Reduction of runoff and soil loss over steep slopes by using vetiver hedgerow systems

Abstract

Vetiver hedgerow system has potential for reducing runoff and soil loss especially on steep slope areas, but the dynamics of these reductions are not fully understood. This research was conducted to determine reduction in runoff and soil loss by vetiver hedgerow system. Vetiver hedgerow systems with three vertical intervals of hedgerow were tested on three land slopes and compared with the case without hedgerow for six simulated rainfall amounts. The vetiver hedgerows reduce runoff volume and soil loss by 31–69 and 62–86 %, respectively compared to the case without vetiver hedgerow. Runoff volume increases with rainfall amount, and hence increases soil loss. Therefore soil loss increases with land slope, runoff volume, rainfall amount, and vertical hedge interval. Two final equations for estimating soil loss are presented in this study. The first equation contains parameters of runoff volume, land slope, and vertical hedge interval, while the second equation contains rainfall amount instead of runoff volume. The correlation coefficients between estimated soil losses and the experimental data in this study and in the literatures were found to be 0.94 and 0.90 for the first and second equations, respectively.