Reports - DBT Star College Project

Individual Project of students on "Conservation of Water & Soil"

Activity Dates: 01/08/2024 to 30/09/2024

Type of Activity: Field Studies

Organizing Department: Department of Chemistry

Program Coordinators: Dr. N. R. Thakare, Dr. N. A. Kalambe

Head of the Department: Dr. A. S. Burghate

External Collaborator (if any): Research Regional Centre Amravati &PDKV Akola

Objectives:

Improved soil fertility and productivity
Enhanced water quality
Reduced flood and drought risk
Habitat preservation
Climate change mitigation

No of Beneficieries: 150

Classes Involved: B.Sc. II & B.Sc.III

Venue of the Activity: Nil

Activity Report:

Department of Chemistry under DBT Star Project organized “Individual Project of students on Conservation of Water & Soil” activity for B.Sc. II & B.Sc.III Students (2024-25) from dated 1st August 2024 to 30th September under the guidance of Dr. G.V. Korpe, Principal, Shri. Shivaji Science College, Amravati, Dr. A. S. Burghate, Head, Department of Chemistry, Dr. D.D. Khedkar, Coordinator, DBT Star Project Dr. P.R. Mandlik, PG Co-ordinator, Dr. N. R. Thakare, Dr. N. A. Kalambe organizing Committee member..
Total 150 chemistry offering subject with the combination of microbiology, environmental science, biotechnology, physics, mathematics, botany and zoology participated in this activity. All the students have made their projects with so much of efficiency and participated with great enthusiasm . Soil and water conservation techniques are important in rainfed agriculture. The students are involve in the project to know the importance of these techniques in the agriculture field. By adopting these techniques such as farm pond, sprinklers irrigation ,polythene mulch, drip irrigation, furrow irrigation, broad bed furrow, contour cultivation, cultivation across the slope .They can improve soil moisture, improve the food security, reduce soil erosion, improve soil quality, reduce irrigation needs and ultimately increase the yield of crops. All students gave visit to Regional Research Centre, Amravati on dated 31/8/24 and also visit to Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapith , Akola on dated 22/8/24.
Introduction-
From this project students learn about by adopting these techniques at the local level which maintain or enhance the productive capacity of the land including soil, water and vegetation in areas prone to degradation through prevention or reduction of soil erosion, compaction, salinity, conservation or drainage of water.
Soil conservation refers to all the methods and practices that protect soil from degradation and erosion.
Soil erosion is a significant issue caused by natural and human factors. Soil erosion can lead to nutrient depletion and loss of organic matter essential for plant growth. Sediment from eroded soil can also cause water pollution and damage infrastructure.
Soil conservation efforts aim to preserve soil fertility and productivity and continue to play a significant role in sustainable farming, food security, and protecting the environment.
Water conservation promotes efficient use of resources. By optimizing irrigation methods and reducing water wastage, farmers can maximize the productivityoftheirlandandminimizetheenvironmentalimpactassociated with excessive water use.
Soil Conservation Methods
Soil conservation techniques can fall into three main types: physical, biological, and chemical. Each offer saunique approach to maintaining and enhancing soil health but varies in their methods, sustainability, and environmental impact.
Physical Soil Conservation Methods
Physicals oil conservation methods focus on altering the soil’s physical structure to reduce erosion and enhance its health. Techniques such as contour farming adapt the soil structure to the landscape, reducing the speed of water flow and limiting erosion.
Biological Soil Conservation Methods
Biological soil conservation employs living organisms to enhance soil health. For instance, crop rotation involves alternating different types of crops in a given area, which helps to prevent the depletion of certain nutrients in the soil.
Chemical Soil Conservation Methods
Chemical methods focus on enhancing soil health through the use of additives. Fertilizers commonly replace lost nutrients and improve soil fertility.
Organic amendments like compost can also enrich the soil, while soil testing and analysis assist in the precise application of these additives, ensuring they meet the soil’s specific needs.
Importance and Objectives
The primary benefits of soil and water conservation are:
Improved soil fertility and productivity: Conservation practices like cover cropping, no-till farming, and crop rotation help maintain and improve soil health by increasing organic matter, reducing erosion, and retaining nutrients. This leads to more productive and sustainable agricultural lands.
Enhanced water quality: Techniques like buffer strips, wetland restoration, and better manure management help filter out sediments, nutrients, and pollutants from entering waterways. This improves the quality of surface and groundwater resources.
Reduced flood and drought risk: Practices that increase water in filtration and storage in soils, such as terracing and grassland restoration, can help mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events by moderating runoff and improving water availability during dry periods.
Habitat preservation: Many soil and water conservation methods, like leaving uncultivated land and managing riparian areas, provide important habitats for diverse plant and animal species, supporting greater biodiversity.
Climate change mitigation: Healthy, carbon-rich soils and functioning water cycles can help remove and store atmospheric carbon, contributing to climate change mitigation. Conservation agriculture techniques are key to building soil organic matter.
Sustainable resource use: Conserving soil and water resources ensures their long-term availability for agricultural production, drinking water supplies, and other essential human and ecological needs.
