International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
Harshneet Singh Sran, Devinder Tiwari, Karun Sharma and Vipan Kumar Rampal

abstract
Paddy cultivating areas often face challenges of escalating water scarcity, necessitating sustainable alternatives to conventional continuous flooding (CF). Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) is consider ed as a promising irrigation strategy that balances productivity with resource conservation. This study evaluates the efficacy of AWD in comparison to CF over three consecutive Kharif seasons (2020-2022) in Ludhiana district, Punjab, India. Sixty field demonstrations across multiple locations revealed that AWD significantly reduced irrigation frequency by approximately 16%, with an average irrigation water saving of 936 m³/acre during paddy season. Total irrigation water used under AWD averaged 5,168 m³/acre, which equates to 15.3% reduction compared to CF (6,104 m³/acre). Notably, AWD maintained grain yield at levels statistically comparable to CF, with mean yields of 29.1 q/acre and 28.8 q/acre, respectively. Agronomic parameters including tiller count, plant height (cm), and panicle length (cm) showed minimal variation between treatments, indicating no substantial physiological stress under AWD. Irrigation water productivity improved consistently under AWD, rising from 0.47 kg/m³ (CF) to 0.56 kg/m³ (AWD), reflecting enhanced efficiency in irrigation water use. These results corroborate previous findings suggesting that moderate soil drying cycles in AWD has a potential, as water-saving practice suitable for paddy growing regions facing increasing pressure on freshwater resources. Its integration into mainstream rice cultivation strategies can contribute significantly to sustainable intensification.