Bio-engineering measures for resource conservation and enhanced productivity in sloping uplands of Eastern ghat region in Odisha Sahoo D.C.1,*, Naik B.S.2, Adhikary P.P.1, Jakhar Praveen1, Gowda H.C. Hombe1 1ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Research Centre, Sunabeda-763 002, Koraput, Odisha 2ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Research Centre, Bellary, Karnataka *E-mail: dcsahoo@gmail.com
Online published on 9 October, 2018. Abstract Eastern ghats region of Odisha is highly vulnerable to varying degree of land degradation due to undulating topography, steep slopes, high runoff and soil loss. To combat these problem, an on farm experiment was conducted during 2009–2015 in the research farm of ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation(IISWC), Koraputforevaluatingdifferentbio-engineeringmeasures. Five different bio-engineering measures along with control (farmers ’practice) were taken on 4% and 8% slope with cultivation of predominant crop ragi of the region. Earthen bunding combined with broom grass produced minimum runoff (11.6%) followed by earthen bunding alone (12.3%) with maximum in farmers ’practice (18.7%) of cultivation under 4% slope. Similar trend in runoff was found from 8% slope with minimum in earthen bunding with broom grass (13.7%) and maximum in farmers ’practice (24.5%). Unlike runoff, minimum annual soil loss of 8.8 t ha−1 resulted from stone bunding combined with broom grass followed by stone bunding alone (8.9 t ha−1) on 4% slope. Ragi yield was 14.5 q ha−1 followed by 14.0 q ha−1 and 13.5 q ha−1 from stone bunding with broom grass, stone bunding and earthen bund + broom grass, respectively at 4% slope. Similar trend with lesser yield among the treatments was observed at 8% slope. Maximum water use efficiency (WUE) of 2.1 kg ha−1 mm−1 was obtained from earthen bund + broom grass followed by stone bund (1.9 kg ha−1 mm−1) and stone bund + broom grass (1.8 kg ha−1 mm−1) from both the slopes. Therefore, either type of bunding supported with broom grass may be adopted for managing the sloping upland of Eastern ghat region. Top Keywords Bio-engineering measures, Productivity, Runoff, Soil erosion, Water use efficiency. Top |