Effect of Saline Water on Soil Acidity, Alkalinity and Nutrients Leaching in Sandy Loamy Soil in Rwamagana Bella Flower Farm, Rwanda

The necessity to saline and sodic waters is sometimes used for irrigating agricultural activities under certain circumstances, but it is important to note that the use of these waters comes with specific considerations and limitations. One way to decrease undesirable effects of sodic waters on the physical and chemical properties of soils is to apply organic and chemical amendments within the soil. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of saline water on soil acidity, alkalinity and nutrients leaching in sandy loamy soil at Bella flower farm, in Rwamagana District, Rwanda. The water used was from the Muhazi Lake which is classified as Class I (Saline water quality). Column leaching experiments using treated soils were then conducted under saturated conditions. The soil under experimental was first analyzed for its textural classification, soil properties and is classified as sandy loamy soil. The t-test was taken at 1%, 5% and 10% levels of statistical significance compared to control soil. The results indicated that the application of saline water to soils caused an increase in some soil nutrients like increase of Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg2+), Sulphur (S), CN ratio and Sodium (Na+) and decreased soil texture, physical and chemical properties and remained soil nutrients. Consequently, the intensive addition of saline water leachates to soil in PVC pipes led to decreased of soil EC through leaching and a raiser Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP). The rate of saline water application affected the increase accumulation of SAR and Na% in the top soil layers. The study indicated that saline water is an inefficient amendment for sandy soil with saline water irrigation. The study recommends further studies with similar topic with saline water irrigation, as it accentuated the alkalinity levels.

Trend Impact Analysis of Dissolved Nutrients Released From Soil on Water Quality in Qinglongshan Reservoir

During the storage of water and the initial running of a reservoir, part of the dissolved nutrients released from the soil in water will effect water quality. Taking Qinglongshan Reservoir as an example, estimating the value of the contribution of dissolved nutrients to the water quality and analyzing the trend or level of the dissolved nutrients effecting on the water quality under the soil nutrient inquiring, the soil nutrient monitoring, and the dissolving experiment of nutrients released from soil, also according to the capacity curve of Qinglongshan Reservoir.

Effect of Different Vegetation Types on Soil Erosion by Water

The C factor in Universal Soil loss Equation reflecting the effect of vegetation on soil erosion by water is one of the important parameters for estimating soil erosion rate and selecting appropriate land use patterns. In this study, the C factor for nine types of grassland and woodland was estimated from 195 plot-year observation data of six groups of soil erosion experiments on Loess Plateau. The result indicates that the effects of woodland and grassland on soil erosion keep approximately uniform after two or three years' growth. The estimated woodland C factor ranges from 0.004 to 0.164, and the grassland C factor ranges from 0.071 to 0.377, showing that the effect of woodland and grassland on soil conservation is greatly better than that of cropland. The study results can be used to compare or estimate the soil loss from land with different vegetation cover, and are the useful references for land use pattern selection and the project of returning cropland to forest or grassland.

Chemical and Microbiological Parameters of Paddy Soil Quality as Affected by Different Nutrient and Water Regimes

A field experiment was conducted from 1999 to 2002 to compare and evaluate the effects of nutrient and water regimes on paddy soil quality by investigating soil chemical and microbiological parameters. Four nutrient regimes, a control, chemical fertilizers only (CF), chemical fertilizers with swine manure (SM), and chemical fertilizers with wheat straw (WS), and two soil moisture regimes, continuous waterlogging (CWL) and alternate wetting and drying (AWD), were investigated. With SM and WS total organic carbon and total nitrogen in the paddy soil were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those with CF. A similar effect for organic amendments was observed in the soil light fraction organic C (LFOC), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), and water-soluble organic C (WSOC). CWL, in particular when swine manure was incorporated into the paddy soil, markedly decreased soil redox potential (Eh) and increased total active reducing substances (ARS). Meanwhile, as compared to CF, SM and WS significantly (P < 0.05) increased soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and mineralizable carbon, with differences in AWD being higher than CWL. In addition, SM and WS treatments significantly (P < 0.05) improved rice above-ground biomass and grain yield, with AWD being greater than CWL. Thus, for ecologically sustainable agricultural management of paddy soils, long-term waterlogging should be avoided when organic manure was incorporated into paddy soil.

