ALLEY CROPPING AND HEDGE SPECIES EFFECTS ON SOIL EROSION AND CROP YIELD AT HILLY AREAS OF BANGLADESH

The experiment was conducted at the Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Centre (SCWMC), SRDI under Bandarban Hill District during 2013 to 2016to identify suitable hedge species and assess alley width in controlling soil erosion as well as maximizing crop yield at hill slopes in Chattogram Hill Tract of Bangladesh. The experiment was carried out in  split plot design having three replications. In order to perform cataloguing the hedges and their alley, 4(four) hedge plants were selected such as Indigofera, Bogamedula, Pineapple and Napier and three hill slopes were gentle, moderate and steep slope. The different alley width under each hedge species were 5m, 4m and 3m. Soil erosion was measured through spike lay out method. The results revealed that Hedge plant of low height (pineapple) provided a better performance than that of higher height hedge plant because it provided intensive light and better root binding. But higher height hedge plant supplied more bio-mass than lower height hedge plants. Grass species (Napier) responded better than tree/shrub species (Bogamedula and Indigofera) on crops yield. Pineapple performed better than all other hedge species on crop yield (10.26 t/ha) and soil loss (8.897 t/ha) throughout the gentle slope gradients and 3 meter alley width. Due to addition of bio-mass and comparatively less soil erosion from managed plots, crop productivity was better than control plot. Slope Gradients played important role on crop yield and soil erosion. The highest yield (10.12A) and minimum soil loss (11.92 t/ha) were recorded in gentle slope than those of moderate and steep slope.