Book of Extended summaries ISDA

International Conference on Reimagining Rainfed Agro-ecosystems: Challenges &
Opportunities during 22-24, December 2022 at ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad
Methodology
The study was conducted in Bongheri village under the Kultali block of the South 24 Parganas
district in West Bengal (Latitude: 22 o 2’3” N to 22 o 3’11” N; Longitude: 88 o 37’5” E to 88 o
38’11” E).
Land shaping and crop planning: One-fifth portion of a 0.26 ha plot was excavated to create
a farm pond (0.05 ha). The excavated soil was used to raise the remaining plot upto 1-ft height
and strengthen the land and pond embankments upto 3-ft height with a top width of 3 ft.
Submergence tolerant and short duration (115 days) rice variety Ciherang sub-1 was grown on
the elevated land (0.18 ha). Okra (0.01 ha), bittergourd (0.01 ha) and bottlegourd (0.01 ha)
were planted on land and pond embankment during kharif (Table 1). In winter, brinjal and chilli
were grown on the main field (0.15 ha) and land embankment (0.03 ha), respectively.
Cucumber was grown (0.17 ha) in summer. Mixed fish farming was taken up in the pond (0.05
ha).
Farmers practice: Traditional rice variety Dudheswar was grown on 0.26 ha plot under
medium land situation (1.5 ft water stagnation), during July to November. Lathyrus was sown
as paira crop on 0.1 ha area.
Data collection: 2019 was considered as “stress year” as it encountered two cyclones (Fani in
May and Bulbul in November), intensive rainfall (120 mm and 94 mm), prolonged
submergence after transplantation of rice (August), dry spells of more than 10 days (June and
July), untimely rain (February and November) and 39% rainfall deficiency in kharif. The data
of 2018 was taken as “normal year”. Both the practices (farmers practice and land shaping)
were implemented in 15 farmers’ field of 0.26 ha size, separately.
Results
Land shaping offered scope of multiple cropping to the farmers as the cropping intensity
increased to 254%. The elevated terrain became suitable for growing short duration and HYV
rice. The vegetables, grown on the raised embankment were saved from prolonged water
stagnation during intensive rainfall. The pond rainwater was used for irrigation during dry
spells in 2019 and sustaining fishery throughout the year. Assured irrigation also allowed to
grow vegetables in winter and summer season. Both during a normal year and stressful weather,
the average net income was significantly higher from the land shaping plot in comparison to
farmers practice. Even after cyclone Bulbul (November, 2019) the land shaping farmers
suffered a minimum crop loss due to timely harvest of their short duration rice and improved
drainage. Such farmers could also take up rabi vegetable in time, whereas there was 25-30%
loss of rice and 100% loss of lathyrus under farmers practice. Land shaping has been reported
to maximize farm income, even during climatic hazards (Rahman et al., 2016).
Resilience through land and water management interventions, water management and governance
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