This presentation describes about agronomical measures to control water erosion. It includes Crop rotation, crop cover, contour cultivation, strip cropping and mulch tillage practices.

1. WATER EROSION CONTROL
MEASURES
Lecture-7
Dr. Ajay Singh Lodhi
Assistant Professor
College of Agriculture, Balaghat (M.P.)
Jawahar Lal Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur (M.P.)

2. EROSION CONTROL MEASURES
 Soil conservation is a preservation technique,
in which deterioration of soil and its losses are
eliminated or minimized by using it within its
capabilities and applying conservation
techniques for protection as well as
improvement of soil.
 Water erosion control measures; are broadly
classified into two groups:
 Agronomical and biological Measures (Land
slope <2%)
 Engineering or Mechanical Measures (Land
Slope > 2%)

3. AGRONOMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MEASURES
 In soil and water conservation, the agronomical measure is a more economical,
long lasting and effective technique.
 Agronomic conservation measures function by reducing the impact of raindrops
through interception and thus reducing soil erosion. They also increase
infiltration rates and thereby reduce surface runoff.
 Agronomical and biological control measures are:
 Crop rotation,
 Crop covering,
 Contour farming/ cultivation,
 Strip cropping and
 Mulch tillage or stubble mulching.

4. AGRONOMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MEASURES
 Crop Rotation:
 Crop rotation is defined as the regular succession
of different crops grown on the same piece of land.
 Different crops have different root growth patterns
and because of this, each plant or harvest tends to
take nutrients from a particular zone of the soil.
 Rotation of crops reduces erosion and increases
the fertility of the soil.
 It varies with the
 Land because all crops cannot be everywhere.
 Economic condition of farmers
 Cropping system prevalent in the area

5. AGRONOMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MEASURES
 Legumes can be included in the crop rotation help in maintaining soil fertility.
Crops like groundnut, soybean, green gram, chickpea etc. are legume most
commonly used in crop rotations.
Mixed Cropping: -
 Mixed cropping is the system of growing more than one crop together the same
land.
Benefits of mixed cropping :-
 Mixed crops varying in root system help in better utilization of plant in the profile.
 Mixed cropping required different spacing for growth, help in better utilization of
space and profile mixture.
 Operation like erosion control by growing erosion resisting and erosion
permitting crops reducing wind affects by growing tall and short crops etc. can
be achieved.

6. AGRONOMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MEASURES
 Cover Cropping:
 In the cover cropping, cover crops are
grown either during the off-season or in-
between rows and for ground protection
under trees.
 The most common crops are used for its
cover crop are rye, oats, beans, peas,
alfalfa and grass because for two reasons
 One is there provide good cover against
erosion.
 They furnish hay or fodder and serve as soil-
building crops.

7. AGRONOMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MEASURES
 Contour Farming/ Cultivation:
 Contour farming/ cultivation means causing out
agricultural operations like planting, tillage and
inter-cultivation very nearly on the contours.
 The contours are points having the same
elevation.
 Contour cultivation reduces the velocity of
overland flow and retard soil erosion.
 It reduces soil loss up to 50 per cent while
enhancing the crop yield by 10 per cent.
 Contour cultivation saves power, and its
effectiveness depends on slope steepness and
slope length.

8. AGRONOMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MEASURES
 Strip Cropping:
 Strip cropping is a practice of growing alternate
strips of row crops across the slope of the land such
that they are serve as barrier to erosion.
 Strip cropping is the practice of growing strip of
crops having poor potential for erosion control such
as root crops, cereals etc. alternated with strip crop
having good potential for erosion control such as
fodder crops, grains etc. which are close growing
crops.
 It reduces runoff flowing through the crops rows.
 It also increases the soil's infiltration rate.

9. AGRONOMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MEASURES
Types of Strip Cropping:
 Contour strip cropping means growing alternate strips of erosion permitting
and erosion resisting crops along the contour. Depending upon the topography
width of the strip will vary.
 In field strip cropping the strips are laid across the slope in uniform width
without taking into consideration the exact contours. This method is useful on
regular slopes and with the soil of high infiltration rates.
 In buffer strip cropping permanent strips of grasses are located either in badly
eroded areas or in areas that do not fit into regular rotation.
 In wind strip cropping crop strips are land out at right angle to the direction of
prevailing winds irrespective of the direction of the land slope.

10. AGRONOMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MEASURES
Mulch Tillage or Stubble Mulching:
 Any tillage operation that will have a substantial part
of the residual vegetation material like leaves, stalks
etc. on or near the surface as a protective cover is
known as mulch tillage.
Benefits of mulch tillage: -
 Mulch reduces the beating action of raindrops and
reduces soil erosion.
 They reduce the sheet erosion by retarding the
surface flow.
 They help in infiltration through maintenance of an
open soil structure.
 The help in controlling soil temperature.
 A layer of dry soil formed at the top of the profile is
known as soil mulch.

11. Thank You