The Effect of Layers and Weaving Spacing of ‘Mendong’ ( Fimbristylis globulosa ) Bio-geotextile on Effectiveness of Soil Erosion Control

Abstract

Farming in mountainous areas that do not pay attention to soil conservation is the main cause of erosion. A method that can be used to control soil erosion is mulch technology. Mulch can reduce rain energy so that it does not damage the stability of the soil structure. Mulch that is widely used is plastic mulch, but it has several disadvantages, Thus, an alternative to mulch is bio-geotextile. Biogeotextiles can be made from mendong plant. The utilization of mendong is so far still not optimal, so the use of mendong as raw material for bio-geotextiles is an opportunity and needs to be developed. This study aims to determine the effect of the number of layers and weaving spacing of bio-geotextile in controlling soil erosion and the best and most effective treatment of mendong bio-geotextile in controlling soil erosion. The method used was a Factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD) Consists of two factors, which were the number of layers consisting of 3 levels (1 layer, 2 layers, 3 layers) and weaving spacing consisting of 4 levels (0.5 cm, 1 cm, 1.5 cm, and 2 cm). Based on the results of the study, it is obtained that mendong bio-geotextile with 1 layer and 0.5 cm weaving spacing is the best and most effective treatment in controlling soil erosion. The mendong bio-geotextile has proven to be very effective in reducing soil loss due to erosion. Compared to the soil without bio-geotextile treatment, it is proven that mendong bio-geotextile with the best treatment can reduce the amount of soil