Principles of Erosion Control

 It is better to control the infiltration of soil, erosion than reclaim an eroded land.
 For this purpose, every piece of land in a watershed should be used properly in
accordance with its capability
 Land should be used in such a manner so that no erosion or deterioration of land take
place even after prolonged use.
 Suitable agronomical practices should be followed to protect the land from the
energy of the falling raindrop and surface flow.
 Different tillage and agronomical practices are required to be followed to achieve
the desired effects.

Agronomical Measures of Water Erosion Control

 In soil and water conservation, the agronomical measure is a more economical
measure, long lasting and effective techniques
 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. Widely
agronomic measure for water erosion control are:
1. Contour Cropping
2. Strip Cropping
3. Mulching

Contour Cropping
 Contour cropping is a conservation farming method that is used on slopes to control
soil losses due to water erosion.
 Contour cropping involves planting crops across the slope instead of up and down the
slope.
 Use of contour cropping protects the valuable topsoil by reducing the velocity of
runoff water and inducing more infiltration.
 Contour cropping is most effective on slopes between 2-10%

Strip Cropping
 Strip cropping is the practice of growing strip of crops having poor potential for
erosion control, such as root crops, cereals etc. alterned with strips of crops having
good potentials for erosion control, such as fodder crops grasses, etc.
 Strip cropping is a more intensive farming practice than contour farming.

Mulching
  Mulch is any material that is spread or laid over the surface of the soil as a covering

 Mulches are used to minimize rain splash, reduce evaporation, control weeds, reduce
temperature of soil in hot climates, and moderate the temperature to a level conducive
to microbial activity.
 It also helps in breaking the energy of raindrops, prevent splash and dissipation of soil
structure, obstruct the flow of runoff to reduce their velocity and prevent sheet and rill
erosion.
 They also help in improving the infiltration capacity by maintaining a cnducitve soil
structure at the top surface of the land

Mechanical Measures of Water Erosion Control

Mechanical practices are engineering measures sued to control erosion from sloping
land surfaces and thus land surface modification is done for retention and safe
disposal of runoff water.

In the design of such practices, the basic approach is:

1. To increase the time of stay of runoff water in order to increase the infiltration
time for water.
2. To decrease the effect of land slope on runoff velocity by intercepting the slope at
several points so that the velocity is less than the critical velocity.
3. To protect the soil from erosion caused by the runoff water

Bunding Methods for Water

• Bund is an engineering measure of soil conservation, used for creating obstruction across
the path of surface runoff to reduce the velocity of flowing water.
• It retains the running off water in the watershed and thus to helps to control soil erosion.
• Bunds are simply embankment like structures constructed across the land slope.
Different Types of Bunds
Contour bund: . When the bunds are constructed along the contours with some minor
deviation to
adapt to practical situation, they are known as contour bunds!
Graded bunds: If the bunds are constructed with some slop ethey are known as graded
bunds. The choice of the types of bund is dependent on land slope, rainfall, soil type and
purpose of the bund in the area.
Contour Bunds
The contour bunds are recommended for areas with
• low annual rainfall (<600 mm)
  permeable soils
• land slope of less than 6%.
The main functíons of contour bunds are:
1. It reduces the length of slope which in turn
reduces the soil erosion.
2. The water is impounded for some time and gets
recharged into the soil which helps in crop
cultivation.
Contour bunds are of two types:
1, Narrow base
2. Broad base

Narrow Base
• In narrow base contour bunding system, there is an obstruction for crossing of farm
implements; natural vegetations cover the sides and more height is allowed for same
cross-Section.
• It has limitations that, there is considerable area is lost in constructing the bund; the
bund section is liable to get affected by erosion due to rain drop impact, hence
requires a sincere maintenance.
• The narrow base contour bund also causes obstruction in farming operations.
Broad base
• The broad base contour bunding is concerned, it does not create hindrance in
farming operations; the entire area can be kept under cultivation.
• It has some limitations, such as disturbance of bund s section due to crossing of farm
equipments, as result there is required an attentive care and maintenance.
• Apart from above, the soil of bund is also loosened during movement of farm
machineries, causing reduction in the size of bund in a very short period, unless
some proper mnaintenance is adopted.
Graded Bunds

