Influence of vetiver grass strip and vetiver

grass mulch in soil erosion control and

improvement of maize yields in SW Nigeria

By
Kayode Are
B. Agric. (Ife); M.Sc. (Soil Science)
(Ibadan)
 Objectives
 To determine sediment trapping efficiency of
vetiver systems on sloppy land,

 To evaluate the effectiveness of vetiver grass

systems in reducing runoff and nutrient
enrichment ratio of eroded sediment,

 To compare the efficacy of vetiver buffer

strips with vetiver grass mulch in improving
soil accretion, slope stabilization and crop
yield.
 Materials and methods
The research was carried out in the experimental
sites of the institute of Agricultural Research &
Training (I. A. R. & T.) Ibadan (70 31// N; 30 51//).
the land area was partitioned into three blocks with
each block having four runoff plots in a randomized
complete block design.
The treatments imposed at were Vetiver strip at 10 m
interval (VS), Vetiver strip at 10 m interval + 4
tons/ha vetiver mulch (VS+ 4t/haVM), 6 tons/ha
vetiver mulch (6t/haVM) and no vetiver grass (C)
 Materials and methods cont’d

Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides L., sterile

cultivar) slips were planted in buffer strips (10 m
interval) in the plots selected for VS and VS +
4t/haVM immediately after land preparation, to form
a buffer strip across the slope (Fig. 1)
Soil loss, runoff, soil accumulation, nutrient loss and
grain yield were estimated from the sites.
 Vetiver strip

Fig. 1: Vetiver grass strips across the slope

 Erosion chamber

Fig 2: Sediment and runoff water collecting devices.

 Erosion
pins

Fig. 3: Vetiver buffer strip across the slope and erosion

pins to measure soil accretion.
 Highlights of Results
Runoff and soil loss in Control (no vetiver) plots
were significantly higher than the other plots with
vetiver systems (Table 1).
Evidence of erosion was shown in the large
quantity of soil loss in the control plots.
Vetiver buffer strips, whether alone or in
combination with mulch seem to be more effective
than Vetiver mulch in controlling soil loss than
runoff.
The level of soil accumulation (soil accretion) in
the Vetiver buffer strip plots was higher than those
plots with mulch only.
 Highlights of Results
There was soil attrition (soil wear) in the control
plots instead of soil accumulation, thereby
responsible for slope instability.
The treatments show no significant difference for
PO4-P, NO3-N and NH4-N runoff loss but 10 m VS,
6 t/ha VM and 10 m VS + 4 t/ha reduced NO3-N
loss by 16, 16 and 8%, respectively (Fig. 4).
The manurial effect of vetiver mulch was reflected
in the significant increase in grain yield compared
to other treatments (Fig. 5).
Table 1: Effects of vetiver grass system on runoff, soil loss and soil accretion

Treatment Runoff (mm) Soil loss (Kg/ha) Soil accretion after

late 2008 season
(mm)
Early Late Early Late IB
2008 2008 2008 2008

10 m VS 4.15 2.05 72.24 49.56 80

6 ton/ha VM 3.55 1.71 78.52 59.11 56
10 m VS + 3.45 1.56 69.55 44.69 82
4ton/ha VM

Control 8.35 6.24 305.44 256.62 - 46

LSD 3.78* 2.65* 185.80* 170.81* NS
IB represents Ibadan NS indicates no significant difference at 5% level while *
indicates significant difference at 5% level.
NH4-N
Conclusions
Vetiver buffer strips, whether alone or in
combination with mulch seem to be more
effective than Vetiver mulch in controlling
soil loss than runoff.
The manurial effect of vetiver mulch was
reflected in the significant increase in tested
crop yield