Evaluating the effects of soil and water conservation measures on soil moisture regimes and crop performance in Jammu’s rainfed agroecosystems

Sustainable soil moisture management is critical for rainfed hill agriculture in the Kandi region of Jammu. This study evaluated four soil and water conservation (SWC) treatments-contour bund cum trench (T1), contour bund (T2), contour trench (T3), and untreated control (T4)-to assess their effects on soil moisture across depth, distance from conservation structures, and time, and to examine the associated response of wheat productivity under rainfed conditions. The field study was conducted during the rabi season using wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) variety JAUW 598. Soil moisture was monitored at three depths (0-15, 15-30, and 30-45 cm) and three distances (1, 2, and 3 m) from the conservation structures during the study period. Statistical analysis showed that soil moisture was significantly affected by conservation treatment, soil depth, distance from the conservation structures, and sampling time (p < 0.001 for all main effects). Among the evaluated treatments, T1 consistently recorded the highest soil moisture, typically around 7.8-8.0%, whereas T2 and T3 showed intermediate values (about 7.0-7.5%) and T4 recorded the lowest values (often below 6.6%). Soil moisture was generally higher in the 0-15 cm layer and declined with increasing distance from the conservation structures. Improved moisture conservation was also reflected in crop response, with wheat grain yield increasing by 43.3% under T1, 30.7% under T3, and 15.3% under T2 relative to the untreated control. These site-specific findings suggest that the contour bund cum trench system was the most effective treatment for improving soil moisture in the upper 0-45 cm profile and supporting wheat productivity under the rainfed conditions of the study area.