Reduction of Arsenic Load in Winter Fodder Crops as Influenced by Shallow Tube Well and Pond Water Irrigation

An experiment was conducted in the farmer’s field located at latitude is N 23º1¢19.9¢¢ and longitude is E 88º34¢31.8¢¢ in an arsenic affected village Goentra of west Bengal, India during winter season 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.  In arsenic contaminated village of Goentra, the wide variation of arsenic in shallow tube well water and pond water was observed. The level of variation is almost three times more in shallow tube well water as compare to the pond water. Rain water harvested pond water (0.04 mg L-1) is safer than the underground source of water (0.14 mg L-1). The experiment was conducted in factorial experiment in split-split plot design. Two fodder crops were laid as main plot, i.e. Oats and lucerne, two sources of irrigation i.e. pond water and shallow tube well water was in sub plot and frequency of irrigation was three in sub-sub plot. The crops was, therefore, tested against two source of irrigations viz.: (i) Pond water and (ii) shallow tube well water; and frequency of irrigation water viz.: (i) Irrigation at 20 DAS, (ii) Irrigation at 20 and 35 DAS and (iii) Irrigation at 20, 35 and 50 DAS. The Lucerne fodder crop received comparatively less arsenic uptake than oats fodder. Pond water irrigated fodder crops shows significantly less arsenic concentration in plant parts comparatively to shallow tube well water irrigated fodder crops. Shoots arsenic content reduction with once irrigation is 11.93 % whereas in two irrigations shoots arsenic content is only 4.0 % at harvest stage of crops. The frequency of irrigation considerably shows the arsenic concentration variation in fodder crops. The fodder crops irrigated with single irrigation shows less arsenic (2.97 mg kg-1) in plant than the two or three irrigation.