others. The signatures revealed that the dB levels to be the lowest during agronomic floods, reached the highest during maximum tillering stage and started declining thereafter. Multi-temporal feature extraction module of Mapscape was used to estimate rice area and validated for accuracy using ground truth data collected during survey. A total of 3.05 lakh ha of rice area was estimated with an overall accuracy of 90.8 % and 0.82 kappa coefficient. Largest area of 1.12 lakh ha was recorded in Thanjavur followed by Thiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai with 0.95 and 0.51 lakh ha respectively.

Soil Carbon Stock and Carbon Pool Indices under Major Land Use Systems of Mayiladuthurai District, Cauvery Delta Zone, India

Background- Soil organic carbon serves as potential indicator of the soil quality which is influenced by the changes in management practices. The conversion of natural ecosystem by anthropogenic activities resulted in decline of SOC. So, this study was conducted to assess the carbon indices and understand the dynamics to develop the management strategies for enhancing the C pool in the soil. Methods- The present study was conducted in major land use systems of Mayiladuthurai district of Cauvery delta zone in Tamil Nadu. Soil samples were collected by stratified random sampling at two different depths and estimated for soil carbon indices. Result- The SOC, C stock, bulk density, microbial biomass carbon, dehydrogenase, carbon management index of the study area varied with the mean value of 12.51 Mg ha-1, 10.57 t ha-1, 1.26 Mgm-3, 302.52 µg kg-1, 38.21 µg TPF g-1 day-1and 126.91 % respectively. C stock were in the order of forestry greater than rice-pulses greater than rice-cotton greater than sugarcane greater than uncultivated among the different land uses of the study area. The difference in vegetation, litterfall, soil chemistry, microbial activity, substrate, root exudate, root biomass and root turnover influenced the variation in carbon pool under different land uses of the study area.

Insights into Rainfall Extremities Across the Agroclimatic Zones of Tamil Nadu, India

Rainfall is a crucial agrometeorological parameter that impacts hydrology and agricultural planning in a region. The spatiotemporal changes in the occurrences of precipitation extremes must be monitored to reduce the hazards caused by the fluctuating rainfall pattern. The extreme rainfall indices for each year categorized under excess, normal and deficit rainfall categories were calculated over the agroclimatic zones of Tamil Nadu using the high-resolution CHIRPS datasets from 1991 to 2022. The results highlighted that High Rainfall Zone has more consecutive wet days (22 days), minimum consecutive dry days (25 days) and Daily Intensity Index with threshold of 2.5 mm (28.6 mm) compared to other zones. The maximum consecutive dry days of 99 days, a high rainy day of 142 days, and minimum daily intensity of 8.9 mm are experienced by the Cauvery Delta Zone, High Altitude and Hilly Zone, and Western Zone, respectively. Overall, the High Rainfall Zone faces a higher number of extreme rainfall events in terms of wet days and intensity, whereas the average maximum consecutive dry days and minimum rainfall intensity is observed over the north eastern zone and north western zone, respectively indicating high dry periods.

Google earth engine based assessment of soil loss using the RUSLE Model: A study of Cauvery Delta Zone, Tamil Nadu, India

Tamil Nadu is very susceptible to soil erosion due to its deforestation, urbanization, complicated terrain and heavy rainfall. The objective of this study was to estimate soil erosion in the Cauvery-delta zone (CDZ) of Tamil Nadu, India, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model in Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The GEE environment provides a faster and better method for spatial output maps. Several parameters including runoff-rainfall erosivity factor (R), soil erodability factor (K), topographic factor (LS), cropping management factor (C), and support practice factor (P) takes into consideration for RUSLE model. The result revealed that the annual average soil loss within the Cauvery delta zone is approximately 49.08 t/hac/year (metric tonne per hectare per year). The study area has a 45 % very high erosion risk, 42.6 % severe erosion risk, and 8.4 % high risk. Other erosion risk classes, such as slight and moderate erosion, accounted for 3 % and 1 % of the total area, respectively. The results of the study indicate that GEE allow targeted solution to reduce future soil erosion.

Google earth engine based assessment of soil loss using the RUSLE Model: A study of Cauvery Delta Zone, Tamil Nadu, India

Tamil Nadu is very susceptible to soil erosion due to its deforestation, urbanization, complicated terrain and heavy rainfall. The objective of this study was to estimate soil erosion in the Cauvery-delta zone (CDZ) of Tamil Nadu, India, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model in Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The GEE environment provides a faster and better method for spatial output maps. Several parameters including runoff-rainfall erosivity factor (R), soil erodability factor (K), topographic factor (LS), cropping management factor (C), and support practice factor (P) takes into consideration for RUSLE model. The result revealed that the annual average soil loss within the Cauvery delta zone is approximately 49.08 t/hac/year (metric tonne per hectare per year). The study area has a 45 % very high erosion risk, 42.6 % severe erosion risk, and 8.4 % high risk. Other erosion risk classes, such as slight and moderate erosion, accounted for 3 % and 1 % of the total area, respectively. The results of the study indicate that GEE allow targeted solution to reduce future soil erosion.

Impact of mechanization on rice fallow pulses in cauvery delta zone of Tamil Nadu

Impact of mechanization on rice fallow pulses in cauvery delta zone of Tamil Nadu