EFFICACY OF NATURAL VEGETATIVE STRIPS ON SOIL EROSION, SOIL NUTRIENTS AND CROPS YIELD IN HILL SLOPE

The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Natural Vegetative Strip (NVS) on soil erosion, soil fertility and yield of crops at the Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Center (SCWMC), SRDI, Bandarban during May 2018 to September 2021. There were four treatments: T₁ = Okra in Natural vegetative strip, T₂ = Okra in control (no NVS), T₃= Yard long bean in natural vegetative strip, T₄ = Yard long bean in Control (no NVS). The experiment revealed that topsoil loss was the highest in control (29.22 t ha^-1) plot planted with Yard long bean which was significantly different from the NVS used plots. Among the NVS applied plots, soil erosion was the lowest in natural vegetative strip plot (10.69 t ha^-1) planted with okra. Soil loss from the control plot planted with okra was 28.95t ha^-1 as well as natural vegetative strip plot was 11.03t ha^-1 planted with yard long bean. The highest yield (8.993 t/ha) was obtained in Okra in NVS managed plot and the lowest yield (6.007 t/ha), was observed in Okra in Control managed plot. On the contrary, the highest yield (9.593 t/ha) was obtained in Yard long bean in NVS managed plot and the lowest yield (6.606 t/ha) was observed in Yard long bean in control plot. Use of natural vegetative strip (NVS) has created positive effects on the morphological and reproductive characteristics as well as on the yield of crops. It also played a vital role on plant growth, crops productivity, fruit length and weight as well as minimizing of soil erosion.