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Rehabilitation of degraded rangelands and stabilization of production in arable arid land of Thar Desert of India Progress Report of SUMAMAD Activities 2011 Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati
Rehabilitation of degraded rangelands and stabilization of production in arable arid land of Thar Desert of India
Progress Report of SUMAMAD Activities
2011
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati
SUMAMAD Project Progress report 2011
1. Project site information Name of project site (location, country): Jodphur, Rajasthan, India Name of project: Rehabilitation of degraded rangelands and stabilization of production in arable arid land of Thar Desert of India (SUMAMAD Project Phase II) Partner institution: Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, India Project team members National Coordinator: Dr. A.K. Singh, DDG (NRM), ICAR, New Delhi-110012 Leader: Dr. M.M. Roy, Director, CAZRI, Jodhpur Principal Investigator: Dr. T. K. Bhati, Principal Scientist, CAZRI, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India 342003 Co-PIs Dr. J.C. Tewari, Principal Scientist (Forestry), CAZRI, Jodhpur Dr. Raj Singh, Principal Scientist (Agronomy), CAZRI, Jodhpur Dr. A.K. Patel, Principal Scientist (Livestock Management), CAZRI, Jodhpur Dr. J.P. Singh, Principal Scientist (Economic Botany), CAZRI, RRS, Jaisalmer Dr. R.K. Goyal, Sr. Scientist (Hydrology), CAZRI, Jodhpur Dr. P. Santra, Sr. Scientist (Soil Physics), CAZRI, Jodhpur Dr. Mahesh Kumar, Scientist Sr. Scale (Pedology), CAZRI, Jodhpur Dr. N.K. Sinha, Sr. Scientist (Seed Technology), CAZRI, RRS, Jaisalmer Dr. P. Raja, Sr. Scientist (Pedology), CAZRI, RRS, Jaisalmer Dr. Dayanand, Sr. Scientist (Agronomy), CAZRI, RRS, Jaisalmer Optional Co-PIs Dr. N.M. Nahar, Principal Scientist (Physics), CAZRI, Jodhpur Dr. H.C. Bohra, Principal Scientist (Animal Biochemistry), CAZRI, Jodhpur Er. D. Mishra, Principal Scientist (Farm Machinery), CAZRI, Jodhpur Dr. A.K. Singh, Sr. Scientist (Farm Machinery), CAZRI, Jodhpur Dr. P.C. Moharana, Sr. Scientist (Geography), CAZRI, Jodhpur Dr. Hans Raj Mahla, Sr. Scientist (Plant breeding), CAZRI, RRS, Jaisalmer 2. Executive Summary: During the rainy season of 2011, field trials were undertaken on four kharif crops: pearl millet, mung, moth bean and cluster bean. Significantly higher yields, both in terms of grain and fodder, were observed from improved varieties cultivated with integrated nutrient management (INM) than with the conventional practices followed by farmers. Feedback analysis on the use of weeding implements revealed that the farmers preferred single-slot kassi, developed by CAZRI, over traditional kassi due to the convenience of its use and larger coverage of crop area with less fatigue for the user.
Soil and water conservation activities were performed at two field sites located at Bhujawar and Rohilla Kalan villages. At Rohilla Kalan, one earthen contour bund 78 m in length and 0.4 m in height (cross section area 0.36 m2) was constructed across the slope in the middle of field. The lower part of the field was further protected by the construction of a peripheral bund 115 m in length along the stream. At Bhujawar village, a farmer’s field covering an area of 4 ha with an average slope of 4% was selected. The field was traversed with a handheld global positioning system (GPS) to record geographical coordinates and elevation of several locations in the field, which were further used to prepare a contour map of the field. A runoff collector was designed and fabricated to study the rainfall-runoff relationship. Morphometric examination of five soil pedons was carried out to enable characterization and taxonomical classification of soils in runoff farming system (khadin) in Bharamsar village, Jaisalmer district. During the 2011 kharif1, nine demonstrations on cluster bean (guar) were conducted at farmers’ field in Bharmasar village. Improved varieties of cluster bean grown with the recommended package of practice (POP) showed a markedly higher yield than farmers’ own seed material grown using traditional practices. Watermelon seeds (Citrullus lanatus), popularly known as ‘mateera,’ were distributed among ten farmers for seed production because of their high market value. A farming system model (rainfed) with budded ber2 (Ziziphus mauritiana), karonda (Cordia myxa) and seedlings of shisham (Dalbergia sissoo), karanj (Pongamia pinnata), ardu (Ailanthes excelsa) and kumat (Acacia senegal) was developed at a farmer’s field in Bhujawar village. The project initiated the generation of a database on wind-eroded soil loss from two major land-use situations (i.e. agricultural land and fallow land) within rainfall zone 200-400 mm. Farmer’s fields with two such land-use situations were selected at the Bhujawar village. Two sets of wind erosion samplers were fabricated for field installation. Each set contained four samplers attached to an iron pole at four different heights. During May 2011, a gum induction process was attempted by injecting the CAZRI gum inducer into approximately 238 Acacia senegal trees. Twelve farmers of Bhujawar benefited from this activity with a total gum yield of 25 kg, resulting in a net income of Rs. 12500. During September, in-situ budding of desi ber (Ziziphus rotundifolia) with the buds of ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) took place at the village of Rohilla Kalan. About 143 shoots were budded and reported a budding-union success rate of more than 85%. A vitamin-mineral mixture powder, formulated in the Nutrition Lab of CAZRI, was added as a supplement to 200 small ruminants, both at Bhujawar and Rohilla Kalan. Off-campus farmers’ training on enrichment of poor-quality dry fodder through urea treatment was organized to increase awareness among the farming community of the significance of this technology. With a view to overcoming fuel wood scarcity in villages, one solar cooker for animal feed was installed in Rohilla Kalan and two more are under installation each in Rohilla Kalan and Bhujawar village.
