**4. Measures for management of ravine land**

The agricultural activity with land leveling is preferred for slope stabilization and its management in shallow ravines due to presence of deep and alluvial soil. The increased cost of land leveling operation is a major constraint and key factor in making decision for management of medium and deep ravines. The appropriate ways for management of ravines is reducing runoff intensity and safe disposal of runoff in ravines. The runoff generated from the adjacent marginal land is managed

**183**

*Ecological Engineering Measures for Ravine Slope Stabilization and Its Sustainable Productive…*

by constructing peripheral bund, checking of runoff/sediment in the interconnected gullies by earthen gully plugs/bori-bund/composite check dams at proper horizontal interval. The terracing is recommended in shallow and medium ravines slopes along with agroforestry measures for sustainable land use. The deep and very deep ravines are recommended to be kept under permanent vegetative cover along with site specific soil and water conversation measures. The medium and deep gullies having steeper slopes and economically not suitable for cultivation can be put under silvi-pasture permanent vegetation cover with protection from grazing for

**4.1 Engineering measures for management of shallow ravine land**

increases the water and nutrient use efficiency of the cropping systems.

About one third of the ravine lands in the country are shallow ravines (<1 m deep) and can be easily reclaimed with simple earth moving machinery for cultivation of crops. The management of shallow ravines instigates with designing and instituting a peripheral bund along the gully head to check the runoff generated from the adjoining marginal lands. The land leveling operations across the slope and smoothening on the upstream side of the peripheral bund increases the infiltration opportunity time for the runoff generated from the crop field. The in-situ soil moisture conservation

Vegetative barriers are used either for supplementing or substituting earthen

The Napier, Guinea and Para fodder grasses strips of 1 m and 2 m were grown as vegetative barrier in 2% slope in shallow ravines. The lowest sediment yield was observed in 2 m width of Napier grass strip (1.43 t/ha) followed by 2 m width of Guinea and Para grass strips as compared to control (4.07 t/ha), respectively. The 2 m width of Napier grass strips has lowest nutrient loss of (N-5.64 kg/ha, P-3.1 kg/ ha, K-5.4 kg/ha) followed by Guinea and Para were found almost equally efficient in reducing nutrient losses from crop field which is 28 to 30% of nutrient losses from control (N-20.01 kg/ha, P-8.3 kg/ha, K-17.00 kg/ha). The equivalent yield of 2 m width of Napier grass strip and cotton crop (1293.5 kg/ha) has highest yield followed by others. The economic analysis shows that Napier grass strips of 2 m width was found best in reducing runoff, soil loss, nutrient losses and net return from crop field [10].

Grassed waterways are important for preventing the scouring of channel bed in shallow ravines. The *Para* grass strips in waterways were optimized for grass cover to check runoff velocity and reduce sediment concentration in downstream water bodies. The different *Para* grass cover (0–100%) in waterways was studied at 2% slope. The different grass covers are 100%, 75%, 50%, 25% and no grass cover. These *Para* grass strips were able to produce green grass yield of 14.5 kg/m2

*para* grass strips in waterways is able to reduce the outflow up to 22% with 100%

. The

bunds. The *Dichanthium annulatum, Cenchrus ciliaris, Vetiveria zizanioides, Eulaliopsis binata, Saccharum munja* and *Aloe barbadensis* vegetative barriers were evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing runoff, soil and nutrients losses from 2% slope of marginal shallow ravines. Vegetative barriers were grown across the slope at 45 m horizontal interval, in paired rows of 10 cm slip to slip spacing. The cultivation of pigeon pea (BDN-2) was done at 120 × 30 cm spacing in all plots. These vegetative barriers reduced the annual runoff by 19.7 to 50.1% and soil loss by

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94136*

proper management of these lands.

*4.1.1 Vegetative barrier*

*4.1.2 Grassed waterway*

51.1 to 80.3% over the control plot [10].

#### *Ecological Engineering Measures for Ravine Slope Stabilization and Its Sustainable Productive… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94136*

by constructing peripheral bund, checking of runoff/sediment in the interconnected gullies by earthen gully plugs/bori-bund/composite check dams at proper horizontal interval. The terracing is recommended in shallow and medium ravines slopes along with agroforestry measures for sustainable land use. The deep and very deep ravines are recommended to be kept under permanent vegetative cover along with site specific soil and water conversation measures. The medium and deep gullies having steeper slopes and economically not suitable for cultivation can be put under silvi-pasture permanent vegetation cover with protection from grazing for proper management of these lands.
