Vetiver for Uma Oya catchment conservation

Paper presents the extension strategies of the Upper Mahaweli Watershed Management Project (UMWP) in order to promote Vetiver as a measure of soil and water conservation in the Uma Oya Catchment. The Uma Oya, with a catchment area of 740 square km, is the only main tributary of Mahaweli River which flows into Rantambe Reservoir. Present Land Use practices has contributed excessive soil erosion within the catchment, is of gave concern to Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka. Land degradation in the Uma Oya catchment and the associated problems have been the main focus on the UMWP and its accords priority to land productivity improvement and conservation with appropriate measures Preliminary survey conducted in the area indicated that the farmers are resuletant to establish live hedges with leguthinous tree species due to a) Individual extent being small b) Shading effect of such hedgerows on crops c) Stray animal damage during the off season d) Severe blowing e) Root competition and f) Drought that prevail for longer period. Taking all these constraints into consideration, non fodder vetiver has identified for Uma Oya Conservation Programme with the consent of the farmers as well as the Provincial Agricultural Department. UMWP being a technical co-operation project does not implement large scale programmes by itself. It will only assist and build an environment for mass scale implementation through existing extension agencies. High value cash crops such as potatoes and vegetables are the main crops cultivated on hill slopes during the main rainy season. Project intention is not to change the present cropping systems into the systems but to introduce better and simple conservation systems into the systems. UMWP while strengthening the implementing agencies by providing technical know-how, training, awareness materials for various target groups and planting materials it also does limited field level demonstrations. It was evident that by establishing close links with line agencies in the area helps to promote vetiver as a measure of conservation.