Conservation measures for resource conservation and enhancing yield of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) in red soils of Bundelkhand region in central India

A study was conducted during rainy seasons (kharif) of 2005 to 2007 at CSWCRTI, Research Centre, Datia, Madhya Pradesh to evaluate the efficiency of conservation measures in reducing erosion losses and increasing sorghum yield on slopy agricultural lands in red soils. The treatments included farmer's practice (control), earthen contour bunds (CB) at 0.7 and 0.9 m VI, vegetative barriers (VB) of Cenchrus ciliaris and Heteropogon contortus at 0.7 m VI in runoff plots of 80x20m at 3% slope. Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Monech.] was grown along contours except control under rainfed conditions in all the plots with recommended package of practices. Results indicated that different conservation measures were effective in conserving higher rainwater, reducing soil and nutrient losses and increasing yield of sorghum over control. Mean results of 3 years showed that highest runoff (31.6%), soil loss (939 kg ha⁻¹) and nutrient loss (organic carbon 10.39, N 2.36, P 0.63 and K 0.93 kg ha⁻¹) and lower grain yield (481 kg ha⁻¹) of sorghum were recorded under farmer's practice. However, lowest runoff (3.0%), soil loss (31 kg ha⁻¹) and nutrient loss (organic carbon 0.39, nitrogen 0.18, phosphorus 0.07 and potassium 0.18 kg ha⁻¹) and higher grain yield (531 kg ha⁻¹; 11% increase) of sorghum over farmer's practice were obtained under contour bund at 0.7 m VI. Study revealed that among different conservation measures, CB at 0.7 m VI found best for resource conservation and enhancing the yield of sorghum on sloping agricultural lands in red soils of Bundelkhand region in Central India.