Overall, comprehensive soil and water conservation efforts provide a wide range of environmental, economic, and social benefits that are critical for maintaining healthy, productive, and resilient landscapes
Different Techniques use for Soil and Water Conservation
1. Farm pond
Farm means Sheet tale in Marathi, involves constructing small to medium-sized ponds within agricultural fields. These ponds, designed for rain water harvesting, offer numerous benefits to farmers, the environment, and India's agriculture in general. Climate change is making things challenging for farmers who depend on groundwater to protect their crops from unpredictable weather. The primary purpose is to capture and store rainwater, particularly during the monsoon, which provide a crucial resource for irrigation during dry periods and reduces reliance on groundwater. A farm pond act as a buffer against climate change, helping farmers cope with droughts and water scarcity and enhance overall resilience.
2. Polythene Mulch
The word mulch has been derived from the German word molsch means "easy to decay," and mulches have widely been used for vegetable production since ancient times. Mulching is referred as spreading various covering materials on the surface of soil to minimize moisture losses and weed population and to enhance crop yield. Mulches could potentially minimize water runoff, improve infiltration capacity of soil, restrain weed population via shading, and perform as obstacle in evapotranspiration. Mulching has also some other positive environmental effects such as temperature regulation of soil and plant roots, minimum nutrient losses, cut down soil erosion and compactness, and improved physical condition of soil.
3. Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation is an efficient and economic always to water your yard and garden. Used commonly in drier areas of the country, drip irrigation is becoming more popular in the Northeast unlike other forms of irrigation, such as sprinklers that are only 65-75% efficient, drip irrigation 90% efficient at allowing plants to use the water applied. And, it reduces runoff and evaporation. Drip irrigation applies the water slowly at the plant root zone where it is needed most. It prevents disease by minimizing water contact with the leaves, steams and fruit of plants. Drip irrigation reduces leaching of water and nutrients below the root zone. Decreases labor. Drip irrigation involves placing tubing with emitters on the ground along side of the plants.
4. Broad Bed Furrow
The Broad Bed Furrow system is particularly suitable for the vertisols. The technique works best on deep black soils in areas with dependable rainfall averaging 750 mm or more. It has not been as productive in areas of less dependable rainfall, or on alfisols or shallower black soils-although in the latter cases more productivity is achieved than with traditional farming methods. It increases in water use efficiency and also time saving in irrigation. BBF is useful in reduces crop lodging. An important component of the system is an ox-drawn wheeled tool bar, which can be used with ridges to form the raised bed and also later for carrying precision seeders or planters.
5. Ridge sand Furrows
Ridge and furrow farming is an agricultural techniques that involves creating raised beds or ridges separated by shallow troughs or furrows. This method was widely used in medieval Europe, particularly in parts of England, as a way to improve drainage and increase crop yields on heavy, poorly-drained soils.
By studying the size, shape, and orientation of the ridge and furrow patterns, archaeologist scan gain insights into the scale and intensity of medieval agricultural production, the crops that were grown, and the techniques used by farmers at the time. The patterns can also help identify the boundaries of farmer field system and provide clues about the layout and organization of medieval settlements and farming communities.
6. Cultivation Across The Slope
It consist principally in transforming relatively steep land 20 to 50% slopes into series of level or nearly level strips, or steps running across the slope. The use of bench terraces on steep slopes not only retards erosion losses but it also makes cropping operations on these slopes safe and possible. Pavement cross slope drains water from the roadway laterally and helps minimize ponding of water on the pavement. This prevents maintenance problems and also minimizes icing from occurring on poorly drained pavement. This technology of soil conservation and food production, integrating differing soil conservation measures in just one setting. In this method of growing field and permanent crops in 3-5m wide bands between contorted rows of nitrogen fixing trees. The nitrogen fixing trees are thickly planted in double rows to make hedgerows. When a hedge is 1.5-2m tall, it is cut down to about 75 cm and the cutting are placed in the alley ways to serve as organic fertilizer.
In this regard, Dr. A. S. Burghate, Head, Department of Chemistry, guide the students about conservation of water and soil. That it is crucial for maintaining the long term productivity and sustainability of land and water resources. Water is one of the primary needs that required for the survival of all living organisms on earth. Also soil conservation provides food by agriculture, filters air and water and helps to decompose biological waste into nutrients for new plant life. D.D. Khedkar, Coordinator , DBT Star Project had given the introduction of DBT scheme by Department of Bio Technology, Govt. of India. He introduced the students about benefits of DBT activity. At the end of programme, certificates were distributed to the all participants by the hands Dr. A.S. Burghate Madam, Dr. P.R. Mandlik , Dr. A. B. Bodade, Dr. P.R. Padole , Dr. Dr. N. H. Bansod and activity incharge Dr. N.R. Thakare Dr. N.A. Kalambe. All the Respected faculty members of Department of Chemistry were present for this programme.