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Lecture 7_LAND AND WATER MANAGEMENT-Land use

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 LAND AND WATER
MANAGEMENT-Land
MANAGEMENT Land use
Sandeep Manuja and Surinder Singh Rana
Department of Agronomy,
CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur 176062,
HP, India
Email: ranass_dee@yahoo.com
2020
 NATURAL RESOURCES
Land/SOIL
WATER
AIR
The conservation of natural resources is an issue of
utmost concern for sustainable agricultural
development and improving livelihood securities of the
local inhabitants.
Shrinking area, diminishing bio-diversity, water scarcity,
land degradation, high biotic pressure and policy
heterogeneity affect the proper use of vegetation, soil,
water and wildlife resources posing a serious threat to
the environmental and food securities.
 NPOP Standard requirement
• Organic crop production management should
cover a diverse planting scheme. For perennial
crops, this should include plant-based ground
cover crops.
crops For annual crops, this should
include diverse crop rotation practices, cover
crops (green manures), intercropping or other
diverse plant production methods.
 1. Crop Production Plan
This plan shall include:
Description of the crops in the production cycle (main crop and intercrop) as
per the agro climatic seasons.
• i. Description of practices and procedures to be performed and
maintained.
• ii. List of inputs used in production along with their composition,
frequency of usage, application rate and source of commercial availability.
• iii. Source of organic planting material (seeds and seedlings).
• iv. Descriptions of monitoring practices and procedures to be performed
and maintained to verify that the plan is being implemented effectively.
• v. Description of the management practices and physical barriers
established to prevent commingling and contamination of organic
production unit from conventional farms, split operations and parallel
operations.
• vi. Description of the record keeping system implemented to comply with
the requirements.
 2. Conversion Requirements
• i. The establishment of an organic management system and building of soil fertility
requires an interim period, known as the conversion period. While the conversion
period may not always be of sufficient duration to improve soil fertility and for re-
establishing the balance of the ecosystem, it is the period in which all the actions
required to reach these goals are started.
• ii. A farm may be converted through a clear plan of how to proceed with the
conversion. This plan shall be updated by the producer, if necessary and shall cover
all requirements to be met under these standards.
• iii. The requirements prescribed under these standards shall be met during the
conversion period. All these requirements shall be applicable from the
commencement of the conversion period till its conclusion.
• iv. The start of the conversion period may be calculated from the date first
inspection of the operator by the Certification Body.
• v. A full conversion period shall not be required where de facto requirements
prescribed under these standards have been met for several years and where the
same can be verified on the basis of available documentation. In such cases
inspection shall be carried out in reasonable time intervals, before the first
harvest.
 3. Duration of conversion period
• i. In case of annual and biennial crops, plant products produced can be certified organic when the
requirements prescribed under these Standards have been met during the conversion period of at
least two (2) years (organic Management) before sowing (the start of the production cycle).
• ii. In case of perennial plants other than grassland (excluding pastures and meadows), the first
harvest may be certified as organic after at least thirty six (36)
• months of organic management according to the requirements prescribed under these Standards.
• iv. The accredited Certification Bodies shall decide in certain cases, for extension or reduction of
conversion period depending on the past status/use of the land and environmental condition.
• v. Twelve months reduction in conversion period could be considered for annuals as well as
perennials provided, documentary proof has been available with the accredited Certification Body
that the requirements prescribed under these Standards have been met for a period of minimum
three (3) years or more. This could include the land that been certified for minimum three (3) years
under the ‘Participatory Guarantee System’ implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and
wherein, the products approved for use in organic farming as listed in Annex 1 and 2 of this
Appendix have been applied. The accredited Certification Bodies shall also consider such a
reduction in conversion period, if it has satisfactory proof to demonstrate that for three (3) years or
more, the land has been idle and/or it has been treated with the products approved for use in
organic farming as listed Annex 1 and 2 of this Appendix.
• vi. Organic products in conversion shall be sold as "produce of organic agriculture in conversion" or
of a similar description, when the requirements prescribed under these Standards have been met
for at least twelve months.
 4. Landscape
• i. Organic farming shall contribute beneficially to the ecosystem. The certification
programme shall set standards/procedures for a minimum percentage of the farm
area to facilitate biodiversity and nature conservation.
•
• ii. Areas which are managed organically shall facilitate biodiversity, inter alia, in the
following manner:
•  Extensive grassland such as moorlands, reed land or dry land
•  In general all areas which are not under rotation and are not heavily manured.
manured
•
• Extensive pastures, meadows, extensive grassland, extensive orchards, hedges,
hedgerows, groups of trees and/or bushes and forest lines.
•  Ecologically rich fallow land or arable land.
•  Ecologically diversified (extensive) field margins.
•  Waterways, pools, springs, ditches, wetlands and swamps and other water rich
areas which are not used for intensive agriculture or aqua production.
 5. Choice of Crops and Varieties
• i. All seeds and plant material shall be certified organic. Species and
varieties cultivated shall be adapted to the soil and climatic
conditions and be resistant to pests and diseases. In the choice of
varieties, genetic diversity shall be taken into consideration.
•
• ii. When organic seed and plant materials are available, they shall
be used.
•
• iii. When certified organic seed and plant materials are not
available, chemically untreated conventional seed and plant
material shall be used.
• iv. The use of genetically engineered seeds, transgenic plants or
plant material is prohibited.
 6. Diversity in Crop Production & Management Plan

