Using Salix plant to protect stream banks
Type: Technologies
Creation: 2015-08-14 05:37 Updated: 2019-06-04 15:22
Compilers: Shreedip Sigdel
Reviewers: David Streiff, Alexandra Gavilano
Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment
- Country: Nepal
- Further specification of location (e.g. municipality, town, etc.), if relevant: Bhaktapur Municipality-2, Nantukucha, Bhaktapur District
Description of the SLM Technology
Short description of the Technology
Stream banks can be protected by planting them with Salix (Salix babylonica); this is a traditional practice that has been used for streams that flow through agricultural lands.
Detailed description of the Technology
The erosion of stream banks is a natural geomorphic process, but when the streams flow through agricultural land there is a danger that they can overrun their banks and damage crops or erode land used for cultivation. The degree of erosion can be reduced by using structural measures such as lining the banks with concrete or large boulders or by planting trees along the edges. The Salix plant (Salix babylonica) has been found to be particularly useful for preventing erosion because its roots extend deep into the soil and help to anchor the bank. Following age-old tradition, land users in Bhaktapur district have planted Salix along the Bramayaeni khola (stream). It is a low-cost technology that is simple to implement.
Purpose of the Technology: Salix does best in moist soils, such as those found along irrigation channels and along the banks of rivers and streams. Salix saplings are most commonly planted in single rows but sometimes in double rows. After the saplings are planted, the entire area is fenced off using a biofence to protect them from being eaten or trampled by wild animals. Land users keep an eye on the Salix and prune or thin them as needed, for example when it is shading crops, or when they need firewood or can sell the branches.
Photos of the Technology
- 📷 Indira Mulepati
- 📷 Indira Mulepati