Water Storage Methods

In our Agriculture for Everybody blog series,  we will discuss the specifics of Water Storage Methods.  Generally, the water storage methods can be classified into two groups and they are as follows.

1. Underground Water Storage
2. Over ground Water Storage

We can opt to utilize one or the other of the methods or a combination of both.


Underground Water Storage

The water is stored below the surface and can be retrieved at a later point of time by using the available options.

Advantages

• Evaporation is very minimal as the water is stored below the ground
• Contamination possibility is very less
• No need to allocate any land for this purpose

Disadvantages

• Water can only be retrieved by using bore well and other means
• Water availability is not guaranteed as other farmers can also exploit the underground water

Over ground Water Storage

The water is stored above the surface and can be utilized directly for many purposes and that too whenever we require them.  Examples of this method are Farm Ponds, Open Wells etc

Advantages

• Can utilize the water & space for Fish Farming
• Can utilize it as drinking water for Cattle, Poultry etc
• Can utilize it for the crops during the summer season when the water availability is generally low
• Seepage of water in the soil will benefit the entire farmland

Disadvantages

• Need to allocate land
• Evaporation is very high and hence possibility of loss of available water to some extent
• Contamination is possible
• Will attract Snails and other similar things which may not be good to our Livestock 

Water Harvesting Methods

In our Agriculture for Everybody blog series, we will see the different types of Water Harvesting Methods from a farmland point of view.  We will highlight each one of them and anybody wishes to implement them can look for more detailed information elsewhere.

• Trenches
• Trenches need to be created against the flow of the water to get maximum benefit
• Trenches are best suited water harvesting method where plants or trees are the main crops.  For eg, Coconut Tree Plantations, Mango Tree Plantations etc
• Trenches can be created in between the rows of the Trees

• Swales = Continuous Contour Trenches
• Swales need to be created against the flow of the water to get maximum benefit
• Swales generally are bigger in size (in terms of width, depth & length) compared to trenches
• Swales are best suited water harvesting method where plants or trees are the main crops.  For eg, Coconut Tree Plantations, Mango Tree Plantations etc

• Bunds
• Bunds are created around the borders or periphery of the farmland to retain maximum water
• The size of the bund is bigger and deeper so that water is retained as well as ensuring that cattle and other animals do not trespass

• Open Wells
• Open Wells are best suited water harvesting (storage) method when there is run-off of rain water
• Any excess water needs to be channelled into this after filtering the sediments

• Farm Ponds
• A small portion of the land is allocated for Farm Ponds
• Generally, the Farm Pond is located at the lowest point of the farmland
• Farm Ponds are best suited water harvesting (storage) method when there is run-off of rain water
• Farm Ponds is required when we need to store large amounts of water
• Any excess water needs to be channelled into this after filtering the sediments


• Check Dams
• Check Dams are built for retaining the water in the upstream
• Check Dams ensure seepage of water into the soil thereby increasing the ground water
• Check Dams can be built in Swales and other similar structures

Data & Analysis

The Data & Analysis page will be the main page for anything related to the data and any analysis based on the data.  The Raw Data will be available to everybody and they can create their own analysis as well.




Data

1. Parameters For Crops - A Data Oriented Complete Guide - WorkInProgress
2. Fruit Crops - A Data Oriented Complete Guide - WorkInProgress
3. Vegetables Crops - A Data Oriented Complete Guide -WorkInProgress
4. Greens (கீரைகள்) - A Data Oriented Complete Guide - WorkInProgress
5. Flowers Crops - A Data Oriented Complete Guide - WorkInProgress
6. Timber Crops - A Data Oriented Complete Guide - WorkInProgress
7. Misc Crops - A Data Oriented Complete Guide - WorkInProgress
    

Analysis

1. Categories or Types of Vegetables
2. Understanding Crops (Groupwise) Propagation Methods
3. Traditional or Open Pollinated or Heirloom (Vegetable) Seeds of India
4. Traditional or Open Pollinated or Heirloom (Rice) Seeds of India

Choosing the Crops based on Water Needs

In our Agriculture for Everybody blog series, we are going to see how to select the Crops based on Water Needs.


The Data provided below will help the farmers choose the crops based on the water availability.