• i. The basis for crop production in organic farming shall take into
consideration the structure and fertility of the soil and the surrounding
ecosystem, with a view to minimizing nutrient losses.
•
• ii. Where appropriate, the organic farms shall be required to maintain
sufficient diversity in a manner that takes into account pressure from
insects, weeds, diseases and other pests, while maintaining or increasing
soil, organic matter, fertility, microbial activity and general soil health. For
non perennial crops, this is normal, but not exclusive, achieved by means
of crop rotation preferably by leguminous crops.
•
• iii. Soil fertility shall be maintained through, among other things, the
cultivation of legumes or deep rooted plants and the use of green
manures, along with the establishment of a programme of crop rotation
several times a year and fertilization with organic inputs.
 Standards specific to Soil and Water
Conservation are as follow
• i. Soil and water resources shall be handled in a sustainable
manner. Relevant measures shall be taken to prevent
erosion, salination of soil, excessive and improper use of
water and the pollution of ground and surface water.
•
• ii. Clearing of land through the means of burning organic
matter, e.g. slash-and-burn, straw burning shall be
restricted to the minimum. The clearing of primary forest is
prohibited.
•
• iii. The certification programme shall require to check
appropriate stocking rates which does not lead to land
degradation and pollution of ground and surface water.
 LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION
Inadequate and improper soil and water conservation
measures in the settlement areas have led to increase siltation
of rivers and dams.
The increased run - off from the long denuded hill slopes finds
its way into the rivers through a network of gullies and
streams, carrying huge sediment on the way, which create
havoc in the plains.
To minimize these losses, it is essential that
Use land as per its capability and whenever it is essential to
use the land against land use capability norms then
Adopt the soil-water conservation measures in a holistic
manner
Soil-water conservation measures must be maintained
properly to have their effectiveness for the purpose they
have been designed and constructed/erected.
 LAND DEGRADATION
The emphasis should be on the protection and
conservation of the lands suffering from serious soil
degrading processes such as
Water erosion
Wind erosion
Chemical degradation
Enhancement of productivity of the favorable
areas already under intensive cultivation
 LAND USE CAPABILITY NORMS
SLOPE (%) LAND USE
0-2 Grow leguminous crops for building up of soil
fertility
2-4 Contour farming
48
4-8 Contour farming, contour strip cropping,
contour bunding
8-12 Grow fruits, adopt controlled grazing
12-18 Reserved/protected forestry, contour
trenching, afforestation
>25 Forests and pastures, wild life
PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR LAND DEGRADATION
These are also known as agronomic measures
Important agronomic practices involved in the control
of soil erosion are
Contour farming
Tillage
Mulching
Strip cropping
Cropping systems
Use of manures
 CONTOUR FARMING
It includes
contour ploughing
contour sowing and
other intercultural operations
By ploughing and sowing across the slope, each ridge of
the plough furrow and each row of the crop act as
an obstruction to runoff
providing more opportune for water to enter into
the soil
reduce soil loss
 MULCHING
About 60 -75 % of rainfall is lost through evaporation.
Mulch is any material applied on the soil surface to
check evaporation and improve soil water.
This evaporation loss is reduced by the application of
mulches.
Application of mulches also results in additional benefits
like soil conservation, moderation of temperature,
reduction in soil salinity, weed control and improved
soil structure.
 BENEFITS OF MULCHING
Reduction of evaporation by obstructing the solar
radiation reaching the soil
Reduced runoff
Reduced weed problem
Increased infiltration
Checks erosion by protecting soil from the impact of
beating raindrops and breaking down of soil aggregates
Moderates soil temperature
Improves soil structure due to decomposition of
mulches
 ALTERNATE LAND USE SYSTEM
A pattern of land use that is different from the existing
or conventional can be described as an alternate land
use system (ALUS).
The term ALUS is applicable to all classes of land to
generate assured income with minimum risk through
efficient use of available resources.
The lands, which have been degraded to very low
productive levels, are not only UNECONOMICAL for
arable crops but also CAUSING SERIOUS IMBALANCE in
the ecosystem.
For such lands, ALUS, other than cropping, would be
desirable.
Such land use systems can lead to stability in production
along with safety of environment.
An ALUS must foster the development and adaption of
agricultural practices that are ecofriendly, economically
advantageous and socially supportable.
Agro-forestry
Agri - silviculture
Silvipasture
Agri - horticulture and
Alley cropping
Tree farming
Ley farming
 AGRO FORESTRY
It may be defined as an integrated self sustained land
management system, which involves deliberate introduction /
retention of woody components with agricultural crops
including pasture / livestock, simultaneously or sequentially on
the same unit of land, meeting the ecological and socio-
economic needs of people

