Effect of Stored Soil Moisture Reserve through Conservation Practices and Supplemental Irrigation on Wheat Yield under Dryland Farming Condition

The surface configuration treatments for better infiltration of rain water during kharif season were quite effective in checking runoff and causing higher water infiltration. Moisture conservation was greatly increased with the imposition of mulches on soil surface. The mulches (polyethelene sheet and wheat straw) reduced evaporation from soil surface and thereby improved soil moisture status at the sowing time of wheat in rabi season and that consequently increased seedling emergence. Soil bulk density decreased while organic carbon content of the soil and infiltration of water into soil increased under both the mulches (polyethelene and straw.)

Surface configuration treatments did not have much effect on the yield of wheat while mulches significantly improved the yield. Both the supplemental irrigation treatments (one or two) improved grain yield over no such irrigation. Positive interaction effect was observed between mulches and supplemental irrigations on grain yield during the dry growing season.