Book of Extended summaries ISDA

International Conference on Reimagining Rainfed Agro-ecosystems: Challenges &
Opportunities during 22-24, December 2022 at ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad
T1-36 P-1400
Impact of Raising Bund Height Around Rice Field on Water Management,
Growth, Yield and Economics
Deokaran 1 , Ramkewal 1 , Mandhata Singh 1 , Ujjwal Kumar 1 , A Upadhyay 1 , Amrendra
Kumar 1 , Anjani Kumar 1 , Hari Govid 2 and Arif Parvez 2
1 ICAR-RCER, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Lalganj, Buxar-802103, Bihar
2 ICAR ATARI Zone-IV, Patna, Bihar-14
The rice acreage of the world under irrigated, rainfed, upland and flood prone ecosystems are
55%, 25%, 13% and 7%, respectively. Contribution of rice yield as percentage of global rice
production from irrigated, rainfed, upland and flood prone ecosystems are 76%, 17%, 4% and
3%, respectively (IRRI., 1993). The productivity of rainfed rice ecosystem is observed to be
quite lower than that of the irrigated rice ecosystem, which emphasizes that assured irrigation
water supply plays a crucial role in determining rice production. In rainfed ecosystem, the
general tendency of the farmers are to store maximum rainwater in the cropped fields to combat
moisture deficiency during dry spells due to lack of regular sources of irrigation water, This
storage is achieved by strengthening the bund height. Water resource development has played
an important role in livelihood improvement and poverty alleviation by improving food
security, protecting against drought, providing access to water, and increasing cropped area. In
rainfed rice ecosystem, conservation of rainwater to maximum extent can reduce
the supplemental irrigation water requirement of the crop and drainage need of the catchment.
Pre-monsoon, monsoon and post monsoon precipitation during rainy season causes sub surface
soil erosion, nutrient depletion by runoff and sometimes flood situation and crop damage
resulting which reduces production and productivity of soil. While on the other hand; scattered
and uneven rainfall, long intervals in dry spell and rainy days, creates prolonged droughts
situation during the crop growth period have become a common occurrence in previous years
observations. The productivity of the rain-fed rice ecosystem is observed to be significantly
lower than that of the irrigated rice ecosystem. This underlined that assured irrigation plays a
crucial role to determining rice production. This storage is and can be achieved by
strengthening the field bund height (raising bund height and its maintenance). The objective of
this study was to assessed the conservation of rainwater in rice fields through raising heights
surrounding rice field.
Methodology
Case study was conducted for three consecutive years (2019–2021) under National Innovation
onClimate Resilient Agriculture Project, NICRA –TDC at Krishi Vigyan Kendra Buxar,
Adopted Village; Kukurah and Suroundha at 65 farmers field. The benchmark survey and
participatory rural appraisal (PRA) technique were used for selection of participants and
98 | Page Resilience through land and water management interventions, water management and governance