Root Function in Nutrient Uptake and Soil Water Effect on NO3^- -N and NH4^+ -N Migration

Root function in uptake of nutrients and the effect of soil water on the transfer and distribution of NO3^--N in arable soil were studied using summer maize （Zea mays L. var. Shandan 9） as a testing crop. Results showed that root growth and water supply had a significant effect on NO3^--N transfer and made NO3^--N distributed evenly from bulk soil to rhizosphere soil. Under a natural condition with irrigation, the difference of NO3^--N concentration at different distance points from a maize plant was smaller, while obvious difference of NO3^--N concentration was observed under conditions of limited root growth space without irrigation. Whether root growth space was restricted or not, the content of soil NO3^--N decreased gradually from 10 to 0 cm from the plant, being opposite to the root absorbing area in soils. When root-grown space was limited, changes of NO3^--N concentration at different distances from a plant were similar to that of water content in tendency. Results showed that NO3^--N could be transferred as solute to plant root systems with water uptake by plants. However, the transfer and distribution of NH4^--N were not influenced by root growth and soil water supply, being different to NO3^--N.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improved plant growth and nutrient acquisition of desert ephemeral Plantago minuta under variable soil water conditions

Desert ephemeral plants play an important role in desert ecosystem.Soil water availability is considered as the major restrictive factor limiting the growth of ephemeral plants.Moreover,arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi（AM fungi） are widely reported to improve the growth of desert ephemerals.The present study aimed to test the hypothesis of that AM fungi could alleviate drought stress of desert ephemeral Plantago minuta,and AM fungal functions reduced with the improvement of soil water content.A pot experiment was carried out with three levels of soil water contents（4.5%,9.0%,and 15.8%（w/w））,and three AM inoculation treatments（Glomus mosseae,Glomus etunicatum and non-inoculation）.The results indicate that mycorrhizal colonization rate decreased with the increase of soil water availability.Inoculation improved plant growth and N,P and K acquisition in both shoots and roots regardless water treatments.When comparing the two fungi,plants inoculated with G.mosseae performed better than those inoculated with G.etunicatum in terms of plant growth and nutrient acquisition.These results showed that ameliorative soil water did not suppress arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal functions in improving growth and nutrient acquisition of desert ephemeral Plantago minuta.

Soil nutrients in relation to vertical roots distribution in the riparian zone of Three Gorges Reservoir,China

Since the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR), the riparian zone has been subjected to numerous environmental changes. This study was conducted to recognize the distribution of grass roots and its impacts on soil nutrients in the water level fluctuation zone of TGR. Roots of four predominant herbaceous plants in the study area, specifically, Cynodon dactylon, Hemarthria altissima, Hemarthria compressa, and Paspalum paspaloides, and their corresponding relation with soil nutrient contents were investigated. Root surface area density was determined with Win RHIZO, and the relationships of root distribution with soil depths and soil nutrient contents were studied. The results indicates that most roots are distributed in the top soil layer of 0-10 cm. Estimated root surface area density for the selected grass species ranges from 0.16 to 13.44 cm^2/cm^3, and decreases exponentially with an increase in soil depth. Soil organic matter and total nitrogen contents are significantly lower on bare control area than the corresponding values on the grasslands. Total nutrient contents on grasslands of C. dactylon and H. compressa are higher than those of other grass areas. Root length density and root surface area density are significantly correlated with soil organic matter and total nitrogen content for the four grasslands. The present results suggests that plant roots have significant effects on the distribution of soil nutrients in soil profiles in the riparian zone along the TGR. Nevertheless, additional investigations are needed to reveal the specific interactions between plant roots distribution, soil nutrients and water level fluctuations.

Effect of Polyacrylamide Application on Water and Nutrient Movements in Soils

An understanding of nutrient movement in soil is important for developing management strategies to minimize nutrient leaching and surface movement, thus improving nutrient uptake by plants, maintaining a sustainable soil system, and even protecting groundwater quality. Polyacrylamide (PAM) is known as one of soil conditioner that functions to stabilize soil structure, increase infiltration, and reduce surface runoff. This study assesses the effects of PAM on the vertical movement of soil-water and major/minor nutrients (NO3-N, NH3-N, T-N, PO4-P, T-P, K, Ca, Mg, and Fe) in soils. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) increases with increasing PAM concen- trations up to 10 mg&middot;L-1 for sand and 20 mg&middot;L-1 for a mixture of sand and clay. Decreases in the loss of soluble nutrients, particularly NH3-N, PO4-P and T-P, are observed as PAM concentrations increase. In contrast, PAM concentration has no effect on nitrate and minor nutrient levels. These results indicate that the application of PAM may be a viable method for protecting water bodies from excessive nutrients and improving nutrient availability for plants.