1 Refers to the planting, cultivation and harvesting of any domesticated plant sown in the rainy (monsoon)
season. 2 A type of Indian jujube.
Under the framework of the SUMAMAD project, two animal health camps were organized. The first camp took place in Bhujawar on 11 November 2011. During this camp, 52 farmers participated and 724 animals were treated for various diseases. The second camp was organized in Rohilla Kallan on 14 November 2011. A total of 60 farmers participated and 811 animals were treated for various diseases. A one-day training programme on ‘Pasture Development and Management’ was organized for the farmers of Bharamsar and nearby areas on 12 September 2011, and a total of 50 farmers participated in it. Farm visits and lectures were conducted to acquaint the farmers with pasture development and seed collection techniques. 3. Project activities in 2011 3.1. Fostering scientific dryland research 3.1.1. Rainfall situation: 200-400 mm a) Conducting trials on improved varieties and integrated nutrient management
On-farm trials on kharif crops were made during the rainy season of 2011. Pearl millet, mung bean, moth bean and cluster bean were grown at farmers’ field with improved varieties, along with integrated nutrient management, covering an area of 22 ha (46 farmers). Buffel grass seeds were also sown on fallow lands and field boundaries covering an area of 10 ha (10 farmers). A total of 172 kg seeds were distributed among farmers for the above trials. Significantly higher yields for both grain and fodder were observed from improved varieties and INM than for traditional farmers’ practice (Table 1). Growing of grass on fallow lands and field boundaries on farmers’ fields not only helped to stabilize field bunds, but also enhanced fodder availability both in terms of quantity (20% to 30%) and duration (35% to 50%).
Table 1. Yield of four different crops with improved varieties and INM compared with farmers practice at the villages of Bhujawar and Rohilla Kalan during kharif 2011
Crop Treatment Bhujawar Rohilla Kalan
Grain yield (q/ha)
Fodder yield (q/ha)
Grain yield (q/ha)
Fodder yield (q/ha)
Pearl millet
Farmers practice 8.15 18.8 8.40 19.1
MP-171/RCPT-8203+INM (40 kg N and 40 kg P2O5/ ha.)
14.00 35.50 13.50 32.00
Mung bean
Farmers practice 1.09 4.49 0.93 3.75
SML-668+INM (20 kg N + 40 kg P2O5/ ha.)
1.80 5.60 1.48 4.95
Moth bean Farmers practice 0.73 3.24 0.95 3.56
RMO-435+INM (20 kg N + 40 kg P2O5/ ha.)
1.25 4.69 1.48 4.88
Cluster bean
Farmers practice 0.93 2.90 0.93 3.08
RGC-936+INM(20 kg N + 40 kg P2O5/ ha.)
1.35 3.58 1.08 3.60
* Data represents average yields from five farmers’ fields.
** INM represents a recommended dose of N half organic, half inorganic. *** Farmers practice represents farmers’ own seed material grown without INM.
