A Simple Formula for Calculation of Area Lost for Cultivation Due to Bench Terracing

Abstract

In the Nilgiris bench terracing is recommen- ded for the lands having slopes between 16 and 33 percent and is widely adopted by the farmers of the locality. In bench terracing the hillsides a portion of the original land is  Original equations lost for cultivation. for quick determination of the percentage area lost, have been worked out on the assumption that the horizontal interval (H. I.) and the corresponding sloping distance are equal. In reality the projected width i.e. horizontal interval is not equal to the width along the slope. This brief deliberation is, therefore, intended to workout a definite and simplified equation for calculating the actual percentage of cultivation area lost due to adoption of bench terracing. This equation will also help us compare more correctly its economics with that of other measures applicable to the same land group.