Soil erosion control through bench terraces in Chandel District of Manipur

This study was carried out with the objective to assess soil erosion losses after intervention of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Chandel with modern scientific technology in the traditional conventional cultivation followed in the hilly sloping areas of the district. This is for the first time such a resource conservation technology has been demonstrated in the district of Chandel in Manipur. Bench terracing is a time proven technology practiced across the world in sloping fields. Though construction of bench terraces is often time-consuming and laborious at the initial stage, but is worth it, given the long-lifespan and the efficacy it shows. It was demonstrated that soil retention up to a tune of 207.5 t/ ha/yr in the first year, nearly 136.5 t/ha in the second year, nearly 88.9 t/ha in the third year and almost 78.3 t/ha in the fourth year could be achieved. Thus, it was concluded that systematic and proper layout of bench terraces in the hill fields can dramatically reduce a huge amount of soil from getting eroded from the farm land of Chandel, Manipur and thus lead the tribal farmers towards sustainable existence through agriculture.