Avocado Nutritional Diagnosis （Persea americana Mill.） ＂Hass＂, Soil Fertility and Water Quality in Ocuituco, Morelos

Morelos is the fourth in area cultivated and production volume of avocado. Of the 13 municipalities where it is farmed, Ocuituco represents 43.51% and Tetela del Volain 27.53%. Despite being one of the main fruit species in Morelos, no information related to the fertility of the soil where it is grown, the quality of water available for irrigation and nutritional status of this important fruit for the state. The study was conducted in the municipality of Ocuituco which identified three agro-habitats taking into account climate, landform, soil type and altitude. In each agro-habitat were carried out soil sampling to determine the physical and chemical characteristics based on the Mexican Official Standard NOM-021-SEMARNAT-2000, the chemical quality of water for irrigation as described by Richards （1954） and crop nutrient status of avocado ＂Hass＂ according to the methodology described by Maldonado （2002）. The soils had different physical and chemical characteristics, as well as the nutritional status of avocado trees in the three agro-habitats. The trees had excessive concentration of CI, Cu and Zn. Indices of optimal percentage deviation expressed different nutritional requirements. The water used for irrigation was of low salinity and sodium content, so it can be used without restrictions.

Impact Assessment of Land-Use Changes on Nutrient Load in Song Cau Watershed Using Soil and Water Assessment Tool （SWAT） Model

The objective of this paper is to implement ＂Soil and Water Assessment Tool （SWAT）＂ model to assess the possible impact of land-use changes on nutrient yields from Song Cau watershed located in Northern Viet Nam. Organic nitrogen （N） as well as phosphorus （P） output due to nonpoint source erosion was estimated through SWAT. Parameters governing the mechanics of streamflow discharge, sediment yield, nitrogen, and phosphorus output in SWAT were calibrated in a distributed fashion. A five-year period of record for nutrient was used for model calibration, while a four-year period was used for model validation. Comparing measured versus simulated average monthly total N, and P loads for the calibration and validation periods; respectively, we found that SWAT model performed reasonably well for Song Cau watershed. Simulation results showed that monthly Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of Efficiency （NSE） ranged from 0.65 to 0.83, observation＇s standard deviation ratio （RSR） and percent bias （PBIAS） ranged from 0.41 to 0.58 and -36.12 to 2.78, respectively. Additionally, SWAT simulation results also showed that land-use changes caused significant percentage of changes in sediment yield, total N, and P loads within Song Cau watershed.

Effect of Different Levels of Water Soluble Phosphorus in Complex Fertilizers on Crop Productivity and Soil Health

Field experiments were undertaken on sandy soils with three cropping systems at Giridih,Jharkhand,India for two years during 2012-2014.The experiments were executed in split plot design by assigning water soluble phosphorus(WSP)fertilizers in main-plot and recommended dose of phosphorus(RDP)in sub-plot with three replications.The maximum economical yield of rice(4705 kg/ha),baby corn(842 kg/ha)and Chickpea(920 kg/ha)were recorded with the application of 30%WSP.The maximum economical yield of successive crops-wheat(3185 kg/ha),mustard(1720 kg/ha)and groundnut(1578 kg/ha)were recorded with the application of 30%WSP and 100%RDP treatment.Almost similar trends were noticed in terms of by-product yield,nutrient uptake and residual soil fertility status.All the levels of WSP(30%-89%)in complex fertilizers were found to be equally effective for grain yield,straw yield,nutrient uptake,and residual soil fertility.

Accumulative Effect of Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Water-Stable Aggregates and Soil Stability Characteristics of Robinia pseudoacacia Plantation in the Loess Hilly-Gully Region

Soil water-stable aggregates (WSAs) are the basic unit of soil constitution and can contribute to remaining the stable soil constitution. The objective of this study was to clarify the distribution and stability of WSAs and the soil organic carbon (SOC), the total nitrogen (TN), and the total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in 0 - 20 cm and 20 - 40 cm soil layers under the different ages of Robinia pseudoacacia plantations. The 20, 25, 40, and 50 years-old Robinia pseudoacacia plantations were selected. Stepwise regression analysis showed that >5 mm and 1 - 2 mm WSAs, SOC concentration in 2 - 5 mm WSAs, and TN and TP concentrations in < 0.25 mm WSAs were dominant independent variables affecting aggregate stability and that SOC in 0.25 - 0.5 mm WSAs, TN in <0.25 mm and 1 - 2 mm WSAs and TP in 2 - 5 mm WSAs were dominant independent variables affecting SOC, TN, and TP concentrations in bulk soils.

