Possibility of growing interseasonal crops using residual moisture in paddy fields in dry zone of Sri Lanka | |
| Author | Liyanage, Nirmala Damayanthe Lelwala |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.AE-92-46 |
| Subject(s) | Plant-water relationships--Sri Lanka Soil moisture--Sri Lanka |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Engineering, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | This experiment was conducted in a paddy field area in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka, after harvesting of the paddy crop, to investigate the possibility of growing an intersessional crop using residual soil moisture. Three soil management practices i.e. Fallow (Notilled ), Surface Tilled and Straw Mulched were tested for profile soil moisture variations during the season. Comparisons were a l so made when cowpea was grown as a crop in above conditions. Different crop measurements with soil characteristics were recorded throughout the season. Mineralization of nitrogen during the season, evapotranspiration rate and diurnal changes of soil moisture profile at the peak water use period were a l so investigated. The moisture content of the top soil layer showed a rapid decrease than that of inner layers, after the harvesting of paddy. The moisture content of first soil layer was not sufficient for successful germination of cowpea seeds, however after an irrigation for the establishment, plants could survive with the help of residual moisture in soil. The apparent water requirement of cowpea was 17Smm and the estimated water requirement was 288mm. The ground water contribution was also estimated and found to be 30mm for the growing seas on . An average yield of 2.14 mt/ha was obtained in No Till and Straw Mulched treatments. However, Surface Tilled treatment produced a considerably lower yield than above two treatments. No significant accumulations of salts near the soil surface were observed during the growth of plants. Soil pH does not vary with the treatments or time. No treatment was found to be significantly superior than others, under the conditions tested. However, the planting of second crop under the fallow paddy field conditions without tillage may be appropriate, when considering the economical aspects. |
| Year | 1992 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (Former title: Department of Food Agriculture, and BioResources (DFAB)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Agricultural and Food Engineering (AE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Koga, Kiyoshi |
| Examination Committee(s) | Nielsen, Jens Moller ;Upasena, Selawa H. ;Gunasekera, Kapila |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | NORAD ; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1992 |