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Alley Cropping and Hedge Species Effects on Soil Erosion and Crop Yield at Hilly Areas of Bangladesh

Mahbubul Islam
Principal Scientific officer
Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Centre (SCWMC), Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI), Bandarban.

Md Babul Hossain
Senior Scientific Officer
Land Use Planning section, Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI), Dhaka

Dr. Kazi Nazrul Islam
Scientific Officer (Entomology)
OFRD, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Patuakhali-8600, Bangladesh

N.M. Zahangir
Senior Scientific Officer
Regional Laboratory, Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI), Cumilla

Md Khorshed Alam
Former Director
Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI),Dhaka

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The experiment was conducted at the Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Centre (SCWMC), SRDI under Bandarban Hill District from 2013 to 2016 to identify suitable hedge species and assess alley width in controlling soil erosion as well as maximizing crop yield at hill slopes in Chattogram Hill Tract of Bangladesh. The experiment was carried out in a split-plot design having three replications. In order to perform cataloguing the hedges and their alley, 4(four) hedge plants were selected such as Indigofera, Bogamedula, Pineapple and Napier and three hill slopes were gentle, moderate and steep slope. The different alley width under each hedge species was 5m, 4m and 3m. Soil erosion was measured through the spike layout method. The results revealed that the Hedge plant of low height (pineapple) provided better performance than that of higher height hedge plant because it provided intensive light and better root binding. But higher height hedge plants supplied more bio-mass than lower height hedge plants. Grass species (Napier) responded better than tree/shrub species (Bogamedula and Indigofera) on crops yield. Pineapple performed better than all other hedge species on crop yield (10.26 t/ha) and soil loss (8.897 t/ha) throughout the gentle slope gradients and 3 meter alley width. Due to the addition of bio-mass and comparatively less soil erosion from managed plots, crop productivity was better than control plots. Slope Gradients played an important role on crop yield and soil erosion. The highest yield (10.12A) and minimum soil loss (11.92 t/ha) were recorded in a gentle slope than those of moderate and steep slopes.

Keywords: Alley cropping, Crop yield, Hedge species, soil erosion

Location: Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Centre (SCWMC), SRDI under Bandarban Hill District

Start Date: 07-05-2013

End Date: 22-09-2016

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Okra, Yard long bean

Objectives:

1. Identification of different hedge species and evaluate alley width in controlling soil erosion

2. Estimation of soil loss under different hedge species and alley width at different slope

3. Investigation of the effect of different hedge species and their alley width on crop yield at different hill slopes

Methodology:

Experimental Location: The experiment was conducted at the Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Centre, SRDI-under Bandarban Hill District from 2013 to 2016. The site was located in the South-Southeast hilly region of Bangladesh. The location of the site is between 22º09´16 to 22º10´32 North latitude and 92º11´17 to 92º11´34 East longitudes with an elevation of 92-133 m above mean sea level. The climate of the experimental site is sub-tropical characterized by heavy rainfall from May to September and scanty rainfall during the rest of the year.

Treatments: Four different hedge species were arranged and three different alley widths under each hedge species were distributed at different slopes, respectively. Three different slopes such as gentle slope (about 12% slope) (S₁), moderate slope (about 25% slope) (S₂) and steep slope (about 35% slope) (S₃) and 4 different Hedge species such as Ananas comosus (Pineapple = H₁), Bogamedula spp. (Bogamedula = H₂), Pennibetum purpureum (Napier = H₃), Indigofera sanatrana (Indigofera = H₄) and Control (H₅). The different alley widths under each hedge species were 3.0m, 4m and 5m. Each plot containing 3 lines of the hedge.

Experimental Design: The experiment was laid out in a Split Plot design with 3 (three) replications. The treatments were arranged randomly in each block. The dimensions of each plot of 5.0 m alley spacing were 11.0 m x 4.0 m (44.0 m²) and every plot of 4.0 m alley spacing is (9.0 m x 4.0 m (36.0 m²) for all slope gradients. On the other hand, the dimension of each plot of 3.0 m alley spacing was 4.0 m x 7.0 m (28.0 m²) for all slope classes. The upper and lower line of the hedge was established at a distance of 0.50 m from the upper and lower plot boundary maintaining contour. Another line was situated at the middle of the plot across the slope. 2 different crops like ladies fingers and yard-long beans were used as test crops. The seeds of test crops were dibbled from a distance of 0.25 m from the upper and lower plot boundary. Different row to row and plant to plant distances maintained in respect of different crops. For Okra, plant to plant distance was 0.50 m and row to row distance was 0.75 m. On the other hand, plant to plant and row to row distance for yard-long bean were 0.60 m and 1.0 m respectively on all slope gradients. Hedge lines were established maintaining in contour lines. Different hedge species were dibbled in different slopes in late May –July 2013. Soil erosion was measured through the Spike layout method. In every plot, six spikes were inserted; three were near the upper side (top of the plot) and another three were near the lower end hedge line of the plots.

Data collection and analysis: Data were collected from randomly selected ten plants from each plot. Collected data were analyzed statistically following MSTAT software program. Analysis of variance for crop characters and soil loss was done following the F-test. Mean comparisons of the treatments were done following Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT).

Source of Information: International Journal of Business, Social and Scientific Research (2020) Volume: 8, Issue: 3, Page: 9–14

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Hedge plants have significant effects on minimizing soil loss as well as growth attributes and yield of crops. Hedge plant of low height (pineapple) provides better performance than that of taller plants as because it provides intensive light and better root binding. Grass species (Napier) response were better than tree/shrub species (Bogamedula and Indegofera) on declining soil loss and increase of crops yield. Performance of pineapple among all other hedge species on minimizing soil loss and enhancing crop yield was recorded the best on all slope gradients and alley width. In addition, more yields were gained from the maintained plots by the hedge, though the number of total plants was relatively low in those plots than the controlled one. Due to the addition of bio-mass and comparatively less soil erosion in hedge managed plots, crop productivity was higher. Slope Gradients have the most important role in crop yield and soil erosion factors. The highest yields and the lowest soil loss were recorded in gentle slopes than those of moderate and steep slopes respectively. Crop yield reduced significantly with the raise of slope gradients.

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