Rainwater Management for Sustainable Production of Citrus in Central India

A study was conducted involving (i) continuous trench (CT), (ii) CT with rainwater harvesting tank (RWHT) and basin irrigation (BI), and (iii) CT with RWHT and drip irrigation (DRI) to identify a suitable rainwater management strategy for citrus orchards in central India. CT with RWHT and DRI was found most suitable under which fruit production, net profit and economic water productivity were enhanced by 3.19, 3.98 and 2.30 times respectively, compared with rainfed treatment. The energy use efficiency improved by 87% with a 49% increase in sustainability yield index in CT with RWHT and DRI than the rainfed treatment.