Water Users Association and Irrigation Management - Institute for ...

Two hannful effects of problematic soils are lower yield and increased cost of controlling
further deterioration. In areas affected by moderate salinity and waterlogging, farmers
showed a higher concern for increasing the yield and for controlling salinity and
waterlogging. So they use excessive manure and fertilizers 1 ) to compensate the yield
decrease on account of waterlogging and salinity. In both the villages large farmers, many a
time. do not cultivate the degraded lands, because of poor returns. Moreover, cultivation on
such lands is not a compulsion since it is less critical for their survival. Since their holdings
are big. they can afford to leave such lands as fallow. But small and marginal tarmers are
compelled to cultivate those lands, because it is critical for their survival. Hence, the poor
tarmers are more \ulnerable to the problems of soil degradation. Nevertheless, soil
degradation seems fairly marginal at the moment in both the villages since only a small
percentage of land shows severe waterlogging and salinity conditions. The problem is
found to be more persistent in Hagedal than Gundur where the WUA is active.
Some lands are also affected by alkalinity in both the villages, but not significant enough to
be considered for detailed analysis. Alkaline levels rise during the dry season, but drop
again when the land is properly irrigated and drained. Soil acidit/ 4 and iron toxicity, a
problem largely found in the rice sols of the flat valleys is absent in both the villages.
Fanners in both the villages are generally happy about the productivity of normal and
mildly atlected lands.
Although soil salinity and waterlogging endanger thc sustainability of ab'licultural
development, the infl)rmation available on the extent these problems and the externalities
associated with these problems are scanty in TBP. The general lack of monitoring by the
government agency of waterlogging and salinity affected areas is clearly evidenced by the
dearth of field level infllrmation on this topic.
Dil"ection of change of pl"Oblematic soils
Farmers in the study area see soil fertility as a dynamic process. A particular part of land
can reverse the fertility status over a period of time depending on irrigation, rainfall,
J] The largest consumers of fertilizers are in Asia, notably China and India (Hilhorst & Toulmin 2000).
14 Soil acidity occurs mainly due to high rainfall, which leaches the exchangeable bases of solis. Study
villages do not fall under high rainfall zones.
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