Soil Management to Improve Water Balance for Crop Production in Bangladesh

Abstract

Based on total water use, monthly rainfall of a growing season (December to March) and soil available water, water balance was prepared for onion in the 1992-93 rabi season at the Shallow Red-Brown Terrace soil area of Bangladesh. This prepared water balance revealed that initial coil water storage was only equivalent to the water requirement of onion for December and that onion was deficit in water from January to March. The importance of soil management in increasing initial water storage in order to improve water balance was demonstrated and alternative management practices for the area were suggested.