Impact of in situ soil and Water Conservation Measures on Water Use and Production Efficiency for Cotton

A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season 2011-12 at Model Watershed of Agro-Ecology and Environment Centre, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola to study evaluation of in situ soil and water conservation measures in terms of improvement in crop growth, production and water use efficiency. There were total six treatments viz., cultivation along the slopes (T1), cultivation along the slope with opening of tide furrow (30 DAS) (T2), cultivation across the slope with opening of alternate furrow (30 DAS) (T3), cultivation across the slope with ridges and furrows (30 DAS) (T4), contour cultivation with opening of alternate furrow (30DAS) (T5), contour cultivation with opening of ridges and furrows (30 DAS) (T6). Biometric observations such as plant height (cm), number of branches were favorably influenced in treatment T6 followed by treatment T5, T4, T3, T2 and treatment T1.Treatment (T6) of in-situ soil and water conservation measure had maximum B: C ratio of 2.17) followed by 2.10(T5), 1.99(T4), 1.86(T3), 1.74(T2) and 1.70 for treatment T1. Water use efficiency was more dominant in treatment T6 i.e. (2.63 kg ha-1 mm-1) followed by 2.57(T5), 2.34(T4), 2.18(T3), 2.01(T2) and 1.89 in treatment T1. Productivity of cotton was favorably influenced by treatment T6.The increase in productivity was 38.26 per cent over along the slope cultivation followed by rest of the treatments. The maximum production efficiency for treatment T6 was maximum 8.10 kg ha-1 day-1 and Rs.192.6 ha-1 day-1, respectively, followed by treatment T5, T4, T3, T2 and treatment T1.