Vetiver hedges and sisal halt soil erosion, improve soil and water conservation
Practical Action
conservation techniques. To successfully plant vetiver grass and sisal in the affected area, run-off
must either be reduced or diverted. A storm drain or contour ridge must be put in place to divert
run-off to some nearby safe discharge point such as adjoining stream or heavy bush or grass area.
While the final objective of soil erosion (gully control) is to stabilize the channel by vegetation,
some gully beds can be very hostile. Having developed steep banks, vegetation cover cannot
easily establish. The deeper the gully, the lower is the water table of the surrounding area. The
low moisture regimes discouraging vegetation growth and the healing process can be slow.
Silting the Gully
To facilitate vegetation
growth, the gully bed
should be silted. This
can be achieved
through various ways.
Where brushwood is
available, staking it
across the gully as
checks can give
satisfactory siIting
resuIts.
Stone bolsters
also present
cheap
alternatives
Gabions,
through
expensive
provide other
To facilitate vegetation growth, the gully bed should be silted.
successful
means of silting the channels of
affected areas
Plant vetiver grass or sisal on the silted check points within the gully or affected area.
On shallow gullies, levelling of banks can be attempted. It is expensive with big gullies. Once the
banks are levelled, vetiver grass or sisal can be planted to stabilize the banks. In case, the form
structure to be employed and materials utilized will depend on cost and availability. Measures
adopted must be modified to conform to the ensuring benefits. Reclamation work is best tackled
late in the rain season when the heaviest storms are over but the ground will still be rnoistest. It
can vary depending on the nature of work to be undertaken.
As a result of effective soil and water conservation fruit trees can be grown to supply valuable
food for home consumption and marketing purposes.
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