b) Conducting trials on weed management
Weeding operations in arid region are conventionally practised with manually operated kassi (small spade) to conserve the soil moisture prevalent in sandy soils in the region. While operating the traditional kassi loose soil along with weeds is carried forward leaving behind small channels. To level up these channels the operator pushes back the loose soil. This is a hard work, particularly for woman, as weeding with traditional kassi requires significant strength to pull (8.5 kgf). According to an estimate, weeding alone consumes about 32% of human hours required for crop production in arid region, out of which the contribution of woman accounts for about 58%. In recognition of these facts, the traditional kassi was improved to reduce its pull strength requirement and thus minimize drudgery. It now consists of a 1600 mm long wooden/bamboo handle and a small spade made of high carbon steel with a fastening hole (40 mm diameter) and an appropriate cutting edge of 190 mm (width) and an angle of 10–15o with adequate curvature. The handle is fastened in the hole at an angle of 23–28o from the vertical to facilitate a comfortable posture for the operator. The weight of the weeder including the handle is between 1.5 and 2.0 kg. The trapezoidal slot of the kassi (60 mm wide at the bottom, 40 mm wide at the top and 60 mm in height) is located on the steel plate and 60 mm away from the working edge. Fifteen such improved weeders were distributed among farmers for field performance evaluation and demonstration in the SUMAMAD adopted villages (i.e. Bhujawar and Rohilla Kalan during kharif season). As shown in Table 2, the highest field capacity was found for the single slot weeder (130 mm) with a field capacity of 193.4 m2/hr and weeding index of 94.5% – compared to the field capacity of 160.5 m2/hr and weeding index of 91.8% in the case of the traditional kassi. The lowest force (3.5 kgf) was required to operate the single-slot weeder (90 mm) compared to 5.5 kgf for the single slot weeder (130 mm) and 8.5 kgf for the traditional kassi. The single slot kassi (130 mm) was also found to be suitable for women and other members of the farmer’s family. The single-slot kassi reduced the cost of weeding operation by 21.5% compared with local weeding tools (Rs. 4800/- per ha). Table 2. Field performance of different types of weeding tools
Weeding tool
Force requirement (kgf)
Weeding index
Field capacity (m2/hr)
Local kassi 8.5 91.8 160.5
Single-slot kassi (90 mm) 3.5 95.8 175.5
Single-slot kassi (130 mm) 5.5 94.5 193.4
Feedback analysis from farmers revealed that the farmers in general preferred single-slot kassi over the traditional kassi due to its convenience of use and larger coverage of crop area with less fatigue. Further, the small size single slot kassi was liked due to the reason that it facilitated weeding operation conveniently and effectively even in crop
sown by broadcasting method, a common practice in the region owing to uncertainty of rains and less time available to complete the sowing operation.
c) Rainfall-runoff studies Rainfall-runoff studies were conducted at two selected sites – one each at Bhujawar village and Rohilla Kalan village. During the reporting period, a detailed survey was carried out in the village of Rohilla Kalan and a farmer’s field was selected for implementation of soil and water conservation measures. The field is located between
26°14.370–26°14.454N and 72°51.303-72°51.382E covering a total area of 1.18 ha. The average slope of the field is 4% to 5% in a north to south direction. A stream flowing from west to east forms the southern boundary of the field. The entire runoff from the field joins the stream due to the slope, washing away top soil, seeds and fertilizers. A detailed topographic survey of the field was conducted and one earthen contour bund of 78 m in length and 0.4 m in height (cross section area 0.36 m2) was constructed across the slope in the middle of field, dividing it into two parts of approximately 0.59 ha. The lower part of the field was further protected by the construction of a peripheral bund of 115 m length along the stream. The peripheral bund was further reinforced with sand-filled bags at the lowest point. Observations on rainfall and runoff from the field were also recorded. Three major rainfall events of total 140 mm magnitude were observed during the season. Before construction of the bunds the entire runoff from the field used to join the stream flowing south. However, with the construction of the bunds, the runoff was effectively captured in the upper and lower compartments of the field. The bunds helped to retain runoff to the tune of 600 m3–700 m3 in each compartment with deposition of silt at the base of the bunds. This deposition helped to reduce the effective slope. The establishment of local grasses further strengthened the bunds. The additional moisture in the compartments helped to increase the yield of crops by 20% to 30% over previous years with a total yield of sesamum, mung bean and pearl millet at 1, 2 and 2 quintals, respectively, under mixed cropping. The established model of soil and water conservation is highly effective for resource base upgradation, and can also be replicated in other fields.
At Bhujawar, a farmer’s field of (4 ha) was selected with an average slope of 4%. Farmers prepared both earthen and stone bunds across the slope to check soil loss along with runoff water. The field was traversed with a handheld GPS to record geographical coordinates and elevation of several locations in the field, which were further used to prepare a contour map of the field. A runoff collector was designed and fabricated to study the rainfall-runoff relationship. The runoff collector will be used to assess the runoff generation potential of different land-use situations in the field. The spatial variation of rainfall occurrence and rainfall intensity and amount was also found to be quite high. The recorded data at the weather station in CAZRI, Jodhpur 25 km away from the study site (Bhujawar and Rohilla Kalan village), showed that the amount of rain and rainy days was quite different from that observed at the study sites. For this purpose a low cost rainfall measurement system was fabricated, which was also demonstrated among local peoples for real measurement of rainfall events.
3.1.2. Rainfall situation < 200 mm a) Soil health assessment in khadin
Morphometric examination of five soil pedons was carried out for characterization and taxonomical classification of soils in khadin in Bharamsar village. Thirty soil samples were collected horizon-wise for physio-chemical characterization. In addition, about 30 coordinates were recorded in this khadin using GPS for mapping purposes. Soils were in general moderately shallow (< 50 cm depth) to very deep (> 150 cm depth). The texture of the soil varied from sandy loam (sl) to sandy clay (scl). They were highly calcareous in nature with hard sub-angular blocky structure (3 to 10%). The coarse gravels with an occurrence up to 50% in the bottom horizon were generally observed in the soil profile. b) Introduction of improved varieties and integrated nutrient management
Field trials on rabi3 crops with low water requirement were conducted at runoff farming systems at Bharamsar village with an aim to increase water productivity in khadins. Data on the use of improved variety (Raj 3077) of wheat revealed better performance as compared to conventional variety (Table 3). Grain yield for Raj 3077 with 100% of the recommended dose of fertilizer increased the yield by 27.71% than the local variety practised by the farmers.