High Water Requiring	Medium Water Requiring	Low Water Requiring
1.Arecanut	1.Acidlime	1.Agave
2.Banana	2.Allspice	2.Amla
3.Betelvine	3.Amaranth	3.Annona
4.Cocoa	4.Annual Moringa	4.Apricot
5.Coconut	5.Apple	5.Bengalgram
6.Grapes	6.Ash Gourd	6.Ber
7.Jute	7.Asparagus	7.Bilimbi
8.Oilpalm	8.Aster	8.Blackgram
9.Papaya	9.Avocado	9.Carambola
10.Rice	10.Babycorn	10.Cashewnut
11.Sugarbeet	11.Basella	11.Castor
12.Sugarcane	12.Beetroot	12.Cowpea
13.Sweet Sorghum	13.Bellary Onion	13.Cumbu Napier
	14.Bhendi	14.Cumbu
	15.Bitter Gourd	15.Fodder Cholam
	16.Bottle Gourd	16.Fodder Cowpea
	17.Bread Fruit	17.Fodder Cumbu
	18.Bread Fruit	18.Fodder Maize
	19.Brinjal	19.Garden lablab
	20.Broadbeans	20.Gingelly
	21.Brussels Sprout	21.Greengram
	22.Butter Bean	22.Groundnut
	23.Cabbage	23.Guinea Grass
	24.Cardamom	24.Horsegram
	25.Carnation	25.Karonda
	26.Carrot	26.Kolukattai Pullu
	27.Cauliflower	27.Kudirai Masal
	28.Celery	28.Lemon
	29.Ceylon Spinach	29.Loquat
	30.Chakravathi Keerai	30.Mulberry
	31.Chekurmanis	31.Muyal Masal
	32.Chillies	32.Panivaragu
	33.Chinese Cabbage	33.Phalsa
	34.Chow chow	34.Pineapple
	35.Cinnamon	35.Pomegranate
	36.Clove	36.Ragi
	37.Cluster Beans	37.Rambutan
	38.Coccinia	38.Redgram
	39.Coffee	39.Samai
	40.Coleus	40.Sorghum
	41.Colocasia	41.Soundal
	42.Commercial Chrysanthemum	42.Soybean
	43.Commercial Rose	43.Tenai
	44.Coriander	44.Varagu
	45.Cotton	45.West
	46.Crossandra
	47.Cucumber
	48.Curry Leaf
	49.Cut Chrysanthemum
	50.Cut Rose
	51.Digitalis
	52.Dioscorea
	53.Durian
	54.Egg Fruit
	55.Elephant Foot Yam
	56.Fennel
	57.Fenugreek
	58.Fig
	59.French Bean
	60.Garlic
	61.Gerbera
	62.Gherkin
	63.Ginger
	64.Gladiolus
	65.Golden Rod
	66.Guava
	67.Jack
	68.Jathimalli (Pitchi)
	69.Kiwi
	70.Knol-khol
	71.Lablab
	72.Lettuce
	73.Litchi
	74.Maize
	75.Malligai
	76.Mandarin Orange
	77.Mango
	78.Mangosteen
	79.Marigold
	80.Marikolundu (Dhavanam)
	81.Maruvu
	82.Medicinal plants
	83.Mint
	84.Mullai
	85.Mustard
	86.Nerium
	87.Nutmeg
	88.Palak
	89.Paprika
	90.Passion Fruit
	91.Peach
	92.Pear
	93.Peas
	94.Pepper
	95.Periwinkle
	96.Persimmon
	97.Plum
	98.Potato
	99.Pumpkin
	100.Pyrethrum
	101.Radish
	102.Rhubarb
	103.Ribbed Gourd
	104.Rubber
	105.Sapota
	106.Senna
	107.Small Onion
	108.Snake Gourd
	109.Spices
	110.Strawberry
	111.Sunflower
	112.Sweet Orange
	113.Sweet Potato
	114.Tamarind
	115.Tapioca
	116.Tea
	117.Tinda
	118.Tomato
	119.Tuberose
	120.Turmeric
	121.Turnip
	122.Vegetable Cowpea
	123.Watermelon
	124.Wheat
	125.Winged Bean

Credits: ICAAP

Allied Activities

The Home Page will serve as the main page for Plants & General Discussion, the Allied Activities Page will serve as the main page for others.

As usual, this page has been created keeping in view the focus of the author which is Tamilnadu, India.  Only those allied activities which are being carried out in TN will be listed here and discussed as well.

To start with, I am listing the Allied Activities that are being carried out in TN and are known to me.

1. Livestock
1. Cow Farming
• Comparison of Indigenous or Traditional or Desi Cows Milk Yield
2. Buffalo Farming
• Data of Indigenous Buffaloes of India for Decision Making
3. Goat Farming
• An Introduction to Goat Farming
• Data of Indigenous Goats of India for Decision Making
4. Sheep Farming
• Data of Indigenous Sheeps of India for Decision Making
5. Pig Farming
• Data of Indigenous Pigs of India for Decision Making
6. Rabbit Farming
2. Poultry
1. Country Chicken Farming
• An Introduction to Country Chicken Farming
• Data of Indigenous Chickens of India for Decision Making
• How to produce Termites (White Ants) for feeding Country Chicken?
2. Turkey Farming
3. Quail Farming
4. Duck Farming
5. Goose Farming
6. Pigeon Farming
7. Guinea Fowl Farming
3. Fisheries
1. Carp Fish
• Fish Farming - An Introduction to Polyculture in Carp Varieties of Fishes
2. Murrel Fish
3. Cat Fish
4. Tilapia Fish
4. Sericulture (a.k.a Silkworm Rearing)
5. Bee Farming
6. Mushroom Farming
7. Misc
1. Fodder Trees for Livestock
8. Websites
1. EthnoVet Practices
• http://www.sevango.in/pdf/HerbalMedicine_animal_tamil.pdf - Herbal Medicine in Tamil
• http://www.sevango.in/ethnovet_pdfs/tamil.pdf - EthnoVet Practices in Tamil
• http://www.sevango.in/english_ethnovet.php - EthnoVet Practices in English
2. Indian Indigenous Cattle - http://indianindigenouscattle.blogspot.in/
3. Govt of Tamilnadu - Fisheries Department - http://www.fisheries.tn.gov.in/
4. Govt of Tamilnadu - Fisheries Department - Fish Seed Available Places-http://www.fisheries.tn.gov.in/Inland/government.html
5. Govt of India recognised Indigenous Livestock Database - http://210.212.93.85/agris/breed.aspx
6. Tamilnadu Regional Cattle - http://tamilnaducattle.blogspot.in/