Arundo donax erosion controlling mats for soil moisture conservation on slopping rainfed arable lands of north-western Himalaya

Technology description:

Arundo donax erosion controlling mats is the technology developed for conserving soil and water cover using locally available sources such as Giant-reed (Arundo donax). It is a technology which is making it unaffordable for small and marginal farmers in the Himalayan region who face a significant risk of crop failure due to factors like frequent floods, droughts, damage from wild animals, etc. In the end, this may lead to a hill agricultural system with low production and lower profitability. Therefore, Arundo donax mats are efficiently used when they are abundantly accessible, this could offer a long-term solution for managing soil moisture and preventing soil erosion. Additionally, adoption of this technique could create employment opportunities for rural youth by linking soil and water conservation with profit making enterprises and diversify traditional rainfed maize-wheat rotations of NWHR.