Nutrient Release Characteristics of Vinyl Chloride-Vinyl acetate Copolymers Coated SlowRelease Nitrogen Fertilizer and Its Effect on Soil Mineral Nitrogen

[Objective] The aim was to explore release characteristics of vinyl chlo- ride-vinyl acetate copolymer controlled-release N fertilizer and the effects on minerat nitrogen in soils. [Method] Vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer and hydroxyl-modi- fied VCNAc were taken as coating materials to prepare slow release fertilizer. Nutri- ent release characteristics of VC/VAc slow release fertilizer was evaluated by water immersion method and the effects of VC/VAc slow release fertilizer on mineral ni- trogen were researched by pot experiment. [Result] The release periods of VC-VAc controlled-release urea and hydroxyl-modified VC/VAc coated urea were 60 and 50 d, respectively. Furthermore, the content of ammonium nitrogen reached the peak on the 30th d and the content of nitrate nitrogen reached the peak on the 60th d in soils in treatments with VCNAc and hydroxyl-modified VC/VAc; the content of nitrate nitrogen rose again on the 120th d in the treatment with VC/VAc. In terms of wheat yield, different treatments showed insignificant differences and rice yield in the treatment with VCNAc was significantly higher than that in the treatment with hy- droxyl-modified VCNAc （P〈0.05）. [Conclusion] The release days of slow controlled- release fertilizer vary upon pot experiment method and water immersion method. Slow controlled-release fertilizer is not suitable for monoculture, due to long fertilizer efficiency, but multiple cropping would be optimal for its role to be fully exploited.

Effect of NPK Application on Yield,Nutrients and Water Utilization Under Sudangrass and Ryegrass Rotation Regime

Sudangrass and ryegrass rotation is a new type of cropping system in Jianghan Plain,which develops very fast in recent years.So,it is essential to work out the optimal nutrients and water management measures in this new system.The effect of NPK fertilizer on yield of forage grass,nutrients and water utilization under sudangrass and ryegrass rotation was studied through continuous pot experiments for three years.The results showed that NPK combination could significantly improve the yield of forage grasses.The total yields during the periods of 2005-2006,2006-2007 and 2007-2008 were 1 690.0,2 091.3 and 1 770.7 g/pot,respectively.The yields in PK treatment were 700.7,1 256.9 and 856.3% lower than those of NPK treatment,while the yields in NK treatment were 426.3,384.9 and 792.3% lower than those of NPK treatment,respectively.Similarly,the yields in NP treatment were 15.9,4.4 and 10.6% lower than those of NPK treatment,respectively.The NPK combination was found to improve the nutrients uptake,and the total N uptakes during the above periods were 10.0,14.8 and 10.6 times higher than that of PK treatment,respectively,and 3.7,1.8 and 5.1 times higher than those of NK treatment,respectively,but,were similar to NP treatment.The total P uptakes were 4.6,6.8 and 5.3 times higher than those of PK treatment,and were 2.4,2.3 and 2.9 times higher than those of NK treatment,respectively,but were similar to NP treatment.The total K uptakes were 5.2,8.4 and 4.9 times higher than that of PK treatment,3.9,2.3 and 3.9 times higher than those of NK treatment,and 80.9,57.4 and 200.5% higher than those of NP treatment,respectively.Water productivity for three years time periods were 16.5,16.1 and 16.2 kg m-3,and were 3.8,5.4 and 4.2 times higher than those of PK treatment,2.3,1.3 and 2.6 times higher than those of NK treatment,and were 16.4,8.8 and 22.4% higher than those of NP treatment,respectively.The soil pH was decreased and soil organic matter was increased in all treatments with increase in the time of sudangrass and ryegrass rotation system.The total soil N was increased in NP,NK and NPK treatments,while it was stable in PK treatment.The available P in NP,PK and NPK treatments was increased significantly,while it was stable in NK treatment.The slow releasing K and available K were increased significantly in NK and PK treatments,but decreased in NP and NPK treatments.The treatment with NPK combination was found to improve the yield of forage,nutrient uptake and soil fertility in sudangrass and ryegrass rotation system.