Table 3. Grain yield and monetary benefit in wheat as influenced by variety and nutrient management
Treatment Grain yield (kg/ha)
Yield increased (%)
Yield increased (kg/ha)
Gross returns over control (Rs./ha)
Net returns over control (Rs./ha)
Raj 3077 with 100% RDF*
3710 27.71 805 9660 6787
Raj 3077 with Farmers’ practice
3227 11.08 322 3864 1589
Local variety (Lok-1)with 100% RDF
3268 12.50 363 4356 1883
Local variety (Lok-1) with Farmers practice
2905 - - - -
* Recommended dose of fertilizer (100 kg N + 60 kg P2O5 ha-1)
During kharif 2011, nine cluster bean demonstrations were conducted on a farmer’s field in Bharmasar. Seeds of three varieties of cluster bean (RGC -936, HG-365 and RGC – 1002) were sown with application of 20 kg N/ha and 40 kg P2O5/ha and foliar sprays of thio-urea (0.05%) and zinc sulphate (0.5%) at vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively. The RGC-936 variety performed better than RGC-1002 and HG-365 (Table 4). Alongside cluster bean seeds, watermelon seeds (Citrullus lanatus), popularly known
3 Refers to the planting, cultivation and harvesting of any domesticated plant sown during post-monsoon
season.
as mateera were also distributed to farmers. The Inclusion of mateera in the production system could result in an additional crop yield of 60-80 kg/ha, translating into remuneration of Rs. 3000-4000/-.
Table 4. Performance of different cluster bean varieties under the SUMAMAD project
S.N. Variety Average grain yield (q/ha) Average straw yield (q/ha)
Farmers’ practice
Improved practices*
Farmers’ practice
Improved practices*
1 HG-365 0.98 1.15 3.00 3.55
2 RGC-936 1.10 1.27 3.15 3.63
3 RGC-1002 0.78 0.93 2.40 2.97
* Improved practice included 20:40 kg N: P/ ha along with two foliar application of Thiourea (0.05%) and Zinc sulphate (0.5%).
** Farmers’ practice means growing of improved variety without any fertilizer and foliar application.
c) In situ moisture conservation
Two species of fruit plants – ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) and gonda (Cordia dichotoma) – were planted in the upper reach of the khadin during August 2010, with the objective of conserving rainwater and promoting its effective utilization. Observation of plant height, number of branches and crown diameter were recorded for both species. Plant height, crown diameter and number of branches showed an increasing trend after fifteen months of planting (Table 5).
Table 5: Morpho-physiological observation of Ziziphus mauritiana and Cordia dichotoma
Growth attributes Fruit crops
Ziziphus mauritiana Cordia dichotoma
June 2011 October 2011 June 2011 October,2011
Height (cm) 615 759 922 1214
Branches (No.) 70.5 102 181.5 202.5
Crown diameter (cm) 526.5 697 566.8 7510
3.2. Preparation of policy-relevant guidelines for decision makers in drylands (through on-farm research interventions) 3.2.1. Rainfall situation: 200-400 mm a) Farming system models under changing scenarios
Emphasis was placed on livestock-centric farming system models. Accordingly, the various alternate land-use systems were introduced at two farm sites (Bhujawar and Rohilla Kalan) to meet the feed, fodder and nutritional demands of the animals, as well as to cater to the cash and kind needs of the farmers’ families.
In arid regions, the growing of trees along with crop/grasses has great potential to enhance productivity. Even though knowledge of successful agroforestry models is
available, replicability in farmers’ fields requires certain modifications based on their needs. Hence, a survey has been conducted on local farmer’s choice of trees and place of planting with the aim of demonstrating a successful agroforestry (AF) model in the target village of Bujawar. Accordingly, the following crops, trees and grasses were used to develop sustainable agri-silvi-horti-pasture production systems for the farmers of these marginal drylands: ber (Ziziphus mauritiana), aonla4 (Emblica officinalis) and gonda5 (Cordia dichotoma) for fruit crops; ardu (Ailanthus excelsa), anjan (Hardwikia binata) for fodder trees; kumat (A. senegal) and karanj (Pongamia pinnata) for livelihood supports plants; shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) and rohida (Tecomella undulata) for timber trees; and buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) for pasture grass and annual monsoonal/winter crops. Tree seedlings were observed to have a > 90% survival rate up to November 2011. Also, efforts were initiated on three farm sites in Rohilla Kalan village to demonstrate the proper utilization of livestock excreta and farm waste through composting, and to obtain farmers’ feedback for the formulation of policy guidelines.
