Effect of vegetative barriers on erosion losses, soil properties and yield of sorghum

摘要

Productivity in dryland areas is very low and unstable due to moisture stress during crop period and poor soil fertility. In the absence of proper conservation measures, heavy losses of rain water and nutrients take place through runoff. Dhruva Narayana and Rambabu (1983) estimated that about 16.5 t ha~(-1) soil gets eroded every year alongwith considerable amount of plant nutrients. Central tract of Uttar Pradesh receives an annual rainfall of about 800 mm of which 85 per cent is received during the months of July to September. Soils of the area are light textured alluvium and highly erodible and considerable amount of runoff and soil loss takes place due to high intensity rain storms. Various engineering measures, viz., levelling, bunding, ridging and furrowing, trenching etc. are recommended to control runoff and soil loss (Bhan, 1991). These measures are expensive and difficult to maintain over a long period. In recent past, vegetative barriers have attracted the attention of soil and water conservationists. Since there is dearth of information on the relative suitability of different vegetative barriers on light textured soils of Central Uttar Pradesh, the present study was undertaken.