Effects of biofertilizers and super absorbent polymers on plant growth and soil fertility in the arid mining area of Inner Mongolia,China

A pot experiment was conducted in the Institute of Tianlong Ecology of Baotou City in Inner Mongolia, China, to investigate the effects of the application of biofertilizers and super absorbent polymers(SAP) on plant growth and soil improvement in arid mining area soil. Two typical species, namely, Syringa oblata Lindl.(SO) and Medicago sativa L.(MS), were present in the Bayan Obo mining area and used as representatives of shrubs and herbaceous plants in the pot experiment.(1) Biofertilizers and SAP significantly increased the tree height, the ground diameter of SO, and the total biomass of MS and improved the soil fertility of the mining area, especially its biological fertility, compared with those of the control group(CK). The application of biofertilizers and SAP decreased the mining soil p H and significantly increased available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, and soil organic matter.(2) After 180 days of growth, the microbial population(bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes) and soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen significantly increased. Microbial ratios C: N significantly decreased compared with those of CK.(3) T5 and T6 treatments with the following dosages might be the optimum selection for the improvement of the studied mining area soil: 20 g SAP + 15 g biofertilizers(SO), 100 g/m2 SAP + 150 g biofertilizers(MS); 20 g SAP + 30 g biofertilizers(SO), and 100 g/m2 SAP + 200 g biofertilizers(MS). This study provided a promising reference for conducting future field studies and the local vegetation restoration.

Soil nutrient loss due to tuber crop harvesting and its environmental impact in the North China Plain

Soil loss due to crop harvesting （SLCH） is a soil erosion process that signiifcantly contributes to soil degradation in crop-lands. However, little is known about soil nutrient losses caused by SLCH and its environmental impacts. In the North China Plain area, we measured the losses of soil organic carbon （SOC） and nitrogen as wel as phosphorus due to SLCH and assessed their relationship with soil particle size composition, agronomic practices and soil moisture content. Our results show that the losses by harvesting potato of SOC, total nitrogen （TN）, available nitrogen （AN）, available phosphorus （AP） and total phosphorus （TP） were 1.7, 1.8, 1.8, 15.9 and 14.1 times compared by harvesting sweet potato, respectively. The variation of SOC, N and P loss by SLCH are mainly explained by the variation of plant density （PD） （17–50%）, net mass of an individual tuber （Mcrop/p） （16–74%）, soil clay content （34–70%） and water content （19–46%）. Taking into account the current sewage treatment system and the ratio of the nutrients adhering to the tubers during transportation from the ifeld （NTRP/SP）, the loss of TN and TP by harvesting of potato and sweet potato in the North China Plain area amounts to 3% N and 20% P loads in the water bodies of this region. The fate of the exported N and P in the sewage treatment system ultimately controls the contribution of N and P to the polution of lakes and rivers. Our results suggest that a large amount of SLCH-induced soil nutrient export during transportation from the ifeld is a potential polutant source for agricultural water for vast planting areas of tuber crops in China, and should not be overlooked.

Impact of Different Contour Hedgerows on Runoff,Nutrient and Soil on Sloping Farmland in Danjiangkou Reservoir Region of China

Soil and water loss has been a major environmental problem in the Danjiangkou Reservoir Region.A study of 14°sloping farmland was performed on impact of different contour hedgerows on runoff,losses of soil and nutrients during 2008 and 2011,with five treatments and three replications.The winter wheat and summer maize were used as the test crops.Treatments consisted of four hedgerows:Amorpha(Amorpha fruticosa L.),Honeysuckle(Lonicera japonica Thunb.),Day-lily flower(Hemerocallis citrina Baroni.),and Sabaigrass(Eulaliopsis binata),and a control without hedgerow.Result showed that the runoff under the control treatment was much higher than that of hedgerows.Amorpha could reduce the runoff by 35.2%compared with the control.Soil losses in four hedgerows showed significant reduction in four years(e.g.,Amorpha:78.3%;Honeysuckle:77.1%).Nutrient losses in winter were much higher than that in summer,especially total nitrogen,total phosphorus and total potassium,even though there was an abundant precipitation in summer.Hedgerows greatly affected the soil and nutrient losses on slopping farmland compared with the control treatment,especially Amorpha treatment.The present study found that the Amorpha could be used as the hedgerow species for reducing soil and water loss in the Danjiangkou Reservoir Region.

