Impact of Land Configuration and Strip-Intercropping on Runoff, Soil Loss and Crop Yields under Rainfed Conditions in the Shivalik Foothills of North-West, India

Anil Khokhar, Abrar Yousuf, Manmohanjit Singh, Vivek Sharma, Parminder Singh Sandhu and Gajjala Ravindra Chary
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Anil Khokhar: Regional Research Station, Punjab Agricultural University, Ballowal Saunkhri, SBS Nagar, Punjab 144521, India
Abrar Yousuf: Regional Research Station, Punjab Agricultural University, Ballowal Saunkhri, SBS Nagar, Punjab 144521, India
Manmohanjit Singh: Regional Research Station, Punjab Agricultural University, Ballowal Saunkhri, SBS Nagar, Punjab 144521, India
Vivek Sharma: Regional Research Station, Punjab Agricultural University, Ballowal Saunkhri, SBS Nagar, Punjab 144521, India
Parminder Singh Sandhu: Regional Research Station, Punjab Agricultural University, Ballowal Saunkhri, SBS Nagar, Punjab 144521, India
Gajjala Ravindra Chary: Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad, Telangana 500059, India

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-20

Abstract: Maintaining sustainable crop production on undulating, sloppy, and erodible soils in Shivalik foothills of North-west India is a challenging task. Intercropping is accepted as a highly sustainable system to reduce soil erosion and ensure sustainable production by making efficient use of resources. Field experiments were conducted in the rainy season (July to September) during 2015, 2016, and 2017 to evaluate the effect of land slopes and maize and cowpea strip-intercropping on productivity and resource conservation at the Regional Research Station, Ballowal Saunkhri located in the Shivalik foothills. During three years of experimentation, a total of 23–26 runoff events were observed in the maize crop grown in the rainy season. The results from this 3-year field study indicate that maize grain yield was significantly higher on a 1% slope and cowpea on a 2% slope. This accounted for significantly higher net returns (US$ 428 ha −1 ) with a benefit-cost (BC) ratio of 2.0 on a 1% slope. Runoff, soil, and nutrient losses were higher on a 3% slope as compared to 1% and 2% slopes. N, P, and K loss on a 3% slope were 3.80, 1.82, and 4.10 kg ha −1 higher, respectively than a 1% slope. The adoption of a strip-intercropping system with a 4.8 m maize strip width and 1.2 m cowpea strip width resulted in significantly higher maize equivalent yield than sole maize and other strip-intercropping systems. This system showed the highest land equivalent ratio value (1.24) indicating a 24% yield advantage over sole cropping systems of maize and cowpea, and fetched the highest net returns (US$ 530 ha −1 ) with a benefit-cost ratio (BC ratio) of 2.09. This system also reduced runoff and soil loss by 10.9% and 8.3%, respectively than sole maize crop. On all the land slopes, maize and cowpea strip-intercropping systems showed a significant reduction in N, P, K, and organic carbon loss as compared to sole maize. Thus, on sloping land, the maize and cowpea strip-intercropping system decreases surface runoff, soil, and nutrient loss, and increases yield and income of the farmers as compared to a sole maize crop.

Keywords: maize equivalent yield; nutrient loss; runoff; soil loss; slope; strip-intercropping; water use efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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