4.3 Soil Conservation Guidelines

Soil conservation is considered on a holistic basis as activities and techniques of environmentally sound production of food, wood, and other commodities based on sustainable use of land, species and ecosystem. In all these areas a combination of several conservation practices are
recommended and packages will depend on area and crops/ livestock/tree species on the land.

4.3.1 Lowlands and Flat Areas (Slopes up to 2%)

Lowlands are the alluvial plains and the bottom-lands of small tributaries in a catchment. The following soil conservation structures and practices are recommended :

 surface or subsurface drainage;
 interception and diversion ditches;
 rows of crops should be laid out at right angles to the contour lines;
 crop rotation; and,
 fertility improvement (package will depend on crops and area).

4.3.2 Undulating to Hilly Topography (Slopes of 3 to 15%)

Recommended conservation practices:

 contour cultivation;
 contour ridges or absorption banks at a spacing of 30 m;
 grass strips and strip cropping; width 30 m;
 mulching;
 agroforestry;
 crop rotation and fertility improvement;
 wind breaks or shelter belts should be located perpendicular to main erosive wind direction.

4.3.3 Steep Topography (Slopes 15 - 60%)

Simple conservation practices are insufficient to stop erosion and following management practices are recommended:

 terraces;
 contour cultivation (ploughing and planting along the contour), and absorption banks at a spacing of 10 -
20 m;
 crop rotation and fertility improvement;
 strip-cropping, with strip width of 10 to 20 m;
 agro-forestry.

4.3.4 Pasture and Rangelands

4.3.4.1 Pasture

 contour furrows at small distances (20 m);
 interception ditches;
 stone cordons : loose stones on the surface collected and deposited on contours;
 silt-traps, built from stones or soil in small depressions;).
 pasture and fertility improvement.
In addition, an optimum stocking rate is required. Areas with fertile soils and rainfall amounts of >850 mm per
year - 2 cows per hectare recommended; areas with low
fertility and rainfall of <850 mm per year - 1 cow per hectare. Pasture species and animal breeds are additional
considerations.

4.3.4.2 Rangelands

These recommendations are particularly targeted at the "Cattle Corridor". Recommendations will depend on state of rangelands. These include:

 re-vegetation or re-seeding - closing the area to grazing and allow natural grasses to establish or re- seed with suitable species of grasses and legumes;
 gully control with mechanical barriers (dry reeds, vegetation, stones, etc);
 controlled or rotational grazing;
 run-off harvesting - divert and impound run-off to prevent soil erosion, gully development and allow slow
permeability into the soil;
 fertility improvement; and,
 remove low value grass and tree species to allow nutritive species to proliferate and cover bare ground.