Slopy agricultural lands are more susceptible to soil erosion and hence are priority sites for the application of protective soil management practices. A conservation agriculture field experiment was established at a 6% field slope in 2011 at the ICAR-IISWC Research Farm, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, which is situated in the Northwestern Himalayan Region, India. The objective of this study was to experimentally determine the long-term effects of tillage practices on runoff and soil erosion. The tillage practices opted for were conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT), and zero tillage (ZT). Event-based runoff and soil loss were monitored during three monsoon seasons (June to September) from 2018 to 2020. Results showed lower runoff and soil loss in the ZT plot than in CT and MT plots. CT produced 1.51 and 2.53 times higher runoff than MT and ZT, respectively. Moreover, this increased runoff generated 1.84 and 5.10 times higher soil erosion in CT than in MT and ZT, respectively. The extreme rainfall events being less than 10% generated 54.93%, 57.35%, and 63.43% of the total runoff volume which resulted in 82.08%, 85.49%, and 91.00% of the total soil loss in CT, MT, and ZT plots, respectively. For the same amount of rainfall, the reduction in soil loss was 39% and 68% in the CT and ZT plots, respectively, at the highest growth stage in comparison to the initial crop growth stage. The values of runoff reduction benefit (RRB) and sediment reduction benefit (SRB) showed a reduction in runoff (63.53%) and soil loss (80.39%) in the CT. Results concluded that conservation tillage reduced runoff and soil loss significantly even in extreme rainfall events.

Background: Wheat is an important crop of India That is grown in the winter season (October to April). A field study was conducted for nine plots having a dimension of 3 × 2 meter and different nutrient was applied to test the biomass yield. The objectives are to describe (a): To conduct field experiments under controlled conditions and vary the dosage of fertilizers for different treatments. (b): To observe the variation in crop yield of wheat with different dosages of fertilizers. (c): To model the crop yield of different treatments using InfoCrop and DSSAT crop models. Methods: An experiment was conducted for Wheat crop having a dimension of 3 × 2 meter at the Indian Institute of Technology, UK-India. Three plots (C1, C2, C3) was given control fertilizer supply while plot (F1, F2, F3) given -25%, +25%, +50% and plot (N1, N2, N3) given -25%, +25%, +50% w.r.t to control. The simulation model Infocrop and DSSAT were simulated to check test the model. Result: In this study, two crop simulation models namely Infocrop and DSSAT were used to predict the yield of wheat crops. Field experiments were carried out at a farm site at Roorkee, India and different treatments of fertilizers are applied to the field plots. In total, seven fertilizer treatments are used: C (controlled with a normal dosage of fertilizers), F1, F2, F3 (varying amount of applied farmyard manure), N1, N2 and N3 (varying amount of applied urea). The objective of the study was to evaluate yields of the seven treatments using Infocrop and DSSAT crop models and compare them to the observed values of yields. The grain yield of the controlled treatment (C1, C2, C3) was predicted accurately by both models. There was a significant variation in the grain yields of the F1, F2, F3 treatments with the application of farm yard manure (FYM). DSSAT under-predicted the grain yields for the plot F1, F2, F3 treatments and over-predicted these for N1, N2, N3 treatments. Overall, Infocrop, which was developed and validated for Indian conditions, simulated the grain yield more accurately as compared to the DSSAT model under varying applications of FYM and urea dosages.

This study delves into the analysis of recession characteristics of spring base flow, focusing on the Hill campus spring (elevation of approximately 2,150 m) and Fakua spring (elevation of approximately 1,850 m) in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. Spanning from January 1999 to December 2004, discharge data from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology's Hill campus are employed. The research employs an automated, objective-based method to generate master recession curves (MRCs) and categorize them into early, intermittent, and late recession segments. Statistical parameters and low-flow indices from flow duration curves (FDCs) are utilized for flow assessment, while base flow indices (BFIs) are analyzed using the Web-based Hydrograph Analysis Tool (WHAT). The findings highlight the importance of water storage strategies during the rainy season for the sustainable utilization of spring water. The study suggests that the techniques applied are equally applicable for analyzing river flow recession characteristics, emphasizing the broader implications for integrated water resources planning and management in mountainous regions.