b) Modeling of wind and water erosion hazards
The total amount of wind-eroded soil loss during three months in the summer season (May-July) was 827 kg ha-1 at the overgrazed site, whereas it was only 240 kg ha-1 at the controlled grazing site. This soil loss data from rangelands of the Indian Thar Desert clearly show that controlled grazing at the existing rangelands may greatly reduce the amount of wind-eroded soil loss, and consequently its negative impact on the environment. At present, a vast area of the Indian Thar Desert lies under unprotected rangeland systems, which are therefore overgrazed and continue to contribute a significant amount of aeolian sediment load to the atmosphere. Therefore, protection of rangeland sites through fencing and controlled grazing is highly essential, in order to sustain regional livelihoods, and to mitigate future environmental hazards from severe dust storm events. Along with the wind-eroded soils, major soil nutrients specially carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are also lost to atmosphere and thus pose a major threat to sustain soil health. Field measurements on wind erosion events revealed an average content of C and N in eroded soils as 4 g C kg-1 and 0.37 g N kg-1, respectively. The rapid rate of land conversion in recent times in the Indian Thar Desert, mostly from native rangelands to arable lands, has aggravated the problem of soil and nutrient loss through wind erosion, and a net loss rate of 0.23 t C ha-1 yr-1 was observed from an arable farm in the region. In continuation of the work on wind erosion research at CAZRI, Jodhpur, effort has been initiated to model the wind-eroded soil loss under the SUMAMAD project. A significant correlation (r = 0.6 to 0.8) was found between observed and predicted soil loss through use of an empirical revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ). Generation of a database was initiated on wind-eroded soil loss from two major land-use situations within a rainfall zone of 200-400 mm (i.e. agricultural land and fallow land). Farmers’ fields with two such land-use situations were selected at Bhujawar village. Two wind-erosion sampler sets were fabricated for field installation. Each set contained four samplers attached to an iron pole at four different heights (0.25 m, 0.75 m, 1.5 m and 2.0 m). The required input data for process-based models was collected to model the water erosion process. A digital elevation model (DEM) of the study area, collected via Shuttle
4 A type of Indian gooseberry
5 A type of Indian cherry
Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), was downloaded from: http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/. Data on soil properties within the study area were collected from the soil series data of Rajasthan state, published by the National Bureau of Soil Survey & Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP). It was noted that runoff in the stream was observed only during high- intensity rainfall events, and only up to 4-5 hours after cessation of rainfall. Therefore two major stream points were identified where sufficient runoff flow is generally observed, and an educated farmer was trained to note observations on runoff height and flow rate through the float method.
3.2.2. Rainfall situation: <200 mm
a) Upgradation and management of rangelands
In arid region, grasses constitute the most important forage resource for grazing animals. Due to increases in the livestock population, forage production of rangelands is poor (~0.5 t/ha dry yield). The perennial grass component in the area has decreased to a significant extent and is being replaced by annual grasses and weeds of low palatability. The seeds of sewan grass (Lasiurus sindicus) were distributed to a commune of 10 farmers for pasture development on their fallow lands. The grass seeds were sown during the onset of rains; however, due to a prolonged dry spell of 25 days just after sowing, the establishment of pasture was adversely affected. Nevertheless, the intervention could reduce soil loss from wind action by 15% to 20%, and could enhance forage yield by 20% to 25%.
During the field survey of the area some promising pasture grasses were collected and identified for different niches. Species such as Aeluropus lagopoides, a halophyte grass, and also species of Chloris and Sporobolus have good potential for pasture development in saline patches. For low-lying areas with a high moisture status, the perennial fodder grass Dichanthium annulatum promises to increase forage supply, as it is much preferred by livestock. Panicum turgidum can also form a very productive natural grazing land ecosystem for sand dunes and sandy habitats, and also acts as an effective soil binder. Such species have a considerable potential within specific ecological niches for rehabilitating degraded grazing lands.
Furthermore, the goat population increased remarkably between 2003 and 2007, almost doubling in Jaisalmer district. The introduction of a browse component, particularly, rangeland browse shrubs is very important to small ruminants especially goats, and thereby increases production in rangelands. Browse shrubs such as Cordia gharaf, Grewia tenax, Heliotropium rariflorum, Mimosa hamata, Ziziphus nummularia and so on, are promising species in this area. Pasture legumes like Indigofera species, Clitoria ternatea, Lablab purpureus, Atylosia Scarabaeoides also show great promise in the Thar Desert for the establishment of legumes-based pastures. Therefore, more emphasis is required to introduce and popularize indigenous rangeland shrubs and legumes, which constitute a vital component of the livelihood security and environmental sustainability of hot arid rangelands.
