Contouring, Terracing and Strip Planting by Muhammad Zuhair class presentation by Farhan Ahmad group

2. Contouring, Terracing
and Strip Planting
By
Muhammad Zuhair
C.No.250
Department of Agronomy
Faculty of Crop Production Sciences
The University of Agriculture Peshawar

3. Contouring
The idea is to break the slope of the land into smaller, more
level compartments by constructing mechanical structures of
suitable size along contours. Each bund, thus, holds the
rainwater within each compartment and control the erosion.

5. Locations and conditions for use
Contouring are particularly suited to countries or communities with
the following macro conditions:
• Severe erosion hazards
• Areas with small holdings and a dense population.
• Areas where there are food shortages or high unemployment rates.
• Areas where crops require flood irrigation

6. The rice terraces and valleys of Jati Luwih,
Bedugul, Central Bali.
Terracing:
On steeper slopes, terraces or
flat platforms are constructed
in steps in a series along the
slope. This way water is
retained on each terrace which
can be used to raise crops.
• It is an engineering soil
conservation practice
• It is also called bench
terracing.

8. Types of Terracing
1. Level or Table top terrace
2. Sloping inwards
3. Sloping outwards
4. Conservation type terrace

9. Level or Table top terrace
Table top terrace are suitable for:
• Areas receiving medium rainfall
• Areas having highly permeable and deep soils

11. Sloping inwards terrace
Sloping inwards bench terrace are suitable for:
• Areas receiving heavy rainfall.
• It is useful for crops susceptible to water lodging.
• Runoff towards hillside.

13. Sloping outwards terrace:
Sloping outwards bench terrace are suitable for:
• Areas receiving low rainfall & permeable soil of medium depth. at
lower ends graded channels are provided for safe disposal of runoff

15. Conservation type terrace
In this type of terrace:
• Modified form of level terrace
• Use moisture of uncropped area
• Barrier is established across the land at suitable interval and the
terrace is developed by pushing soil downhill and subsequent natural
leveling.

17. Strip Planting.
This practice consists of growing erosion-permitting crops
(Barley, maize) in alternate strips with erosion checking close-
growing crops (grasses, pulses). The erosion checking strips
check and hold the flowing water and soil.

20. Advantages
• Reduces the soil erosion.
• Aesthetical value
• Intensive land use.
• Economically beneficial.
• Availability of food for local area.
• Flood chances can be reduce.
• Improves the condition of the slope for plant establishment.
• Reduces runoff velocities and increases infiltration.

21. Disadvantages
• Highly labor demand and time consuming.
• Increased cost relative to alternative slope stabilization techniques.
• Can be complicated to design and install, and may fail if not
properly designed and installed.

22. Terraces in northern Luzon Philippines
2000-B.C

23. Citrus Orchard in southern France

24. Lebanon hill side

25. Level bench terracing in Japan

26. Swat Valley, Pakistan

27. Kashmir, Pakistan