t soil erosion affects
about 13% of India’s land area.
Agriculture accounts
for approximately 80% of India’s total water use,
India’s Watershed Area:
India has approximately 2.6 million square kilometers of watershed area, which is about 79% of the country’s land area ([Source: National Remote Sensing Centre
About 60% of India’s agricultural land is dependent on watershed management for irrigation and water supply ([Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare]
Approximately 40% of India’s net sown area is rainfed and relies heavily on effective watershed management ([Source: Indian Council of Agricultural Research]
WATERSHED
IWM
As of recent reports, IWD programs cover approximately 10% of India’s total land area, focusing on critical watersheds across the country.
IWM
In a dryland maize field, applying 7 cm of straw mulch reduced ET losses by 30% and increased yield by 15%.
Using drip irrigation with a flow rate of 3 L/hour/plant reduced water use by 40% compared to traditional irrigation.
A 4-row windbreak of Eucalyptus trees reduced wind speed by 60% and improved soil moisture retention in an adjacent wheat field.
social forests
agroforestry
Forest Cover in India:
As per the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, India has a total forest and tree cover of 80.9 million hectares, which constitutes 24.62% of the country’s geographical area.
Source: India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021
Biodiversity:
India’s forests are home to around 7% of the world’s biodiversity. The country has over 47,000 species of plants and 89,000 species of animals.
Source: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India
agroforestry valueaddition
soil
Soil is the natural body composed of minerals, organic matter, water, and air, serving as a medium for plant growth. It is formed through the weathering of rocks and the decomposition of organic matter, resulting in a complex mixture that supports life.
Hydrolysis of feldspar to clay:
2K AlSi_3O_8 + 11H_2O + 2H^+ ———->2K^+ + Al_2Si_2O_5(OH)_4 + 4H_4SiO_4
Podzolization**:
Organic acids + Fe/Al oxides ———–>Fe/Al-humus complexes
Laterization:
Primary minerals + H_2O + O_2 ————-> Secondary minerals + Si(OH)_4 +Fe/Al oxides
NaCl (from water)—————–>{Na}^+ + {Cl}^-
CaCO}_3 ————>{Ca}^{2+} + {CO}_3^{2-}
{Fe}^{3+} + {e}^- ————–>{Fe}^{2+}