Rain-water management for tree planting in the Indian Desert

A field experiment was conducted at the Arid Forest Research Institute, Jodhpur to study the influence of different systems of water harvesting and moisture conservation on soil moisture storage, growth, biomass accumulation and nutrient uptake byAzadirachta indica(neem),Tecomella undulata(rohida) andProsopis cineraria(kherjri). The ridge and furrow method of water harvesting was found to be the best treatment and significantly improved their growth of three species (height by 58%, 35% and 40%, collar circumference by 73%, 56% and 63%, and crown diameter by 111%, 51%, and 131%, respectively). Biomass accumulation byA. indicaandT. undulataincreased 3•8-fold and 4•6-fold and root mass 4•5-fold and 3•8-fold, respectively. The mulching treatment was beneficial toA. indicaand weeding treatment to all the three species. Trees roots in water harvesting plots were deeper and had several times larger spread than the control. Nutrient uptake by these tree species increased several-folds as a result of the different water harvesting and moisture conservation treatments. The increase in cost of plantation due to T8treatment was 50%.