The dependence of humans on natural resources for livelihood is well known. During past fifty years the human population has doubled and per capita use of resources has increased, with resultant unprecedented pressure on natural resources, that is reaching the level of ecological crises. Encroachment of good land by continuously expanding urban and industrial areas resulted in pushing agriculture to more fragile, marginal and environmentally risky wastelands/ravine lands. Further, the problem of gullies and ravines land. is also more acute in Uttar Pradesh and an area of 1.23 million hectare has been severely degraded and converted into wasteland. The shallow and medium ravines can be converted in terraced land and put under agricultura/agroforestry land use while deep and very deep ravines may be used under permanent vegetative cover with the adoption of suitable soil and water conservation practices. The splash and sheet erosion is causing land degradation continuously as such, soil productivity is declining year to year. The extra care is needed and suitable soil and water conservation practices/ improved agro-techniques are to be adopted. Further, the climatic conditions of ravine region ofAgra falls under semi-arid conditions. Though, rainfall pattern is very uneven but even then months like July, August and September receive high rainfall. Excess rain water can be conserved by adopting suitable practices. Ravine watershed can be divided into four reclamation zones (viz. I to IV) for effective implementation of conservation technologies.
Further, levelling and terracing were found to conserve greater rain water and higher crop yields. During cutting and filling prpductivity loss reported for first two years, that was nullified in subsequent 3rd year. Conservation practices further reduces the percentage of loss on productivity. Deep tillage upto 20 cm depth once in three years followed by one pass of cultivator every year was found effective enough in rainwater conservation and crop production. Green manuring controls erosion and has additional advantage on nutrient addition in soil which maintains the fertility, enhance moisture conservation and augment crop production. Agri-horti systems are more beneficial on these lands ifroot managementpracticesare adopted. Pre-monsoon rains can be utilized efficiently for higher returns from cotton-wheat. Cropping sequences like greengram-mustard, pearlmillet-wheat, greengram-castor (intercrop), greenmanuring mustard and greenmanuring-wheat are more advantageous if grown with suitable conservation practices.
