Page 152 - Final Report Improving information and developing a repository of sustainable soil management practices in Asia

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plants come back to grow such as several types of wild grass. As a result, living things such as

dragonflies, birds, rats etc. have come to live in this area. Farmers who grow Dixie grass on the
levee can grow rice. Also, Dixie grass can be used as fodder for cows, resulting in increasing

farmers' incomes due to having occupations in their own areas. Moreover, this also reduces
migration to make a living in other areas. Farmers are satisfied with the technology in terms of the

fact that it can restore the area with highly saline soil so that the area can be utilized more. It is the
practice with small investment. Dixie grass can replace fodder and helps increase farmers' incomes

from selling the young plant of Dixie grass to Land Development Department. Although growing

Dixie grass is improving saline soil based on the period of time in restoring saline soil conditions
which gives results not so fast as based on engineering management, investment is lower than

using the engineering approach with high investment.

3. Technical specifications, implementation activities, inputs, and costs

3.1 Classifying types of technology to reduce distribution of highly saline soil

Areas with highly saline soil are the area with no farming conducted. The area is deserted.

The area is chemically degraded in terms of salinization or alkalinization. As a result, farmers
cannot utilize in desert the area. Therefore, Land Development Department must promote farmers

to restore highly saline soil by using the technology of planting halophytes (Dixie grass) for
restoring highly saline soil. This is the conservation method based on planting grass. The main

purpose is reducing, preventing and restoring degradation of saline soil, conserving the soil and
plant ecosystem as well as maintaining or improving biodiversity in areas with saline soil. The

goal of preventing degradation of areas with saline soil is promoting and transferring degradation

prevention and restoring areas with saline soil with using the technology of planting halophytes
(Dixie grass) to restore highly saline soil for farmers. Advising regarding guidelines for sustainable

land management is also included, which is growing Dixie grass to prevent saline soil distribution,
to cover the ground to salt movement to the surface. After the area with highly saline soil has been

improved with planting Dixie grass for 3-5 years, the environment of soil and plants is better and
integrated land use occurs in the area. Plants and livestock are integrated by using Dixie grass as

fodder for conducting livestock farming and reducing risks of occurrence of dry areas.

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