Contour farming, however, is not unknown to Indian farmers; they adopt it in hilly areas to make
indigenous terraces and in lowland areas for paddy fields under tank irrigation. It is quite common
to find the same farmer using contour bunds on his tank-irrigated paddy land but boundary-based
erosion control measures on his rainfed land. Farmers recognize the efficiency of contour-based
systems for conserving soil and water, but they feel that on rainfed land the benefits are not great
enough to justify foregoing the other advantages of indigenous, boundary-based systems.

Farmers note several reasons for favouring boundary bunds. First, boundary bunds serve the dual
purposes of conserving soil and demarcating property. Contour bunds cut across farm boundaries,
leaving covers in some fields and creating the risk of losing a piece of land to the neighboring
field.

Second, because they tend to run in straight lines, boundary bunds make plowing more convenient
than with winding contour bunds, particularly where multi-row implements are used. Contour
farming also reduces the efficiency of operations (where traditional desi plows are used) because
it requires repeated cultivation in the same direction. With desi plows (unlike tractors), farmers
must alternate directions to turn the soil effectively.

Third, boundary-based systems enable individual farmers to invest without having to cooperate
in large groups. Limited group action among adjacent farmers is sufficient. In contrast,
conventional systems require cooperation among all the farmers in the watershed. This is because
they distribute benefits and costs unevenly, depending on the location of bunds and drains, as
shown in Figure 2. The central waterway is constructed at the end of the graded bund, encroaching
on the adjacent fields. In boundary-based runoff disposal, waterways are decentralized and
associated costs land and maintenance time are shared more widely. This reduces conflict,
increasing the likelihood of adoption. Tables 1-6 provide a more detailed comparison of
indigenous and recommended practices in different agroclimatic zones.

Table 1. Recommended and Indigenous Soil and Water Conservation Practices. Black Soil,
Low Rainfall Areas, Sholapur District, Maharashtra, Bellary District, Karnataka

 Item Practices
 Recommended Indigenous

 Soil conservation Continuous contour bunds Field bunds with waste weirs

 Moisture conservation Contour farming Land levelling
 Deep plowing
 Kharif fallowing
 2-3 intercultures
 Soil mulching for closing cracks
 in post-rainy season

 Runoff disposal Field to field through earthen Field to field through stone
 hooks on contour bunds waste-weirs

 Gully control Stones checks at regular Stone checks on boundary to
 intervals to stabilize gullies harvest soil and reclaim gullies

 Water harvesting Percolation tanks Needs further investigation


GATEKEEPER SERIES NO. SA34