Kusumgar Corporates Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar, Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, and Indian Rubber Manufacturers Association, Thane, have been awarded ICAR Award for Outstanding Interdisciplinary Team Research in Agricultural and Allied Sciences 2013-14 for Natural Research Management and Agricultural Engineering.
The team effort in “Design and development of rubber dams in watersheds’ revealed that the flexi-rubber check dam is of paramount importance to the farmers in reducing soil and water erosion, alleviating water shortage, enhancing crop productivity, cropping intensity and profitability. The inter-disciplinary team comprising of scientists from different disciplines such as soil technology of rubber dam for its application in watersheds. The design, fabrication, development and installation of first indigenous rubber dam and its performance evaluation in the field were the major accomplishments of the team. The cost effective inflation-deflation device was developed for trouble-free operation and minimum inflation and deflation time. The installed rubber dams have resulted in enhanced rice productivity by 22 per cent to 62 per cent during Kharif season, pulse productivity by 46 per cent during Rabi season and vegetable productivity by 22 per cent to 48 per cent during summer season. This technology has received strong acceptability among farmers.