The Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kozhikode, has proposed proactive measures for resilient water management to cope with increasing temperatures in the State.
Following a research, CWRDM scientists have urged the public to adopt proper sanitation practices and water treatment techniques such as liming, alum dosing, chlorination, and using filters to overcome problems related to water quality. Bacteriological contamination by E.Coli is also observed widely in summer and monsoon seasons. However, contagious diseases like Cholera and Hepatitis are reported in tribal colonies and other community dwellings because of improper sanitation and hygiene practices, the study said.
The research also shed light on the profound implications of rising temperatures on crop productivity, focusing on key crops like paddy, amaranthus, and cowpea. The results showed that for every 1°Celsius increase in temperature, crops may suffer a yield loss ranging from 6% to 14%. Thus mulching of coconut basin with coir pith, coconut husks, green leaves, dried leaves, organic wastes, and dried coconut leaves showed sustaining the soil moisture.
In a statement, CWRDM Executive Director Manoj P. Samuel said proper planning such as irrigation scheduling with deficit irrigation, early sowing of variety, uniform way of planting in group approach, laser land levelling, and mulching should be employed. Switching to less water-demanding crops as well as drought-tolerant varieties is also better. Use of kitchen and domestic wastewater for irrigation, using proper filtration systems, wherever feasible, can be attempted.
He said the CWRDM results suggested that adoption of micro-irrigation resulted in improvement of water use efficiency of crops by 32 to 41% than conventional irrigation, and yield improvement was also noticed in different crops.
Besides, farmers have been urged to irrigate crops during early morning or evening hours so as to avoid evaporation losses or minimise losses due to high wind speed during daytime. The time of sowing of crops should be adjusted in such a way that growth stages most sensitive to high temperature do not coincide with the period of heat stress.
Further, fertilisers should not be applied to crops during a high temperature unless there is adequate availability of moisture. Otherwise, such steps can have a detrimental effect on them. Use of crop residue and mulch application should be practised to improve the moisture status of the soil, the study said.
