Legumes in Soil Conservation
2022
Verma, T.R.
In the western part of India the climate is semi-arid with a rainfall of 20 inches per year. The rainfall is concentrated in a short period of three months from July to September. The winter and summer are almost dry. A high intensity is the main characteristic of the rains in this period and such rains cause moderate to severe erosion on bare soils. The coarse texture of the soils and the hilly nature of the land accelerate the processes of erosion. It is generally agreed that legumes play an .indispensable and vital role in conservation farming. The value of legumes in the tropics for safeguarding the surface soil against erosion is overlooked by cultivators who are usually acutely short of cereal grains. Khan (3) mentioned the use of legumes as the cheapest soil conservation measure to combat soil fertility losses. Agarwal and Gupta (1,2) also mentioned the importance of lugumes to soil fertility and for improving the physical condition of soil. The necessity of phosphate manuring, however to achieve maximum growth of legumess for effective cover has also been mentioned by Sen and Bains (4), and by Shende and Sen (5).
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