It is a collective name for land use systems consisting of

woody perennials, trees and shrubs which are grown in
association with herbaceous plants (crops, pasture) and or
livestock.
Agro-forestry practices are
Very effective for soil-moisture conservation.
Also provides food, fuel and fodder in large quantities
without deteriorating the quality of natural resources.
 CLASSIFICATION OF AGRO-FORESTRY
AGRI – SILVICULTURE:
This ALUS combines perennial arboreal with annual arable
crops.
It integrates crops and trees.
Tree component gives fodder, fuel or timber including green
leaf manure.
Under this system agricultural crops can be grown up to two
years under protective irrigated condition and under rainfed
farming up to four years.
Beyond this period it is uneconomical to grow grain crops.
However fodder crops, shade loving crops and shallow rooted
crops can be grown economically.
Wider spacing is adopted without sacrificing tree population
for easy cultural operation and to get more sunlight to the
intercrop.
Performance of the tree crops is better in this system when
compared to monoculture.
 CLASSIFICATION OF AGRO-FORESTRY
SILVI - PASTORAL SYSTEM:
This system is primarily meant for augmenting the
scarce fodder supply
It integrates pasture and /or animals with trees.
For examples, grasses, legumes, shrubs / trees.

AGRI – SILVI - PASTORAL SYSTEM:

This system integrates crop, pasture and /or animal with
trees.
 CLASSIFICATION OF AGRO-FORESTRY
AGRI - HORTICULTURAL SYSTEM:
It is one form of agro-forestry in which the tree component is fruit
tree.
It is also known as food – cum - fruit system in which short
duration arable crops are raised in the interspaces of fruit trees.
For examples, guava, pomegranate
pomegranate, custard apple, mango, etc.
• Pulses are the important arable crops for this system.

