Rice Straw Geotextile as Ground Cover for Soil Erosion Mitigation

Results of simulation revealed that the main effects of slope gradient and geotextile on the different parameters investigated were found to be highly significant. Regardless of the intensity of rainfall applied, significantly higher sediment concentration, sediment yield and soil erosion were observed at slope gradient of 35 degrees. Except for sediment yield, lowest sediment concentration and soil erosion were noted at the lowest slope gradient of 10 degrees. On the other hand, the different geotextiles used as ground cover greatly affected all the parameters being evaluated. Irrespective of rainfall intensity, all the geotextiles tested had significantly lower sediment concentration, sediment yield and soil loss as compared with NGC. Generally, the relationships of slope gradient versus sediment concentration, sediment yield and soil erosion were found to be nonlinear. At any given level of rainfall intensity, the three indicators increased correspondingly as the slope was increased from 10 to 35 degrees and then declined when the slope was further increased from 35 to 60 degrees.