S. Kala, A.K. Parandiyal, Ashok Kumar, G.L. Meena, H.R. Meena, Shakir Ali, R.A. Jat, Anita Kumawat and I. Rashmi
Abstract
The best scientific land use for resource poor degraded lands is to be placing them under permanent vegetative cover with perennial plants including fruit and forest trees along with forage grasses and energy yielding species. Karanj based Silvipasture system gives direct income /benefits from oilseed, oil cake, small firewood, leaf fodder, dry leaves as mulch material and green fodder grass yield as an additional income. Similarly, Dicanthium annulatum species gives average yield of 6-7 t ha-1 yr-1up to 8-10 years after that it may reduce due to shade effect of Karanj trees. Hence, cultivation of fodder grass is possible up to 8- 10 years for getting additional income from green grass yield under inter-spaces of Karanj based system on ravine lands. Apart from direct benefits, this Silvipasture system might play a significant role on resource conservation and carbon sequestration service under ravine ecosystem as an ecosystem or intangible benefits. The B: C ratio of the system is 1.32. It indicates that this technology is economically viable and ecologically suitable for productive utilization of ravine lands. Dry land fodder grass combined agroforestry systems are highly preferable for productive utilization of small, medium and deep ravenous lands along the banks of the major rivers like Chambal, Yamuna, Kalisindh, Mahi, and their tributaries in the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Hence, Karanj-based silvipasture technology is highly suitable for arresting ravine extension, reclamation and productive utilization of ravine lands in the Chambal region.