Landscape resource management for sustainable crop intensification

Abstract

Crop intensification is required to meet the food demands of an increasing population. This paper presents data from three paired scaling-up initiatives to compare the benefits of landscape-based interventions over individual plot-level interventions using evidence generated in the Indian semi-arid tropics. A range of soil and water conservation interventions were implemented in a decentralized manner following the landscape-based approach. The plot-level approach focused only on balanced fertilizer application and improved crop cultivars while the landscape-based interventions primarily addressed moisture availability, which was the key to reducing risks of crop failure besides aiding productivity gain and enhanced land and water-use efficiency. These interventions have additionally harvested 50-150 mm of surface runoff and facilitated groundwater recharge in 550-800 mm rainfall zones. Individual plot-level interventions also improved the crop yield significantly over the control plots. However, crop intensification was not achieved due to limited moisture availability. Landscape-based interventions produced 100-300% higher crop production per year, greater income generation (>100%), and improved water productivity. Landscape-based interventions were also found to be beneficial in terms of reducing soil loss by 75-90% and improving base flow availability additionally by 20-75 days in a year compared to untreated watersheds. With increased moisture availability, fallow lands in respective watersheds have been utilized for cultivation, thereby enhancing crop intensification. The findings of the study provide critical insights into the design of approaches suitable for scaling-up projects in order to both create impact and target the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Identifying potential zones for rainwater harvesting interventions for sustainable intensification in the semi-arid tropics

“…These interventions help control excessive erosion and stabilize the landscape. The structures also harvest surface runoff on individual or community land 36 – 38 and enhance surface and groundwater availability for multiple purposes in the rural community.…”

Water use and yield response of rainfed safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) in Vertisols with varying soil depths

“…Contrary to the belief that rainfed areas can produce only one crop with marginal yield, there is a huge untapped potential in rainfed agriculture. Recent studies on landscape rejuvenation report that the introduction of resource conservation technologies in fragile ecosystems has transformed entire degraded landscapes and facilitated crop intensification (Anantha et al, 2022;Garg et al, 2022b, Garg et al, 2022aR. Singh et al, 2014;.…”

“…Contrary to the belief that rainfed areas can produce only one crop with marginal yield, there is a huge untapped potential in rainfed agriculture. Recent studies on landscape rejuvenation report that the introduction of resource conservation technologies in fragile ecosystems has transformed entire degraded landscapes and facilitated crop intensification (Anantha et al., 2022; Garg et al., 2022b, Garg et al., 2022a; R. Singh et al., 2014; R. Singh et al., 2022). Safflower has immense potential in rice‐fallow areas of Eastern India and in similar agroecological zones of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Myanmar if landscape‐based resource conservation practices are introduced.…”

“…Preference for irrigation water is given to staple crops such as paddy rice, wheat, and cash crops like sugarcane. However, there is a need to harness the huge untapped potential of rainfed ecologies adopting a range of landscape and crop management technologies (Anantha et al, 2021(Anantha et al, , 2022Molden et al, 2007;. In the rainfed ecology of India (i.e., 45% of total cultivable land), agricultural land is single cropped despite receiving moderate to good rainfall (700-1100 mm), and significant area remains fallow, particularly during the postrainy season (Gautam et al, 2021).…”

Traditional Rainwater Management (Haveli cultivation) for Building System Level Resilience in a Fragile Ecosystem of Bundelkhand Region, Central India

“…Unlike surface water irrigation system, once groundwater is recharged it is available for a relatively longer period, and enhances the baseflow availability which is indeed important for rejuvenating the riverine ecosystem (Singh et al, 2014). Decentralized rainwater harvesting not only strengthens the provisioning services but also regulates and supports ecosystem services for long-term sustainability (Singh et al, 2014;Carmenta et al, 2020;Garg et al, 2020bGarg et al, , 2022aReed et al, 2020;Anantha et al, 2021bAnantha et al, ,c, 2022aWable et al, 2021).…”