CHAPTER VI-*IM CHAPTER VI-*IM PROVING EXTENSION WORK THROUGH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
13. EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
Basically all new advances come through research and edu
cation. New ideas, the finding of new facts, and the fitting of these into practical systems are the very foundation of advancement, both now and in the future, in soil and water conservation.
Several phases of soil and water conservation do not now appear to be receiving adequate attention. A few examples follow:
(a) The whole array of problems relating to farm irrigation need attention. These include water conveyance within villages and
■to fields and farms; the control of seepage; the construction and main
tenance of suitable structures; measurement of water; methods of application; amounts to apply for efficiency under different situations;
and uniformity of distribution of water with different kinds of soil..
(b) Several problems of drainage are pressing for solution.
These include the allowable heights of the water table in soils for various crops; systems for the removal of surface water and its con
tribution to waterlogging; methods for village and farm drainage where needed; the specific roles of open ditches and tiles and their spacing and dep*h under different conditions and the use of wells for drainage.
(c) Much needs to_ be learned and taught abflut the dynamics;
of soil behaviour as a basis for productive systems that reduce erosion to allowable limits and that develop and maintain good structure, high fertility, and the other qualities of good arable soils for various, crops and cropping systems.
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(d) A firm .knowledge of the morphology and genesis of soils lies at the basis of the soil research and classification necessary for accurate soil maps that can be interpreted in terms of the responses Of the soils to alternative systems of management.
Depending on their specialization, scientists conducting research on these problems should have training in mathematics, including the calculus, physics, chemistry, thermodynamics, hydraulics, plant physiol
ogy; g e o lo g y , geomorphology, agronomy, and the several phases of soil science.
College Teaching
The Team should like to commend the Indian Agricultural Research Institute on the organization of a post-graduate school.
Certainly this is a great forward step of far-reaching significance to Indian agriculture.
The. Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur has a good agricultural engineering course for training conservation engineers.
Yet many agricultural colleges have not been able to meet the needed demands.
Special efforts are needed to strengthen the curricula and courses in both soil science and conservation engineering. Soil science is far more than agricultural chemistry and agronomy. Similarly, the training of conservation engineers needs to include more basic mathe
matics and science, including hydraulics and similar subjects necessary for thorough courses in irrigation methods, drainage, and such devices for water control as contour bunds, terraces, spillways, and the like.*
Recommendation 23: Appropriate steps should be taken 'by the Centre to work with agricultural and engineering colleges in order to help them develop satisfactory curricula for the potential soil scientists and conservation engineers so urgently needed in India.
Research
Already good beginnings have been made at several soil con
servation research stations. Some of the major irrigation projects have agricultural research demonstration farms located in their areas to conduct research on crop varieties, water requirements, fertilizers, and cultural and management practices. These farms usually adapt research principles already known to local conditions and also serve as excellent demonstration centres. Such research and demonstration centres should be made available in most major irrigated areas as rapidly as trained scientists are available.
Two Additional Primary Research Stations
There is- a need in India for more basic research in the field of soil and water conservation to help support and guide applied research.
The urgent minimum needs in the near future can be grouped broadly under those for irrigated areas and non-irrigated areas. Two central research stations could be concentrated on each major set of problems.
■ While these stations would be expected to conduct basic research of
* See also, Kellogg, Charles K , Soil Conservation and Soil Survey in India, 26 pp., Ministry o f Food & Agriculture, 1959.
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their own, the staff would recognize and use the raeearch results in other countries of Jhe world. Research findings from African and other tropical countries can be expected to be most readily adaptable to the tropical and sub-tropical conditions of India.
Thus these research stations would be concerned with studying
•and sifting all basic research findings relevant to soil and water con
servation. Both the basic principles and the skills of research can more readily be transferred from one physical, biological, and social complex to another than can the applied techniques.
For example, the principle that contour bunds conserve water where there is run-off has application to nearly all non-irrigated lands.
In some countries these may be constructed by large bulldozers, in others by bullocks, and in some 'by hand labour. How they are con
structed is not scientifically important. But it is important that they be constructed and that their height and width -and the slopes of the areas between the bunds be accurately determined in relation to the local conditions of soil, climate, and cropping systems.
The research station dealing with soil and water problems on irrigated soils should include research on the array of items already outlined including the design of water control, conveyance, and disposal structures; consumptive use of water by Indian crops; formulae of water movement through the soil; plant nutrient availability, absorption, and movement in plants in relation to soil conditions; and
■the other principles needed for productive and efficient soil and water conservation in India.
The research station for the non-irrigated soils would deal with some of .the same basic theories, as applied to infiltration of water, increasing the rooting zone of soils, increasing water storage in the soil, reduction of evaporation losses from soil, methods of cultivation -to reduce water and soil losses, and related problems.
The basic research as outlined need not be done at a large
■number of locations. Yet a system of cooperation and aid is needed so that as soon as a new principle is1 developed, it can be tested under varying conditions and practical designs can be developed for the various soil and climate conditions in the country.
Basic research has large requirements for both equipment and staff. Much of the expensive scientific equipment is needed at only a few locations. Many of the difficult soil and water conservation prob
lems can best be solved by groups of highly trained scientists work
ing together as teams. Such teams can work on problems originating
•over wide areas.
The two stations should be operated under the Centre, probably toy the Central Conservation Board. The one concerned with irrigation
•and drainage should be located in the Gangetic Plain and. the one con
cerned with non-irrigated soils located in the dryland of South India.
If suitable land and facilities can be found, it would be helpful
•to lo«ate these stations with or very near other existing research
•stations, and more especially those connected with a good agricultural
■college. Some sharing of library and other facilities can be arranged;
the advice of other specialists would be easily available; and the new
•work being done would be very useful as teaching demonstrations.
Funds must be available not only for adequate staffing of the 163
central laboratories but also for enough additional staff, so that onfe or two scientists attached to these laboratories may be located in each State. These men should be housed with State agricultural research workers where local applications of the principles found at the Centre laboratories are made. Such scientists of the Centre would work closely with the State research workers and endeavour to develop inti
mately cooperative programmes.
They would also cooperate with the Indian Council of Agricul
tural Research and their stations. They would, however, be under the administration of the two Centre laboratories. By such procedure the laboratories would be assured of facilities and personnel to conduct research on the broad national problems.
Recommendation 24: Two central research stations should be established to conduct basic research on national and regional soil and water conservation problems; one to be concerned with the irrigated areas and the other to deal with the non-irrigated areas. Funds should be available for close cooperation with the State agricultural depart
ments and colleges.
Other Stations
On many experiment stations in India, attention is being given
■to the improvement of one or several props. Most of these stations are neglecting the influence of several important practices of soil and water conservation, perhaps more especially water conveyance, use, and control. Knowledge could be obtained at these stations on the con
sumptive use of water by plants, wh&t amounts of water are needed in irrigation, and so on. Only simple equipment is needed to log the soil water within the rooting zone as the crop grows and to measure the irrigation water applied.
A few other less complete experiment stations are -urgently needed to deal with especially difficult soil problems. One example is a station devoted to the problems of shifting cultivation, as in Assam. (See Recommendation No. 19.)
Another Js needed for the use of soils with laterite in South India. These soils present special problems for conservation and use.
Once erosion has exposed the laterite layer and it has hardened, the soil is made permanently unsuited for plant growth. Kerala State makes wide use of such soils as well as of Latsols.