EFFECT OF MANAGEMENT OF A HIMALAYAN ALFISOL ON WATER CONSERVATION FORRAIN-FED CROPS

Field experiments were conducted during 1989 and 1990 to study the eff ect of various soil management practices on water conservation during the two prime planting periods in the lower Himalayan region. Treatmen ts studied were: zero tillage with weed control (ZT + W), zero tillage (ZT), fine tilth (FT), coarse tilth (CT), zero tillage with surface-a pplied lantana (Lantana camara L.) mulch at 10 t ha-1 (ZT + M), fine t ilth with surface-applied lantana mulch at 10 t ha-1 (FT + M), fine ti lth with surface-applied farmyard manure mulch at 10 t ha-1 (FT + FYM) and fine tilth with FYM incorporated at 10 t ha-1 (FYM). The soils we re Typic Hapludalfs with pH 5.8, organic carbon 6.6 g kg-1 and cation exchange capacity 12 cmol (P+) (100 g)-1. The lantana mulch applicatio n to fine tilth (FT + M) or zero tillage (ZT + M) maintained higher se ed-zone water content and profile water storage as compared with all t he other treatments. Highest water depletion was observed under ZT + W treatment. Seed germination is likely to occur only under FT + M and ZT + M during the two prime planting periods, if field capacity water content is considered to be limiting for seed germination. However, fo r the other treatments rainfall would invariably be required to increa se the surface water content, to allow germination and early seedling establishment.