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esource utilization research; small-scale studies<br />
of present and improved soil- and watermanagement<br />
technologies will be discussed in the<br />
following sections.<br />
Evaluation of Present<br />
Resource-conservation Practices<br />
Contour and field bunding are the most common<br />
techniques to conserve soil and water on rainfed<br />
lands in the Indian SAT. Although well-designed<br />
and maintained bunds undoubtedly conserve the<br />
soil (see Watershed-based Resource Utilization<br />
Research), their usefulness for moisture conservation<br />
which enhances crop production, particularly<br />
on heavy soils, is less certain. At each<br />
bund, one can distinguish a seepage area, a<br />
borrow pit, a zone where runoff is impounded<br />
frequently, a transition area intermittently under<br />
water, and a zone which apparently is not<br />
affected by the bund (Fig 70).<br />
Seepage<br />
affected<br />
area<br />
Bund<br />
Borrow<br />
pit<br />
Submerged<br />
after runoff Transition zone Land not submerged in the monsoon<br />
4 0 0 0<br />
M A I Z E<br />
B u n d 5<br />
B u n d 6<br />
B u n d 7<br />
3 0 0 0<br />
2 0 0 0<br />
1 0 0 0<br />
0<br />
- 1 0 0 10 2 0 3 0 4 0 50 6 0<br />
D o w n s l o p e U p s l o p e<br />
D i s t a n c e f r o m c o n t o u r b u n d ( m )<br />
2 0 0 0<br />
P I G E O N P E A<br />
B u n d 5<br />
B u n d 6<br />
B u n d 7<br />
1 0 0 0<br />
0<br />
- 1 0 0 10 2 0 3 0 4 0 50 6 0<br />
D o w n s l o p e U p s l o p e D i s t a n c e f r o m c o n t o u r b u n d ( m )<br />
Figure 70. Effect of contour bunding on yields in a maize/pigeonpea intercrop on a Vertisol at ICRISAT<br />
Center, 1976.<br />
154
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