HORTI – SILVI - PASTORAL SYSTEM

This system integrates fruit trees / top feed trees and pasture.
Acacia nilotica, Dalbergia sissoo are the examples of top feed
trees.
 CLASSIFICATION OF AGRO-FORESTRY
ALLEY CROPPING:
Food crops are grown in alleys formed by hedge rows of
trees or shrubs in arable lands.
It is also known as hedge row inter cropping.
Hedge rows are cut back at about one meter height at
planting and kept pruned during cropping to prevent
shading and to reduce competition with food crops.
SOIL CULTIVATION AND TILLAGE IN
ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
 TILLAGE
Tillage is mechanical modification of soil structure.
Tillage may be defined as the practice of modifying the
state of soil in order to provide conditions favorable for
plant growth.
Tillage can also been defined as the mechanical
manipulation of soil with certain implement or tools to
provide a suitable environment for seed germination
root growth, weed control, soil erosion control and
moisture conservation.
Tillage tools modify soil structure through a wide range
of soil – tool interactions, including cutting, milling,
crushing, beating, and rebound.
 TILLAGE
Tillage tools subject soil structure to mechanical stresses
such as compression, shear, and tension.
When the applied stresses exceed soil strength, soil
structure fails, either by crumbling along planes of
weakness, if the soil is in a friable state, or by deforming,
if the soil is in a plastic state.
When soil is too moist—wetter than the “plastic limit”—
tillage causes smearing and creates clods that may last
for the rest of the growing season.
Winter freezing and thawing will generally break down
clods.
There are many reasons for cultivating the soil
 A. Creating good growing conditions
for crops
• Loosen the soil to facilitate the penetration of plant
roots
• Improve the aeration (nitrogen and oxygen from the air)
• Encourage the activity of the soil organisms
• Increase infiltration of water
• Reduce evaporation
• Destroy or control weeds and soil pests
• Incorporate crop residues and manures into the soil
• Prepare the site for seeds and seedlings
• Repair soil compaction caused by previous activities
 BENEFITS OF TILLAGE
Soil conditioning — the modification of soil structure to
favour agronomic processes such as soil – seed contact,
root proliferation and water infiltration.
Weed and pest suppression—direct termination or
disruption of weed and pest life cycles.
Residue management—movement, orientation, or sizing
of residues to minimize the negative effects of crop or
cover crop residues and promote beneficial effects.
Incorporation and mixing — placement or redistribution
of substances such as fertilizers, manures, seeds, and
residues, sometimes from a less favorable location to a
more favorable spatial distribution.
 BENEFITS OF TILLAGE
Segregation — consolidation of rocks, root clumps and
soil crumb sizes.
Land forming — changing the shape of the soil surface;
the simplest variant is probably levelling, ridging,
roughening and furrowing are also examples.
Stimulation of nutrient release—achieved by aeration
and mixing, however this can be a negative point if the
release of nutrients is not synchronized with crop
uptake.
 NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TILLAGE
Compaction of soil below the depth of tillage (formation
of a tillage pan)
Crusting of soil when soil pulverization is followed by
rain, stimulating weed seed germination and inhibiting
crop emergence
Increased susceptibility to water and wind erosion
associated with residue removal and soil loosening
Accelerated decomposition of organic matter, which is
undesirable from a long-term perspective
Cost of equipment purchase and operation
Energy cost of tillage operations
Labour and temporal obligations
B. Minimum disturbance
 WHY MINIMUM TILLAGE
Tillage consumes a lot of energy.
Higher cost of tillage due to increasing oil prices.
Conventional tillage as that is time consuming and
results in delayed sowing.
Delayed sowing results in reduction in yield.
yield
Particularly important for rice – wheat system in IGP.
Major objective of inverting soil in conventional tillage
was to bury manures and crop residues.
This objective has become less relevant as the use of
animal and green manure has become rather uncommon
in present day scenario.
 MINIMUM AND ZERO TILLAGE
Also retaining the crop residue on the soil surface as
stubble mulch is beneficial so as to protect against
evaporation and erosion losses.
Frequent tillage is rarely beneficial and often detrimental
as it destroys soil structure.
It also results in rapid decomposition of organic matter
which is also not desirable.
All these reasons led to the development and practice of
minimum tillage, zero tillage and stubble mulch farming
etc.
 MINIMUM TILLAGE
Minimum and zero tillage systems are very similar in that the
ground is worked very little or not at all before the seed is
sown.
Minimum tillage involves considerable soil disturbance,
though to a much lesser extent than that associated with
conventional tillage.
Minimum tillage is aimed at reducing tillage to the minimum
necessary for ensuring a good seedbed, rapid germination, a
satisfactory stand and favourable growing conditions.
Tillage can be reduced in two ways:
by omitting operation which do not give much benefit
when compared to the cost.
by combining agricultural operations like seeding and
fertilizer application.
ADVANTAGES OF MINIMUM TILLAGE
Problems associated with conventional tillage like repeated
use of heavy machinery destroys structure, causes soil pans
and erosion are checked.
Improved soil conditions due to decomposition of plant
residues in situ.
Higher infiltration caused by the vegetation present on the
soil and channels formed by the decomposition of dead
roots.
Less resistance to root growth due to improved structure.
Crops can be sown almost immediately after the harvest of
the previous crop.
Reduced cost of cultivation due to lower cost of tillage.
Minimum tillage can also shorten turn-around time between
crops.
 DISADVANTAGES OF MINIMUM TILLAGE
Seed germination is lower with minimum tillage.
In minimum tillage, more nitrogen has to be added as
rate of decomposition of organic matter is slow.
Nodulation is affected in some leguminous crops like
peas and broad beans.
Sowing operations are difficult with ordinary equipment.
Continuous use of herbicides cause pollution problems
and dominance of perennial problematic weeds.
 ZERO TILLAGE (NO TILLAGE)
In this method new crop is planted in the residues of the
previous crop without any prior soil tillage or seed bed
preparation.
It is possible when all the weeds are controlled by the use of
herbicides – HENCE LIMITED SCOPE IN ORGANIC FARMING
Zero tillage is applicable for soils with a coarse textured
surface horizon, good internal drainage, high biological
activity of soil fauna, favourable initial soil structure and an
adequate quantity of crop residue as mulch.
One method of zero tillage is TILL PLANTING in which specific
machines (wide sweep and trash bar) clears a strip over the
previous crop row and planter opens a narrow strip into
which seeds are planted and covered.
Advantages of Zero Tillage:
Zero tilled soils are homogenous in structure with
more number of earthworms.
Increased organic matter content in soil due to less
mineralization.
Surface run-off is reduced due to presence of mulch.

