Sustainable production of pulses through improved rainwater management system

Field experiments were carried out to investigate the Improved rainwater management techniques in comparison with farmers' practice of flatbed method of sowing for sustainable production of pulses in ralnfed alfisol ecosystem. Results revealed that tied ridges with mulching recorded higher soil moisture of 2.1% in cowpea and 3.3% in pigeonpea over farmers' practice at maturity stage. Significantly higher grain yield was obtained under ridges and furrows with mUlching (715.9 kg/hal in cowpea during 2002. Tied ridges with mulching registered higher grain yields I.e. 297.4 kg/ha in cowpea, 475.4 kg/ha in pigeonpea and 151.8 kg/ha in green gram intercrop during 2003 over farmers' practice. Sustainable indicators like total factor productivity (TFP), soil organic carbon and economics, all showed superiority under mulching treatments Irrespective of ridges and furrows or tied ridges in all the pulses raised in these experiments. Farmers' practice showed uncertainty in pulses production due to its poor soil moisture conservation. Thus, sowing of pulses either on ridges and furrows or tied ridges along with mulching using locally available crop residues at the rate of 2.5 t/ha has been found to be a viable water resource management practice for sustainable production of pulses under ralnfed cultivation.