3.3. Promoting sustainable livelihoods in drylands 3.3.1. Rainfall situation: 200-400 mm a) Use of CAZRI gum inducer in Acacia senegal and other gum-producing plants
During May 2011, a gum induction process was attempted by injecting the CAZRI gum inducer into approximately 238 Acacia senegal trees. Twelve farmers from Bhujawar benefited from this activity with a total gum yield of 25 kg, resulting in a net income of Rs. 12500. Since a large number of Acacia senegal trees are present in Bhujawar village, the gum induction technique was also demonstrated to farmers with hands-on training for future adaptation. There are about 3000 to 4000 fully grown Acacia senegal and other Acacia trees in Bujhawar-Jhanwar watershed. They represent the potential for development of an organized gum production hub, which would secure the livelihoods security of the rural community in this region.
b) In situ budding of ber and khejri
Use of the local species of ber, Ziziphus rotundifolia, as root stock to raise in-situ budded improved ber (e.g. Ziziphus mauritiana) is a proven technology in Indian hot arid zones. Hence, attempts were made to utilize this successful technique to convert the local ber into improved cultivars. During August 2011, cuts were made at a height of 10-20 cm above ground level in about 50 ber trees, located on eight farmer’s fields in Rohilla Kalan village. New shoots emerged after three weeks. About four healthy shoots were maintained on each tree by removing the remaining shoots. In-situ budding with the buds collected from the CAZRI horticulture block was done during September. A total of 143 shoots budded, representing a budding union success rate of more than 85%. The successfully budded shoots continued to grow. The in-situ budding also resulted in hand-on training for interested youths of the village. Work also began on in-situ budding of khejri (Prosopis cineraria), a life-sustaining tree of Thar Desert to make use of the properties of this plant as a fruit and green vegetable tree.
c) Use of vitamin mineral mixture as animal feed
The feed requirement of small ruminants is solely dependent on the extensive grazing system in arid regions, which causes a deficiency of certain nutrients during the lean period of eight months (i.e. from November to June). Goat feed can be supplemented with a vitamin and mineral nutrient-mixture to enhance milk production. Supplementation of either concentrate or roughage to small ruminants is not normally practised in this region due to high flock size and the socio-economic condition of the farmers, among other reasons. Moreover, the vitamin-minerals mixture has met with low levels of acceptability among animals due to the bad odour of organic compounds present in the mineral mixture. To address this, the vitamin-minerals mixture powder was supplemented to the animals through a nutrient-mixture formulated in the Nutrition Laboratory of CAZRI, Jodhpur. This mixture is comprised of molasses, urea, common salt, vitamin-mineral mixture, dolomite, wheat bran, guar meal and organic binder. About 160 goats in Bhujawar and 15 in Rohilla Kalan were fed the vit-mineral mixture during 2011. This mixture was supplemented to lactating goats at 100 gm day-1 goat-1. The effect of nutrient mixture supplementation on the daily milk yield of lactating goats was found to be significant increasing by 15% to 30% depending upon the feeding
management level. The daily milk yield of local goats maintained on rangelands/degraded pasture ranged from 0.75 to 1.50 lit per day. Farmers also observed that nutrient mixture-supplemented animals grazed for longer periods in the pasture in comparison with the control group. Intake of forage and water also increased among treated goats.
d) Fodder enrichment through urea treatment Ten field demonstrations on enrichment of poor-quality dry fodder through urea treatment were done to increase awareness among farmers. Since the animals of the arid region in India are dependent on the poor-quality forage prepared from either crop residues or grasses throughout the year (except during monsoon periods), enrichment of nutritional quality is very important. A total of 104 farmers from both Bhujawar and Rohilla Kalan participated in the field demonstrations on enrichment of fodder quality through urea treatment. The available roughage for the above treatment was mainly wheat straw or chaffed fodder of pearl millet. Farmers found this technique suitable under present conditions because of the low cost involved. Moreover, the technology is easy to understand and feasible under field conditions. To improve the acceptability and palatability of urea treated fodder, a minor quantity of jaggery is added to the treated fodder. Sometimes, mineral mixture or common salt is also added. e) Use of solar animal feed cooker
During the survey of rural arid areas, it was found that huge amounts of firewood, animal dung cake and agricultural wastes are needed to fuel traditional wood stoves in order to boil animal feed. The available solar cookers are costly and cook only 2 kg of animal feed per day. It was therefore felt that a low-cost high-capacity suitable solar cooker should be designed to boil animal feed. Taking this into consideration, a novel solar cooker using locally available materials (e.g. clay, pearl millet husk and animal dung) has been designed, developed and tested that can boil 10 kg of animal feed per day. Performance is very good during summer but poor on extremly cold days. The addition of the reflector in the cooker resulted in a 15oC rise in temperature and improved its efficiency in winter season. Use of the improved solar cooker allows 10 kg animal feed to be boiled per day. One solar cooker for animal feed was installed at Rohilla Kalan village and the famer has successfully boiled different types of animal feed. Two more animal feed solar cookers are being installed Rohilla Kalan and Bhujawar village. The solar cooker also saves the time of farm women, as well as 3611 MJ of energy equivalent to 1059 kg of fuel wood per year. The solar cooker is easy to fabricate at the village level with the help of a mason and carpenter. Conservation of firewood helps to preserve the ecosystem and animal dung cake can instead be used as fertilizer, which enhances agricultural productivity. 3.4. National seminar 3.4.1. Rainfall situation: 200-400 mm Under the SUMAMAD project two animal health camps were organized at the villages of Bhujawar and Rohilla Kalan, Jodhpur. The first camp was organized on 11 November 2011 in Bhujawar and 52 farmers brought a total of 724 animals for treatment, including:
cattle (37), buffalo (10), goat (456), sheep (215) and camel (6). All animals were de-wormed with broad spectrum anthelmintic. Some animals, specifically buffalo and goats, were observed to have reproductive disorders (e.g. anoestrus, delayed ovulation or repeat breeding etc.) and were treated with appropriate medicines. One goat was affected with mastitis. More than half of the cattle and buffaloes were found to be deficient in mineral content and consequently weak. A few cattle were affected with sialadenitis. Very few goats presented with orexia and in a debilitated condition. All animals were examined and treated with appropriate medicines. The second camp was organized on 14 November 2011 in the village of Rohilla Kallan and a total of 60 farmers brought a total of 811 animals for treatment: cattle (80), buffalo (46), sheep (362) and goat (323). Their animals were de-wormed with broad spectrum anthelmintic. Twenty cows and buffaloes were affected with reproductive disorders (e.g. repeat breeding, anoestrus or pyometra). Pregnancy was detected in a few animals. Some cows, goats and one buffalo were affected with mastitis. Cases of sialadenitis were also attended to in cows. Some cows were found to be mineral deficient and weak. All the animals were examined and treated with the appropriate medicines.
