Rain Water Management for Low Land Rice Cultivation in India

In India, only a small portion of the total rainfall is utilized for crop production; the rest runs off. Nearly 2,500,000 ha of alkali soils of the Indo-Gangetic region (characterized by flat topography and impermeable nature) remain unproductive due to surface water stagnation during the rainy season. The Central Soil Salinity Research Institute at Karnal, India, worked out design criteria and specifications for a three-tier system of rainwater management for these areas and hydrologically evaluated their performance. It has been demonstrated that by adopting this rainwater management procedure, water use efficiencies were increased, drainage needs minimized, and ground-water recharge increased.