Potential Grass Species for Soil Conservation and Fodder Production in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53550/ijsc.v53.i2.199Keywords:
Carbon sequestration, Contour hedgerows, Grass root characters, Perennial grass systems, Sloping land management, Tropical hill ecosystemsAbstract
Soil erosion and fodder shortages on sloping terrains in the Nilgiri Hills have intensified due to grassland conversion to agriculture. While bench terracing is recommended for slopes exceeding 16%, high costs limit farmer adoption. This two-year field experiment (2019-21) at ICAR-IISWC, Udhagamandalam, evaluated eight grass species—four fodder grasses (Guinea grass, Congo signal, Cumbu Napier hybrid CO(CN) 4, Bajra Napier CO(BN) 5 and four native grasses (Weeping love grass, Guatemala grass, Vetiver, Lemon grass)—for soil conservation efficiency, biomass yield, and ecosystem services. Results showed that Bajra Napier CO(BN) 5 and Cumbu Napier CO(CN) 4 provided superior soil conservation through extensive foliage spread (150 and 146 cm), higher root mass density (1.26 and 1.20 gcc-1), and greater soil binding capacity (195,613 and 180,867 cc), while delivering maximum biomass yields (310 and 262 t ha-1yr-1) and superior crude protein content (14%). Vetiver and Congo signal grasses enhanced soil organic carbon stocks most effectively (38.7 and 31.7 t ha⁻¹ gain), with vetiver exhibiting greatest CO₂ sequestration (85.17 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) despite higher soil respiration. Hybrid Napier grasses proved ideal for dual purposes—erosion control and fodder production—while vetiver excelled in carbon storage. Integrating complementary grasses offers a sustainable, low-cost alternative to mechanical bench terracing in fragile hill ecosystems.
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