Poor Quality water Management and Cropping Pattern for Poor Quality Water

1. Management practices for using poor quality
water
&
cropping pattern for utilizing poor quality
ground waters
By Dr. Kamini Roy

2. (1)Ensure adequate drainage :
• In areas receiving poor quality irrigation waters,
leaching of excess salts and water from the root
zone has to be ensured so as to maintain a
favourable salt and water balance.
• In poorly drained soils and in soils having hard
pan, long term irrigation with poor quality waters
results in the build up of salts more rapidly than
that under well drained soils.
• Provisionof proper drainage is, therefore, a pre-
requisite when poor quality waters are to be used
for irrigation. Surface drains are cheaper than the
sub-surface drains.
By Dr. Kamini Roy

3. (2) Level the land properly :
• For uniform distribution of irrigation
water in the field, the land should
preferably be laser levelled.
• Proper levelling ensures uniform
leaching of soluble salts and waters
from the soil. Even with small
changes of microrelief in the field,
unequal distribution of water and
salts takes place.
By Dr. Kamini Roy

4. 3 Use poor quality waters on light
textured soils :
• These soils facilitate leaching of salts
applied through irrigation water because of
their high infiltration rates.
• Infiltration rates of the heavy textured soils
are low and water applied through irrigation
tends to stagnate at the surface for longer
periods and after evaporation
salinity/sodicity builds up at faster rates.
• It is, therefore, recommended that poor
quality waters should preferably be used on
light textured soils. By Dr. Kamini Roy

5. 4) Make proper crop selection : It is always
desirable to grow crops and varieties capable of
producing high yields even when irrigated with
saline or sodic waters.
Only salt tolerant and semi-tolerant crops like
barley, wheat, mustard, guar, senji, spinach,
turnip, sugarbeet, raya and millets should be
grown.
By Dr. Kamini Roy

6. 4) Make proper crop selection :
• Cotton is sensitive at the germination stage but can
be grown if proper germination is ensured by
applying pre-sowing irrigations with canal water.
• Pulse crops are sensitive to salinity and sodicity
and therefore, should not be irrigated with poor
quality waters.
• The crops having high water requirements such as
rice, sugarcane and berseem preferably should
notbe grown particularly when drainage is very poor
By Dr. Kamini Roy

7. •(5.1) Apply gypsum : Poor permeability of
soils is commonly observed where irrigation
waters containing high bicarbonates of sodium
(testing high in RSC) are used. High saturation
of the soil with sodium, deteriorates soil
structure and results in poor aeration and poor
nutrient and water availability to plant roots.
The adverse effects of high soil sodium
saturation can be ameliorated by gypsum
application.
By Dr. Kamini Roy

8. •(5.2) Apply gypsum-------
• : Application of gypsum is recommended when RSC
of irrigation water exceeds 2.5 me/l. The quantity of
gypsum should be got estimlated from a soil and
water testing laboratory.
•Gypsum calculated for 4 irrigations should be applied
with the first irrigation. If the soil has already
deteriorated, gypsum should be applied on soil test
basis.
•After mixing gypusm in the surface (0-10 cm) soil,
heavy irrigation should be given to leach down
soluble salts before sowing of the next crop.
By Dr. Kamini Roy

9. (6) Use organic amendments : In
calcareous soils with more than 2%
calcium carbonate, use organic
manures viz. farmyard manure @ 8
tonnes/acre or Dhaincha green manure
or wheat straw @ 2.5 tonnes/acre/year
for reducing harmful effects of sodic
irrigation water.
By Dr. Kamini Roy

10. (7) Use poor and good quality waters
conjunctively :
• This practice assumes importance particularly
when supplies of good quality canal water are
inadequate.
• The poor quality waters should preferably be used
to supplement canal water.
• The poor and good quality waters can be used
either alternatively or by mixing with each other.
• It is also advisable to use good quality waters in
early stages of crop growth and poor quality
waters during the later stages
By Dr. Kamini Roy

11. (8) Watch the build up of the salinity
and sodicity in the soil : When poor
quality waters are used on a long term
basis the farmers should keep a watch
on the build up of salts in the soil by
getting the soil and water samples tested
at regular intervals. This will help them in
keeping a check on soil deterioration.
By Dr. Kamini Roy

12. 9) Use of village pond water for irrigation :
• Water in village ponds contain essential
plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium.
• However, it may also contain salts such as
carbonates, bicarbonates and chlorides of
calcium, magnesium and sodium in
undesirable amounts.
• Therefore, the pond water should be got
tested from Soil and Water Testing
Laboratory and may be used for irrigation as
per the recommendation. By Dr. Kamini Roy

13. Tolerant Field crops: Cotton, Safflower, Sugarbeet & Barley
Fruit crops: Date palm & Guava
Vegetables: Turnip & Spinach
Forage crops: Berseem & Rhodes grass
Semi-
tolerant
Field crops:Sorghum, Maize, Sunflower, Bajra, Mustard, Rice & Wheat
Fruit crops:Fig, Grape & Mango
Vegetables:Tomato, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Carrot & Potato
Forage crops: Senji & Oats
Sensitive Field crops:Chick pea, Linseed, Beans, Greengram &Blackgram
Fruit crops : Apple, Orange, Almond, Peach, Strawberry, Lemons &
Plum
Vegetables: Radish, Peas & Lady’s finger
By Dr. Kamini Roy

14. Tolerant Field crops:
Cotton, Safflower,
Sugarbeet & Barley
Fruit crops: Date palm &
Guava
Vegetables: Turnip &
Spinach
Forage crops: Berseem
& Rhodes grass By Dr. Kamini Roy

15. Semi-
tolerant
Field crops:Sorghum, Maize,
Sunflower, Bajra, Mustard, Rice &
Wheat
Fruit crops:Fig, Grape & Mango
Vegetables:Tomato, Cabbage,
Cauliflower, Cucumber, Carrot &
Potato
Forage crops: Senji & Oats
By Dr. Kamini Roy

16. Sensitive Field crops:Chick pea, Linseed,
Beans, Greengram &Blackgram
Fruit crops : Apple, Orange,
Almond, Peach, Strawberry,
Lemons & Plum
Vegetables: Radish, Peas &
Lady’s finger
By Dr. Kamini Roy

17. Acknowledge and Thanks
Author is immensely thankful to all the websites
and books whom I contacted to make these slides
more informative and attractive
By Dr.
Kamini Roy

18. WE SHALL OVERCOME
Stay healthy
By Dr.
Kamini Roy