Journal of Environmental Biology

Land management practices for resource conservation under vegetable cultivation in Nilgiris hills ecosystem

D.C. Sahoo¹*, M. Madhu¹, P. Muralidharan² and A.K. Sikka³

¹Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Research Center, Sunabeda-763 002, India

²Central Plantation Crop Research Institute, Research Station, Kayamkulam-690 502, India

³Division of Natural Resource Management, ICAR, New Delhi-110 114, India

*Corresponding Author?s E-mail: dcsahoo@gmail.com

 Publication Data

Paper received:

17 May 2014

Revised received:

19 May 2014

Accepted:

26 February 2015

Abstract

Different land management practices were studied for determining soil and water conservation efficiencies, soil and nutrient retention and crop water use efficiencies under vegetable cultivation in sloping and terraced land of the Nilgiris, South India. Inward slope bench terraces (2%) and outward sloped bench terraces (5 and 10%) with riser protection through medicinal/aromatic plants, sloping lands (25%) with 1 m strips of vegetative barriers of medicinal plant were taken with cultivation of? potato-cabbage in the first year and carrot-beans in the second year for two rotations. Highest water conservation efficiency (WCE) of 96% was obtained in 5% outward bench terraces with rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) on riser. But maximum soil conservation efficiency (SCE) of 98%, soil retention of 22447 t yr^-1 and N, P, K retention of 5.37, 1.24, 1.03 t yr^-1 respectively was found in 10% outward bench terraces with grass on riser + recommended nutrient management practices. However, due to highest crop yield and water use efficiency under land management practice of 25% continuous slope with vegetative barrier across the slope with relatively high WCE, SCE and soil and nutrient retention capacity, this practice is highly acceptable by farmers'. Therefore, vegetable cultivation on sloping land with intervention of suitable vegetative barrier at regular intervals is recommended for effective resource conservation in the fragile hill ecosystem of Nilgiris      

 Key words

Crop water use efficiency, Land improvement index, Soil conservation efficiency, Water conservation efficiency 

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