Disadvantages:
Higher amount of nitrogen has to be applied for
mineralization of organic matter in zero tillage.
Perennial weeds may be a problem.
High number of volunteer plants and build-up of pests.
C. Soil compaction
Where soil compaction is a potential problem, farmers
should be aware of the following aspects:

• The risk of soil compaction is highest when the soil

structure is disturbed in wet conditions
• Do not drive vehicles on your land soon after rains
• Ploughing of wet soils can lead to a smearing of the
plough sole
• Soils rich in sand are less prone to soil compaction than
soils rich in clay
• High content of soil organic matter reduce the risk of
soil compaction
• It is very difficult to restore a good soil structure once
soil compaction took place
 PRIMARY TILLAGE AND SECONDARY TILLAGE
Primary tillage:
First soil tillage after the last harvest
It is normally conducted when the soil is wet enough to
allow ploughing and strong enough to give reasonable
levels of traction.
This can be immediately after the crop harvest or at the
beginning of the next wet season.
The objectives of primary tillage are:
to attain a reasonable depth (10-15 cm) of soft soil
with varying clod sizes
kill weeds by burying or cutting and exposing the roots
soil aeration and water accumulation
chop and incorporate crop residues
PRIMARY TILLAGE AND SECONDARY TILLAGE
Secondary tillage is any working completed after primary
tillage and is undertaken for
reducing clod size
weed control
incorporation of fertilizers
puddling
levelling soil surface
Normally 2-3 secondary workings are done after primary
tillage and before planting but this will depend the
cloddiness of the soil, the number of weeds, the need to
incorporate fertilizer and the need for puddling.
Tools should be chosen depending
upon the purpose of tillage
CONVENTIONAL TILLAGE (INTENSIVE TILLAGE)
It is the full width tillage that disturbs all of the soil
surface and is performed prior to and/or during planting.
Less than 15 percent of the soil is covered with residue
after planting, or less than 500 pounds per acre of small
grain residue equivalent throughout the critical wind
erosion period.
Generally involves inversion of a plough layer or multiple
field operations with non-inversion tools.
Weed control is accomplished with crop protection
products and / or cultivation.
 CONSERVATION TILLAGE
Conservation tillage refers to any tillage system that
maintains 30 percent or more of the soil surface covered
with plant residues after planting / drilling.
It covers a range of practices which conserve soil moisture
and reduce soil erosion.
Where soil erosion by wind is the primary concern, any
system that maintains at least 1,000
1 000 pounds per acre of flat,
small grain residue equivalent on the surface throughout the
critical wind erosion period.
Generally, conservation tillage includes a shallow working
depth without soil inversion, i.e., no tillage or reduced or
shallow tillage with tine or discs.
Shallow ploughing, to no more than 10 cm, is to be included
in conservation tillage because burial of crop residues is
usually incomplete.
Why conservation tillage under organic farming
Conservation tillage leaves an organic mulch at the soil surface,
which reduces run-off, increases the surface soil organic matter
(SOM) promoting greater aggregate stability which restricts soil
erosion.
Effectively, organic farmers are encouraged to adopt conservation
tillage, especially if they are located in areas susceptible to
erosion.
Higher organic matter promotes microbial growth in soil which in
turn makes the unavailable form of nutrients present in soil into
available forms fulfilling the nutrient requirement of the crops.
Other beneficial aspects of conservation tillage are preservation of
soil moisture and increase of soil biodiversity which are also
required in organic farming.
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements standards (IFOAM, 2002) recommend that
