Impact of reinforcing vetiver grass roots on controlling soil erosion

Abstract

Abstract

Significant fatalities, infrastructure destruction, resource depletion, and land degradation are all consequences of landslides. Growth and adequate mitigating efforts are sometimes blamed for their increasing prevalence. Conventional control methods also contribute to environmental imbalance due to their massive carbon footprint. Soil erosion from slopes and plant loss caused by human activity increase the frequency of landslides. Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) and other sustainable and environmentally acceptable techniques are therefore essential for erosion management. For this study, eight 45° small-scale slope models were constructed, four of which were bare (later planted with vetiver) and four of which were reinforced with jute geotextile and vetiver roots. In order to assess runoff control and erosion, four types of soil - red, black cotton, laterite, and sandy soils were utilized in the models. Following 90 and 365 days of planting, high, moderate, and low intensities of artificial rainfall were applied. The results showed that vegetation reduced cumulative runoff by 21 - 26% and increased infiltration by 25 - 45% for black cotton, red, and laterite soils. Silty sand performed even better, with 60% greater infiltration and 30% less runoff. Additionally, compared to other soils, the amount of soil eroded in sandy soil is reduced to 0.018 kg. The protection of canopy and root reinforcement significantly reduced runoff and erosion. In the early days, erosion was discovered to be successfully reduced by the combination of vetiver and jute geotextile. Vetiver generally performed better in soils with more sand, indicating that soil type had a major influence on erosion processes. All four soils reached stable cumulative erosion after runoff and erodibility increased linearly with rainfall intensity above a particular threshold.