Efficacy of different soil conservation measures on soil properties and erodibility characterization of Babina watershed of district Jhansi in Bundelkhand region

Field: Environmental Science (Physical Sciences)

The study was carried out in Babina watershed of district Jhansi in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh (India) under Operational Research Project for Resource conservation on sustained basis. The Bedaura (Mar) and Chamraua (Kabar) soil series of watershed representing typical black soil were richer in water stable aggregate and less erodible as compared to Imilia (Parwa) and Amarpur (Rakar) series (red soil) and follow the erodibility order as: Bedaura < Chamraua < Imilia < Amarpur The result represented that erodibility among the project area varies according to soil conservation measures adopted. Revines lands with conventional up and down cultivated soils are more erodible in comparison to land treated by various soil conservation practices On the basis of erosion ratio, erosion index and water stable aggregate as principle indices of erodibility, soil under various soil conservation practices may be arranged in the order of : Conventional method > peripheral bund > Sunken structure > check dam > contour bunding > land levelling and field bunding > submerged bund with vegetative > vegetative barriers. The erosion ratio was significantly and positively correlated with suspension percentage (r=0. 214), bulk density (r=0. 0.933**), particle density (r=0. 732**), hydraulic conductivity (r=0. 892**), pH (r=0. .734**), EC (r=0. 832**), dispersion ratio (r=0.961**), erosion index (r=0.986**), clay ratio (r=0.892*) and silt/clay ratio (r=0.904*) while significantly and negative correlated with silt (r=-0.700**), clay (r=- 0.933**), moisture equivalent (r=-0.912**), water holding capacity (r=-0.900**), water stable aggregate (r=-0.898**)., organic carbon (r =-0. 0.8306**), Total N (r =-0.8025**), Available P2O5 (r=-0. 7931**) and K2O (r=-0. 738**), Ca++ (r=-0. 516**), exchangeable Mg++(r=- 0.625**) and clay/ moisture equivalent (r=-0.904**). Among adopted eight soil conservation practices, soil erodibility decreased with increasing clay content. Soils of Babina watershed are erosive in nature and require warrant and prompt attention for implementing intensive soil conservation measures in the entire watershed in order to subside the havoc of soil erosion with in safe limits because adopted soil conservation measures are variably effective to controlling the erosion. Due to adoption of integrated watershed development technology viz. soil conservation measures with land development techniques, high yielding crop varieties, timely sowing with optimum seed rates, use of proper manures and fertilizers and irrigation on critical stage, the cropping intensity and average yield of crops, oilseeds and pulses have been increased in sustainable manner resulting improvement in Benefit: costs ratio. Simultaneously, socio-economic condition has also uplifted considerably due to diversification of agriculture and judicious use of natural resource. Outcomes of this study are of great importance in strategic land use planning and for execution of different intensity of soil conservation programme.