RUNOFF PLOTS STUIDES WITH DIFFERENT GRASSES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CONDITIONS PREVAILING IN THE HIMALAYAS AND THE SHIWALIK REGION

Abstract

THE PAPER GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF THE WORK DONE ON RUNOFF PLOTS WITH DIFFERENT GRASSES EARLIER AT FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE , DEHRADUN AND LATER WHEN THE SOIL CONSERVATION BRANCH WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CONSERVATION BOARD , DIFFERENT GRASSES TRIED WERE CYNODON DACTYLON( DUB GRASS), ,BRACHIARIA MUTICA ( PARA GRASS), CYNODON PLECTOSTACHYUS ( GIANT STAR GRASS). EULALIOPSIS BINATA ( BHABAR GRASS) AND PANICUM ANTIDOTALE ( BLUE PANIC GRASS) . CONTROLS CONSISTED OF PLOTS WITH NATURAL GRASSES , BARE PLOT AND BARE AND BARE AND PLOUGHED PLOT. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GRASSES IN EROSION CONTROL COULD BE JUDGED FROM THE FACT THAT THE 'BARE' AND THE BARE PLOUGHED PLOTS HAD 3-4 TIMES THE TOTAL RUNOFF AND 600 TO 4000 TIMES THE SOIL LOSS AS COMPARED TO THE GRASS COVERED PLOTS IN CERTAIN STORMS. DAMAGE BY SPLASH DUE TO RAIN DROP WAS ALSO MEASURED BY SUITABLE DEVICES. CYNODON DACTYLON ( DUB GRASS) COULD BE RECOMMENDED AS VERY SUITABLE GRASS ON ACCOUNT OF MANY ADVANTAGES ACCRUING FROM IT. BARE PLOTS HAD NEARLY 9 TIMES THE RUNOFF AND 400 TO 800 TIMES THE SOIL LOSS AS COMPARED WITH THE GRASS COVERED PLOT IN A WINTER STORM.