Investigation of root traits of Dendrocalamus strictus cultivated on organically amended coalmine overburden and its potential use for slope stabilization

The active and abandoned coalmine overburden (OB) dumps are prone to slope instability under the influence of external agents. Estimating the mechanical reinforcement imparted by the grassroots on the coalmine overburden dumps is vital. This paper discusses the effect of organic amendment on the growth characteristics and root distribution of native grass Dendrocalamus strictus species (common name: Bamboo) in the Jharkhand region, India. A pot experiment was conducted wherein the OB was amended with different proportions of cow dung (OA) and garden soil (GS) to be used as growth substrates known as treatments (T1-T5). A pot having only GS (T6) was used as a control. The growth of six D. strictus saplings under each treatment was monitored for survival, shoot height, and canopy area. The root distribution, root area ratio (RAR) with depth, root tensile strength (T_r) vs. root diameter (d) relationship, and variation of additional cohesion (root cohesion, c_r) with depth were studied for each species (Wu method). The pot experiment shows that the chosen grass can survive on the OB dumps with a suitable external amendment and can exhibit a well-developed root system and produce higher root reinforcement when allowed to grow under unrestricted conditions.