3.4.2. Rainfall situation: <200 mm A one-day farmer training programme on ‘Pasture Development and Management’ was organized on 12 September 2011 for the farmers of Bharamsar village and nearby areas. The farm visit and lectures were conducted to acquaint the farmers with pasture development and seed-collection techniques, particularly with regards to sewan (Lasiurus sindicus) pastures. Discussions were also held with the farmers to enhance rangeland productivity through the use of water and moisture conservation techniques, improved forage variety, nutrient management, and management of weeds by introducing mixed herd grazing. The need was felt to improve the condition of ‘gochars’ (community grasslands) and ‘orans’ (sacred groves: community-protected natural silvi-pastures in the name of some god or goddess), which were degraded to a great extent. The role of the silvi-pasture system was also highlighted in the programme, which was well received by the farmers as indigenous top feed species (trees and shrubs) are rich in minerals/nutrients and can supply the forage to livestock during forage scarcity and drought. Emphasis was also placed on quality fodder production in irrigated areas for health improvement vis-à-vis livestock productivity. Conservation of diversity in orans and natural grasslands was also highlighted through participation at the village level. Fifty farmers from Bharamsar and the nearby area participated in this training programme and were motivated to disseminate the improved technology, developed by CAZRI. This is designed for the inhabitants of the Thar Desert to promote pasture development and management for sustainable animal production and environmental services. 4. Results obtained and preliminary recommendations Improved varieties of pearl millet (MP-171/RCPT-8203), mung bean (SML-668), moth bean (RMO-435) and cluster bean (RGC-936), along with integrated nutrient management practices, resulted in better yields than traditional the farmers’ practice at Jodhpur (200-400 mm rainfall zone) and Jaisalmer (<200 mm rainfall zone). Hence, policy-level decisions may be taken to promote these varieties for cultivation in the marginal drylands in arid western India to obtain a sustainable crop yield. A single-slot kassi with a slot opening of 90 mm was found to be better in terms of weeding index than the local kassi used by farmers in the region. Single-slot kassi also requires less force in comparison to the local kassi. Therefore, the single-slot kassi may be popularized among farmers through policy-level decisions. The construction of peripheral earthen bunds using sandbags across the field slope was found to be an effective method of preventing loss of fertile topsoil through runoff water, and conserving soil moisture during monsoon season. As a result, crop growth and yield were found to be satisfactory in comparison with fields without bunds. Therefore, policy-level decisions may be taken to popularize this technology. In arid regions, of the planting of trees along with crop/grasses has great potential to enhance productivity. Accordingly, the following crops, trees and grasses were used to develop sustainable agri-silvi-horti-pasture production systems for the farmers of these marginal drylands: ber (Ziziphus mauritiana), aonla (Emblica officinalis) and gonda (Cordia dichotoma) for fruit crops; ardu (Ailanthus excelsa), anjan (Hardwikia binata) for fodder trees; kumat (A. senegal) and karanj (Pongamia pinnata) for livelihood support plants; shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) and rohida (Tecomella undulata) for timber trees; and
buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) for pasture grass and annual monsoonal/winter crops. Efforts need to be made to popularize these integrated farming systems models suitable for a particular micro-farming situation for sustainable production and economic stability. CAZRI gum inducer was found to be an effective way of enhancing gum yield from Acacia senegal and thus to increase the farmer’s income. Therefore, the gum-inducing technology should be popularized among farmers through policy-level measures. Conversion of desi ber (Ziziphus rotundifolia) to improved ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) through in situ budding was found to be successful in farmers’ fields and thus significant potential to enhance farmers’ income. Supplementing goat feed with a vitamin and mineral nutrient mixture was found to be an effective way to enhance milk production, and such types of animal feed may be promoted among farmers through policy measures. Enrichment of poor-quality dry fodder through urea treatment was also found to be a cost-effective method of increasing the milk yield of cattle and hence needs to be popularized among farmers. The animal feed solar cooker was found to be an effective way to boil animal feed saving fuel costs and minimizing the carbon load in the atmosphere. Therefore, this renewable energy-based device has become popular among farmers and hence needs to be promoted, bearing in mind future energy crisis scenarios. 5. Problems and challenges a) The distribution of monsoonal rains was uneven during 2011 and had an adverse
impact on the implementation of SUMMAD project activities, especially at Jaisalmer Centre.
b) In general, lack of education and awareness among the farmers of Thar Desert also hampered project activities.
