RAINWATER MANAGEMENT FOR TREE PLANTING IN THE INDIAN-DESERT

A field experiment was conducted at the Arid Forest Research Institute , Jodhpur, to study the influence of different systems of water harves ting and moisture conservation on soil moisture storage, growth, bioma ss accumulation and nutrient uptake by Azadirachta indica (neem), Teco mella undulata (rohida) and Prospis cineraria (khejri). The ridge and furrow method of water harvesting was found to be the best treatment a nd significantly improved the growth of all three species (height by 5 8%, 35% and 40%, collar circumference by 73%, 56% and 63%, and crown d iameter by 111%, 51%, and 131%, respectively). Biomass accumulation by A. indica and T. undulata increased 3.8-fold and 4.6-fold and root ma ss 4.5-fold and 3.8-fold, respectively. The mulching treatment was ben eficial to A. indica and weeding treatment to all the three species. T ree roots in water harvesting plots were deeper and had several times larger spread than the control. Nutrient uptake by these tree species increased several-folds as a result of the different water harvesting and moisture conservation treatments. The increase in cost of plantati on due to T-8 treatment was 50%. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited