Runoff and soil loss under varying rainfall magnitudes and its prediction for different vegetative cover s in Bundelkhand region

Predictive erosion relationships are useful tools for evaluating the impact of land-use practicesonerosion losses and areofmuch use for conservation planning. This five years study was carried out in standard size runoff plots to develop the mathematical relationship for predicting runoff and soil erosion from different canopy covers in red soils of Bundelkhand region on 2% slope. Among various vegetative covers tested, Dica nthiumannulatumrecorded only up to 7 kg ha^-1 loss with rainstorms <25 mm. Castor recorded soil loss between12and 342 kg ha^-1 with low magnitude rainstorms. The medium magnitude rainstorms (25-50 mm) resulted in a total soil loss ranging between 343 and 6442 kg ha^-1 during five years. The minimum annual soil loss with medium magnitude rainfall was observed under castor + green gram among variouskharifannuals (1699 kg ha^-1). Total soil loss with rainstorm >50mm was the highest in cultivated fallow plot with a mean value of 493 kg ha^-1 and minimum in D. annula tum(192 kg ha^-1) followed by groundnut (1835 kg ha^-1). The per storm runoff ranged between 1 and 77; 19 and 567 and 33and 844 kg ha^-1. The regression coefficients varied form 0.412 to 0.846. Five years data based relationships between soil loss, runoff and rainfall can be used to predict the water and soil loss under selected crops in Bundelkhand region. The overall relationship between runoff and rainfall, across the vegetation wasY= 0.644 X with a R² valueof 0.846.