Comparison of Surface Irrigation Application under Different Land Configurations and Management Practices

Abstract

Field experiments were carried out during October, 2017–April, 2018 and October, 2018–April, 2019 at the KVK research farm, Sonipat, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana (125 004), India to evaluate efficiency of surface irrigation application under different management practices (zero tillage, conventional tillage, laser-guided land levelling, and farmers’ practice). In treatment check basin and zero tillage (CB-ZT), pre-sowing irrigation was applied after harvesting of paddy crop without any tillage operation and the slope of this field was not altered. In treatment border irrigation and conventional tillage (BI-CT), the field was prepared with the help of conventional tillage implements. In treatment border irrigation and laser guided land leveling (BI-LL), the field was levelled with the help of a laser guided land leveller and a longitudinal slope of 0.3% was given. In treatment farmers’ practice (FP), field was kept as per general practices adopted by farmers on their fields. i.e., without any specific slope or land levelling operation. The irrigation application performance was evaluated by estimating the infiltration opportunity time, water application, and distribution efficiency. Water application and distribution efficiency of 87.5 and 91.8%, respectively, was recorded when irrigation was carried out in borders of laser levelled plot having 0.3% longitudinal slope as compared to respective values of 66.2 and 85.7 % in farmer’s practice. These findings pointed to substantial opportunity to conserve water through adoption of laser guided land levelling in the region.