Land management practices for resource conservation under vegetable cultivation in Nilgiris eceosystem.

Abstract

Different land management and 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 Nilgiris , south India . Inward slope bench terraces(2%) and outward sloped bench terraces (5&10%) with riser protection through medicinal / aromatic plants , sloping lands (25%) with 1m strips of vegetative barriers of medicinal plants 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 an 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 water use efficiency under land management practice of 25% continuous slope with vegetative barrier across the slope with relatively high WCE & SCE and soil 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.