Graded Bunds
• A graded bund system is designed to dispose of excess runoff safely form agricultural
fields.
•A graded bund is laid out with a longitudinal slope gradient leading to outlet.
• Variations in the grade are provided at different sections of the bund to keep the runoff
velocity within the desired limits so as not to cause any soil erosion.
Graded bunds are laid out in areas where
•The land is susceptible to water erosion
•The area has water logging problems
• High rainfall (>600 mm) and
•Relatively impervious soil.
Terracing
•A Terrace is an earth-embankment, constructed across the slope, to control runoff and
minimize soil erosion loss at highly slopping land (slope >10%).
A terrace acts as an intercept to land slope, and divides the sloping land surface into
strips.
Terraces are classified into to two major types:
1. Broad-base terraces
2. Bench terraces.
• Broad-base terraces are adapted where the main purpose is either to remove or retain
water on sloping land suitable for cultivation.
• The purpose of bench terraces is mainly to reduce the and land slope.
Bench Terracing
• The original bench terrace system consists of a series of flat shelf-like areas that convert a
steep
slope of 20 to 30% to a series of level, or nearly level benches.
• In other words, bench terracing consists of construction of series of platforms along
contours cut
into hill slope in a step like formation.
These platforms are separated at regular intervals by vertical drop or by steep sided and
protected
by vegetation and sometimes packed by stone retaining walls.
• In hilly areas bench terraces is used for the purpose of converting hill slopes to suit
agriculture.
• In some areas where the climatic conditions favour the growing of certain cash crops like
potato,
coffee, the hill slopes are to be bench terraced before the area is put forzultivation of these
crops.
• It also been adopted for converting sloping lands into irrigated fields or for orchard
plantations.
Types of Bench Terraces
Depending on the purpose for which they are used, bench terraces are also
classified as follows:
1. Hill-type bench terraces: used for hilly areas with a gradereversely towards the hill.
2. Irrigated bench terraces: level benches adopted under irrigated conditions.
3. Orchard bench terraces: narrow width terraces for individual tree.

Bench Terraces Sloping Outward

• In bench terraces sloping outward, shoulder bund is essential even though such
a bund is provided in the other two types also for giving stability to the edge of
the terrace.
• In these terraces the rainfall thus conserved will have more time for soaking
into the soil.
Bench Terraces Sloping Inward
• Bench terraces with slopes inside are to be adopted in heavy rainfall areas
where a major portion of the rainfall is to be drained as surface runoff.
• In the case of these terraces, a suitable drain at the inward end of each of these
terraces is to be provided to drain the runoff.
• These drains ultimately lead to a suitable outlet.
• These are also known as hill-type terraces.
Bench Terraces with Level Top
Bench terraces with level top are suitable for areas of medium rainfall, evenly
distributed and having deep and highly permeable soils.
• Due to the fact that no slope is given to the benches it is expected that the most
of the rainfall coming over the area is to be absorbed by the soil and very little
water is to go as surface drainage.
• These types of terraces are also used where irrigation facilities are available and
referred to as irrigated bench terraces.

Wind erosion control measures

A suitable surface soil texture is the best way to control wind erosion protection properly
managed crop residue carefully timed soil delays and accurately placed crop strips and crop
barriers can all effectively control wind erosion.
Proper land use and adaptation of adequate moisture conservation practices are the main tools
which help in wind erosion control
In absence of crop residue soil roughness of soil moisture can reduce the wind erosion
effectively.
Principles of wind erosion control
1. The measure to reduce the surface will velocity
2. The measure to improve the soil characteristics

Vegetative Measures
It is one of the most effective and economical means to reduce the eefect of wind on the soil.
It retards the wind velocity near the ground surface and control erosion.
It keeps the soil rough and ridged to either prevent any movement initially or to quickly trap
bouncing soil bouncing soil particles in the depression of the rough surface.
From the basic concept, the velocity of wind decreases near the ground surface because of the
resistance offered by the vegetation.
Vegetative measures can be of two types and the use of these measures depends upon
the severity of erosion
1. Temporary
2. Permanent

Temporary Measure

They consist of growing of erosion resistant crops that is groundnut legumes, grasses,
berseem etc. Which are the most effective for illusion control and then the intracted crops.
The effectiveness is dependent upon the stage of growth, density of cover, row direction,
width of Rose, kind of crops and climatic conditions. They should have ability to grow with
rapid speed against the wind and also be able to withstand for a long time. They should
provide a dense vegetative power during critical season of the

Permanent Measures
They consist of learning of trees commercial rubs and in grasses for protecting the land
against wild erosion they are of two types
1. Windbreaks
2. Shelter belts

The term windbreak is defined as any type of value either mechanical or vegetative use for
protecting the areas like buildings apartments orchards or farms the windbreak act has
fencing ball around the affected alien normally constructed by one row maximum up to rows
across the prevailing wind direction this is the permanent vegetative measure which helps in
reduction of wind erosion. He introduces the wind speed up to 60-80% on levered side.