organic farmers ‘should minimize loss of top soil through
minimal tillage, contour ploughing, crop selection,
maintenance of soil plant cover and other management
practices that conserve soil’ and ‘should take measures
to prevent erosion, compaction, salinization, and other
forms of soil degradation’.
Conservation tillage offers benefits that could improve
the soil fertility, soil quality and the environmental
impact of organic crop production.
Though organic production of field crops generally
consumes up to 20 % less energy than non-organic
agriculture. However, environmental burdens, such as
global warming potential or eutrophication, can be
greater under organic farming.
Thus conservation tillage may improve the
environmental and economic performance of organic
farming
 TILLAGE AND ORGANIC FARMING
The EU-Regulation on Organic Food and Farming states that
Organic Farming should focus on “the maintenance and
enhancement of soil life and natural soil fertility, soil stability
and soil biodiversity preventing and combating soil
compaction and soil erosion”
This can be achieved by the adoption of technologies such as
REDUCED TILLAGE or NO TILLAGE
REDUCED TILLAGE encompasses a wide range of practices
even meeting the criterion of conservation tillage - at least
30% of the soil is covered by a vegetative mulch (crop
residues).
Also in Reduced Tillage less aggressive inversion tillage
methods such as strip tillage and reduction in depth of
inversion tillage are adopted while in Conventional tillage
complete inversion with mouldboard plough and other
equipment is there.
 No-till or Reduced Tillage Systems on OF
Similarly Organic No-till Systems or Reduced Tillage Systems
rely heavily on
Cover crops
Improvement of soil quality by improving biological soil
parameters like soil organic matter content, number of
earthworms or increasing soil microbial activity.
This is done by the maintenance of an almost permanent
soil cover provided by cover crops, under - sown crops,
living mulches and high-residue biomass mulches.
Inversion tillage and intensive non-inversion tillage of the
topsoil are not done.
Conventional direct seeding equipment is not suitable for
use in these systems because of the large amounts of soil
cover, improper seed placement, poor germination, and
low yields that have resulted when used
 WIND BREAKS AND SHELTER BELTS
WIND BREAKS are such structures which break the wind
flow and reduce the wind speed.
The main objective of wind breaks is to enhance the crop
and animal production by protecting livestock and crops
from harsh conditions.
Wind breaks also checks soil erosion along with wind
erosion.
Wind Breaks consist of a line of defence such as a hedge,
fence, single or double row of trees and can therefore be
created in most gardens.
Wind Breaks may be living on non – living (artificial)
 SHELTER BELTS
These are belts / blocks consisting of several rows of
trees established at right angle to prevailing winds.
The shelter belts mainly deflect air currents; reduce the
velocity of prevailing winds and protect the leeward
areas from the desiccating effects of hot winds.
Shelter belts are formed of tall trees and shrubs (over
4.5m) planted in three or four staggered rows and are
therefore only suitable for larger sites.
Shelter belts are always living
PURPOSE OF RAISING WIND BREAKS
To protect field crops / livestock from cold / hot wind.
To prevent soil erosion.
To reduce evaporation from farmlands.
To improve the microclimate.
For fencing and boundary demarcation.
demarcation
For productive role - fuel, fodder, etc.
 MAIN FEATURES OF WIND BREAK
Permeability:
The primary purpose of raising windbreaks is to filter
and break up the force of the wind.
Permeable windbreaks, which allow some wind to pass
through, are the most suitable.
The desired permeability can be obtained by carefully
selecting trees and shrub species.

