Irrigation system in Groundnut (Advantages and disadvantages)

Balasubramnaiam P¹. Vijayaraghavan. R² and Ravichandran.R³

Tamilnadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-3

 

Abstract

The irrigation has been a critical input for agricultural development in India. The onset of monsoon and pattern of rainfall which is generally capricious in its occurrence and variable in its quantity, downpours is mostly concentrated in a few months of the yea rand particularly in canal command areas, the water scarcity is severe and the farmers of this area are in the position to adopt water management practices

Introduction

In India more than 70 per cent of the annual rainfall occurs during the South West monsoon period between June and September. Irrigation especially during winter months enable increased intensity of land use for cultivation.  The irrigated agriculture has to expand considerably in order to increase the food production to the required level of about 400 metric tonnes by 2025.

Research Methodology

          Erode district was purposively selected. In order to make the study more comprehensive, the head, mid and tail reaches of LBP canal command areas were selected.  Two blocks each at random from the head, mid and tail reaches were selected viz., Sathayamanglam and Nambiyur in head reach, Perundurai and Modakuruchi in mid reach and Kanagayam and Vellakoil from the tail reach.The sample size consisted of 150 farmers, those who grow paddy, sugarcane, turmeric, banana and groundnut were considered. Fifty farmers each in head, mid and tail reach were considered based on the proportionate random sampling method.

Findings and Discussion

          Six water management practices viz, check basin, border strip, two irrigations at flowering stage, one or two irrigations at pegging stage, application of potassium chloride spray and sprinkler irrigation were found to be adopted by the farmers.

The advantages for each water management practice have been discussed below.

Check basin

Three advantages viz., less loss of percolation (80%), control of seepage loss (51%) and simple layout and less labour cost (27%) were reported by respondents.

Border strip

Majority of the respondents propounded that less loss of percolation (87%), seepage and erosion control (73%) and effective use of large irrigation streams (15%) were the advantages.

Two irrigations at flowering stage

Only one advantage, namely early flowering due to two irrigations at flowering stage was reported by one third of respondents.

One or two irrigations at pegging stage

The respondents expressed that one or two irrigations at pegging stage would increase peg formation and yield as the advantages.  

Application of potassium chloride spray

Majority respondents expressed flower shedding could be avoided and increase of drought tolerance and increased yield (47%) as the advantages.

Sprinkler irrigation

The sprinkler irrigation is the one of the micro irrigation systems which is recommended for less spaced crops. Majority of respondents reported the advantages viz., easy intercultural operations (75%), less labour cost (74%), maintenance and conservation of soil moisture (68%), application of fertilizers and fungicides through irrigation water (63%) and suitability to undulating topography (56%).     

The constraints for each of the adopted practice are discussed below.

Check basin

Five constraints viz., more labour requirement for basins formation (80%) reported by majority of the respondents. The other constraints were risk of stagnation and salinity buildup due to check basin reported by 69 per cent of respondents followed by difficulty in intercultural operation (47%), seepage and evaporation loss (47%) and meager per cent of 13 on proper land grading required reported as constraints by the farmers.

Border strip                 

In the case of border strip, majority respondents (80%) expressed that more labour requirement for forming the strip as major constraint followed by difficulty in intercultural operations (47%), less uniform distribution of water (33%) and less flow rate of water (25%) as the constraints.

Irrigations at flowering and pegging stage

None of the respondents encountered and reported any constraints for the two practices viz., two irrigation at flowering stage, one or two irrigation at pegging stage as this has been the routine method among the farmers.

Application of potassium chloride sprays during flowering and pod developing stage

Poor flower shedding was the only constraint for 33 per cent of respondents.

Sprinkler irrigation

Non-suitability to areas with high wind velocity (65%) high cost (61.0%) and leakage from coupler or fittings (56%) were the major constraints reported by the respondents. More labour requirement for forming basins, risk of stagnation of water and salinity buildup, non-suitability in areas with high wind velocity and high cost are important and foremost constraints reported by the respondents in groundnut

Conclusion

Avoiding the flower shedding, uniform distribution of water, less labour cost, maintenance and conservation of soil moisture, easy intercultural operations, less loss of percolation and increased drought tolerance were the advantages felt by the respondents in groundnut.In over all constraint analysis, more labour requirement, weed menace, damage due to rats and rodents, marginal reduction of yield, high cost and non-suitability in areas with high wind velocity were the major constraints in adoption of water management practices for the principle crops like paddy, sugarcane, turmeric, banana and groundnut.  These constraints will create undesirable changes as consequences in adoption of micro irrigation system.

 

1. Associate Professor (Extn), ODL, TNAU Cbe-3

2. Professor (Extn) DOEE TNAU Cbe-3

3. Professor (Extn), TNAU Cbe-3