The windbreak reduces the speed of the leeward side at 20 meter away up to 20% only and in
the areas as at 300 meter away full, there is no effect at all therefore at an interval of 300
meters such wind breaks should be repeated
Shelter Belts
Shelterbelt is more effective for reducing the impact of wind movement than the windbreak
scores of apart from controlling the wind elusion provides fuel reduces evaporation and
protects the orchard from the hot and cold winds.
A shelterbelt is a longer barrier than the wind break, is installed by using more than two rows,
usually at right angle to the direction of prevailing winds.
The rows of belt can be developed by using shrubs and trees.
 It is mainly used for the conservation of soil moisture and for the protection of field crops,
against severe wind erosion.

Width of shelter belt

It indicates the number of rows of plants, raised in the shelter belt or break. A wind break
involves one or maximum two rows but a shelter belt involves more than two rows.
Two rows of plants should be raised in following trends:
1. The row of tallest tree should be arranged in the middle of shelterbelt.
2. Shorter trees should be raised in the sides of tallest tree row.
3. The shrubs should be planted at the outer edge of belt.

Types of shelter belt

1. Right angle triangle shelter belt
2. Triangle shelter belt

Tillage Practices
 Tillage practices are generally used for moisture conservation so that erodibility
reduces. The common tillage practices are:

1. Primary and secondary tillage

2. Use of crop residue
3. Strip cropping

Primary and Secondary tillage

 The main aim to produce a rough and cloddy surface of soil to resist the
wind velocity.
 The soil should be ploughed soon after the rain for clod formation.
 A network of small ridges generally 100mm high is formed throughout the
field, in the direction normal to the prevailing wind.
 They do not obstruct the wind but also changes the wind direction between
the ridges and help in soil deposition.
 Roughening can be used in both crop and pastures areas. Surface
roughening alone is inadequate for sandy soils because they produce few
clods
 Ridges that are lower than 100 mm get quickly filled with sand, whilst the
crest of the ridge that is higher than 100 mm trends to erode very quickly.
Use of crop residues
 Crop residues known as stubble mulching act in two ways, they reduce the wind
velocity over the land surface and trap in the eroding soils on the soil surface.
 A mixture of straw and stubble provides better protection against wind erosion.
 It also helps in better absorption of rainfall, reduces raindrop erosion, reduced
evaporation losses, increases in productivity by adding organic matter in soil.
Field and Contour Strip cropping

 It consist of alternate strips of row crops and close growing crops in the same
field.
 The strip cropping is laid out generally parallel to the field boundary or
perpendicular to the erosive wind direction.
 The width of the strip is maintained such as it should not hamper the farming
operation and should not allowed much erosion
 The combination of row crop that permit erosion i.e. maize, cotton, potato ,
bajra, jowar etc. are sown with erosion resistant crops i.e. groundnut, legumes,
grasses, berseem etc.

Mechanical Measures
 This method consists of some mechanical obstacles, constructed across the
prevailing wind, to reduce the impact of blowing wind on the soil surface.
  These obstacles may be fences, walls, stone packing etc. either in the nature
of semi-permable or permeable barriers.
 The semi-permeable barriers are most effective , because they create diffusion
and eddying effects on their downstream face.
 Terraces and bunds also obstructs the wind velocity and control the wind
erosion to some extent.

Conserving the soil moisture

 The conservation of moisture, particularly in arid and semi-arid is important both for
wind erosion control and crop growth
 It can be achieved by increasing the soil infiltration, reducing evaporation loss and
preventing unnecessary plant growth
 Various practices such as terracing, contouring, mulching and selection of suitable
crops should be adopted
 Among the measures, mulching is one of the most suitable practices used successfully
to control wind erosion

Conditioning of the top soil

 The wind erosion is greatly influences by the top soil condition as it affects the
detachment of soil particles.
 Adoption of tillage practices to produce non-erosive soil aggregates is an effective
method.
 Crop management practices, crop rotation, tillage, addition of manures and organic
matter have a great effect on wind control erosion control as they help to develop a
good soil structure and able to withstand wind velocity