6. List of publications and media coverage
‘Farmers were trained to develop pasture lands’, Rajasthan Patrika, 13 October 2011
‘Farmers training camp on challenges of dryland farming’, Dainik Bhaskar, 13 October 2011
Publication: Singh, J.P.; Roy, M.M. and Sinha, N.K. 2011. Sustainable approaches for rangeland management and livestock production in extremely arid region of India. In: National Symposium on Forage Resource and Livestock for Livelihood Environment and Nutritional Security. 10-11September 2011. RMSI, IGFRI, Jhansi.
7. Objectives for 2012 The hot arid and western region of India (19.1 m ha) occurs in the western part of Rajasthan, popularly known as Thar Desert. The region is subdivided into three zones: (i) arid western plains (12.4 m ha), (ii) the transitional plain of Luni Basin (3 m ha), and (iii) the transitional plain of inland drainage (3.7 m ha). The SUMAMAD project sites are located in the first and second zones. The R&D work being done under this project during the last three years can benefit farmers whose fields cover more than 15 m ha of this region. The runoff farming system model (khadin) at Bharamsar village in Jaisalmer district, conducted from 2009 to 2011, can be upscaled in more than 10,000 such khadins, covering about 150,000 ha in Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jodhpur districts. Similarly, the experience gained in pasture establishment and management under this project in both rainfall situations (i.e. <200 mm and 200- 400 mm) can go a long way towards rehabilitating the degraded pasture lands of Thar Desert (1 m ha). However, being a long-term activity these interventions will continue in 2012 and beyond. During 2011, project activities were initiated on gum production from Acacia senegal, domestic use of solar energy, use of improved farm implements, in-situ budding of ber and khejri, animal health hygiene and nutrition, and value addition in agricultural produce and wastes. These activities will be strengthened during 2012 along with capacity building of farmers on these aspects, in order to promote faster horizontal and vertical dissemination, thereby achieving the major goal of the project. In order to prepare policy-level guidelines, research activities were initiated in 2011 on farming system models, modelling of wind and water erosion hazards, groundwater recharge, and management of problematic soils and water in the changing scenario of climate and socio-economic framework. These activities will continue through 2012 and beyond in order to provide suitable recommendation for decision makers. Livestock-based production systems and harnessing of the potential of high-value indigenous plants in Thar Desert are pivotal for the livelihood security of desert dwellers. Consequently efforts will be made during 2012 to strengthen R&D on these aspects vis-à-vis capacity building of the various categories of stakeholders through training and workshops.
8. Annex
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Pearl millet crop with improved variety at farmer’s field in Rohilla Kalan village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Pearl millet crop with locally used variety at farmer’s field,in Rohilla Kalan village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Cluster bean crop with locally used variety (RGM-112) at farmer’s field in Bhujawar village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Cluster bean crop with improved variety (RGC-936) at farmer’s field in Bhujawar village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Mung bean crop with locally used variety (RMG-62) at farmer’s field in Bhujawar village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Mung bean crop with improved variety (SML-668) at farmer’s field in Bhujawar village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Cultivation of pearl millet crop with ber at farmer’s field in Rohilla Kalan village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Harvested pearl millet of conventional variety at farmer’s field in Rohilla Kalan village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Weeding using single-slot kassi at farmer’s field in Bhujawar village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Soil pedon at runoff farming system (khadin) in Bharamsar village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Runoff water collected in runoff farming system (khadin) in Bharamsar village during monsoon season of 2011
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Ploughing of khadin bed area for sowing of crops
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Plantation of guggal (Commiphora wightii) at rangeland site of Jaisalmer
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Peripheral earthen bunds across field slope in Rohilla Kalan village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Fabrication of runoff collector for field measurements of runoff at selected field situations in the project areas
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Fabrication of wind erosion sampler for field measurements of wind-eroded soil loss at selected land uses in Bhujawar village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Goat feed supplemented with vitamin-nutrient mixture in Bhujawar and Rohilla Kalan
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Gum exudation from Acacia senegal via CAZRI gum inducer
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Farm ladies cleaning the gum produced from Acacia senegal
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Field training on enrichment of dry fodder through urea treatment in Bhujawar village
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Animal health camp at Rohilla Kalan village, Jodhpur
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Treatment of cattle at Bhujawar village, Jodhpur, during animal health camp
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Farmers’ training on pasture development at Chandan village, Jaisalmer
Image © Dr. T. K. Bhati Interaction and discussion with farmers at Bhujawar village, Jodhpur