Orientation:
For best results, wind-breaks should be-raised at right
angles to the direction of wind.
N - S direction is good compromise.
They should give better shading of adjacent crops and
pastures.
WIND BREAKS
WIND BREAKS
PURPOSE OF RAISING SHELTER BELTS
To deflect air currents

To reduce the velocity of winds.

To provide general protection to the leeward areas

against the effects of wind erosion.

To protect the leeward areas from desiccating effects of

hot wind.

To provide fuel, fodder timber etc.

 CHARACTERISTICS OF SHELTER BELTS
Shape and Composition: Shelterbelts have a spiracle,
triangular shape by raising tall trees in the centre.
Density and Width: Shelterbelts up to 50 m width are
considered ideal under Indian conditions. A certain
degree of penetration by wind is planned.
Orientation: Orientation depends on the direction and
velocity of the winds.
Length: The minimum length of a shelterbelt should be
about 25 times its height.
SHELTER BELTS
CONTOUR STRIP CROPPING
ALLEY CROPPING
WATER MANAGEMENT
 Keep soil moisture and reduce evaporation

ATTENTION: A green manure or cover crop is not always a suitable way of reducing evaporation
from the soil, due that they also use water. In dry areas, you should consider using other types of
mulch, such as crop residues or plant remains brought in from outside the field. That will help
conserve moisture in the soil where it can be used by the crop.
1.INCREASING INFILTRATION
Water harvesting – planting pits
CONTOUR BUNDS and CATCHMENT
STRIPS
ROAD CATCHMENTS
Road catchments
Half-moon microcatchments
2.WATER STORAGE
C. Drip irrigation systems
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