Influence of Some Soil Characteristics on Defoliation of <i>Cryptomeria japonica</i>

The defoliation of Cryptomeria japonica is observed in shrine forests around Hikone, Japan. Here, moisture content, soil pH, exchangeable Mg, Ca and Al of soil in shrine forests of C. japonica were examined in order to assess the relationship between these factors and defoliation. There was no relationship between soil pH, exchangeable Mg and Ca in soil and the degree of defoliation in shrine forests. Exchangeable Al in the soil of shrine forests increased with decreasing soil pH below pH 5.0, but there was no relationship between exchangeable Al and degree of defoliation in shrine forests. Soil moisture content differed between severely defoliated forests and forests with no defoliation. Soil moisture is thought to play a large role in inducing defoliation of C. japonica. Based on results from previous studies, the declining forests in the basin of the Kuzuryu River in Fukui Prefecture and in the basin of the Koito River in Chiba Prefecture reported by Yambe (1973) were considered to have been caused by the construction of dams. On these rivers, dams were constructed several years before the forest decline researched by Yambe. Dam construction is thought to have caused the low moisture content in the basins.

Availability of Residual and/or Applied Inorganic Phosphorus for Sugarcane Uptake and Growth in a Post-Mined Reconstituted Soil

Mineral sands mining is worldwide an environmental issue and also at the Hillendale mine in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The post-mined soil is to be rehabilitated to sugarcane cropping. One of the concerns with the post-mined soil which is reconstituted with a 70:30 mixture of sand: slimes (silt-plus-clay fraction), is its low phosphorus (P) status, which could be limiting for optimum sugarcane production. A field experiment was conducted on a reconstituted soil at Hillendale to establish the availability of either residual or applied inorganic P to the plant and first ratoon sugarcane crop. Four treatments were evaluated including those where P fertilizer was omitted, applied at half the recommended rate or introduced equal to the recommended rate according to chemical analysis of the soil. In the fourth treatment, no fertilizer was applied at all, whereas nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) were added at recommended rates in the first three treatments. Phosphorus application had a significant effect on sugarcane fractional light interception and aboveground biomass yield of the plant and first ratoon crops, and stalk length and diameter of the first ratoon crop. Pol, brix, purity and fibre content and tiller number were not affected by P application. The application of P increased the foliar N, P, K, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulphur (S) contents of both crops. However, foliar N, P and K were deficient in the first ratoon crop even in the case where fertilizer was applied at the recommended rates, which could have been because of waterlogging. The possible effect of waterlogging on P uptake needs to be addressed in future studies in this reconstituted soil.

Effects of rainwater harvesting on herbage diversity and productivity in degraded Aravalli hills in western India

Over-exploitation and rural growth have severely damaged native vegetations of Aravalli hills in Rajasthan, India. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different restoration practices （i.e., rainwater harvesting （RWH） and planting of tree seedlings） on improve- ment in soil water and nutrients and growth and biomass of herbaceous vegetation. Contour trench （CT）, Gradonie （G）, Box trench （BT）, V-ditch （VD） and a control were imposed on 75 plots （each of 700 m 2 ） in natural slope gradient defined as 10%, 10% 20% and 20% slopes in 2005. Each plot had three micro-sites of 1-m 2 at up （USP）, middle （MSP） and lower （LSP） part of the plot for observation in 2008. The existed gradient （due to soil texture and topographic features） of soil pH, EC, SOC, NH 4 - N, NO 3 -N and PO 4 -P in June 2005 between 20% to 10% slopes were decreased in 2008 after applying RWH techniques. Such improvement in soil status promoted vegetation growth and biomass in higher slope gra- dients. Soil water, species diversity and herbage biomass increased from USP to LSP, and RWH techniques had positive role in improving SOC, nutrients, vegetation population, evenness and growth at MSP. Despite of lowest SWC, regular rain and greater soil water usage enhanced green and dry herbage biomasses in 10% 20% and 20% slopes, compared with 10% slope. The highest diversity in CT treatment was related to herbage biomass, which was enhanced further by highest concentrations of SOC and PO 4 -P. Further, CT treatment was found to be the best treat- ment in minimizing biomass variance in different slopes. Conclusively, soil texture and topographic features controlled soil water and nutrients availability. Rainwater harvesting techniques increased soil water storage and nutrient retention and also enhanced vegetation status and biomass by minimizing the effects of hillslopes. Thus depending upon the site conditions, suitable RWH technique could be adopted to increase herb- age biomass while rehabilitating the degraded hills.