Ecorestoration of Banni Grassland - Global Restoration Network

competition. Even useful fodder bushes such as
Zizyphus nummularia should not be allowed to
grow more than 4 per cent in a grazing area, so as to
maintain the forage production from the pasture
(Ganguli et. al. 1964).
With the above view, Prosopis juliflora and other
unwanted bushes growing inside the restoration
site were totally uprooted with the help of Gujarat
Forest Development Corporation.
3.3 Reseeding of Grass Species
Succession of vegetation in a natural sequence is a
time consuming process and can be expected to
succeed in the desired direction only if the nucleus
of the plant material is available in productive stage
on a given site. Plantation of seed slightly below
the surface after scratching it or in strips with
appropriate species of grasses is the quickest and
most ensured method of improvement of degraded
grassland (Kanodia and Patil, 1983).
For reseeding, first preference was given for
indigenous grass varieties, which normally grow
under arid climatic and soil conditions of Banni.
Therefore, indigenous seeds were obtained from
Banni Development Agency, Bhuj. Apart from this,
seeds were also obtained from Indian Grassland
and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi. The
indigenous species such as; Cenchrus setigerus,
Sporobolus sp., Eurochondra sp., Dichanthium
annulatum, Chloris barbata and Cenchrus ciliaris,
were selected for sowing in the restoration site.
The selection of indigenous species was based on
the fact that they have genetically acquired several
adaptations to survive in the harsh climatic and
soil conditions. Therefore, they were expected to
thrive well in the restoration sites where more
suitable conditions for grass growth were already
created. Apart from this, species such as;
Chrysopogan fulvus and Pennisetum pedicellatum
were also sown in small quantities. The later species
was not reported from Banni area. The performance
such as growth and productivity of this species in
the restoration site would help in planning for future
large-scale introduction of such species in entire
Banni area. The reseeding activity, it is hoped,
would increase the seed bank of the area and
thereby enrich the grass density and diversity of
the restoration site.
In arid area, under rainfed conditions, the sowing
of grass seeds is normally done in the months of
June / July with the onset of monsoon. To enhance
Ecorestoration of
Banni Grassland
the germination and uniform distribution of seeds,
the seeds were mixed with soil and farmyard manure.
Then they were thoroughly mixed by sprinkling
water. This reduce the transport of seeds through
wind and the moisture in the seed mixture hastens
the process of germination. Care was taken that,
the seed sown was covered by 1 to 2 cm soil layer.
Since, the grass seeds are too small, the stored
germplasm is insufficient to support the
germination and growth of seedlings from deeper
soil layers. The stocking rate of seeds varied with
the species. Normal stocking rate of seed reported
is; 2.5 kg/ha for Dichanthium annulatum, 5 kg/ha
for Cenchrus ciliaris and Cenchrus setigerus, 5
kg/ha for Sporobolus sp. etc. to 75 kg/ha for
Lasiurus species. However, keeping the view of
the near absence of seed bank in the restoration
sites, nearly 3-4 times higher seed rate than the
normal were stocked.
The Bhirandiyara restoration site was divided into
four sub-compartments, each covering an area of
approximately 3.4 ha. The first compartment,
covering an area of 3.4 ha was kept under natural
condition (Compartment 1), where the fencing
(trench and barbed wire) ensured complete
protection from livestock grazing. Pure as well as
mixed combination (for Eg. Cenchrus sp. with
Sporobolus sp.) of grass seeds were sown within
the compartment, however, a strip (10m width and
250 m length) covering an area of 3750 m 2 was kept
completely under natural condition where no
sowing of grass seed was undertaken. The basic
view was that, the area devoid of seed sowing
resembled very much to that of the area out side
the fenced area of the site. The only difference
between these two was that the former received
protection from grazing while the later was
subjected to grazing pressures. Hence, a
comparison of the productivity of grass species of
the said area with that of outside the fenced site
would provide the effect of grazing pressure that
existed in the area. The mixed combinations of seeds
were used to understand the better species
association in terms of productivity.
At Dhordo restoration site, the whole area was divided
into 30 m wide strips. Ploughing, broadcasting
of grass seeds and adding of farmyard manure
was carried out at alternative strips.
3.4 Fertiliser Application
In the natural pastures of arid regions, scope of
fertilisation is limited mainly due to uncertainty of
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