Nature and magnitude of soil erosion in sugarcane land on the wet tropical coast of north-eastern Queensland

1995 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 641 ◽  
Author(s):  
BG Prove ◽  
VJ Doogan ◽  
PNV Truong
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Average Annual Loss ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Physical And Chemical

This paper reports measures of soil erosion in sloping sugarcane land under conventional cultivation and various no-tillage surface management techniques and explores the reasons for the differences measured. Soil erosion from conventionally cultivated ratoon cane lands was measured in the range 47-505 t/ha.year, with an average annual loss of 148 t/ha.year. No-tillage practices reduced this erosion to <15 t/ha.year. Groundcover did not affect soil erosion significantly. In the absence of hydrological data, it is anticipated that consolidation of the soil surface at harvest, rather than ground surface cover, is the dominant factor reducing soil erosion. The effect of groundcover on soil erosion is less than the accuracy of the measurement techniques employed (� 20 t/ha.year). Physical and chemical analyses of in situ and eroded soil indicate that sediment from the no-tillage practice may be transported further from the erosion site and carry a more mobile fraction of nutrients.

scholarly journals Impact of Weed Control by Hand Tools on Soil Erosion under a No-Tillage System Cultivation

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 974
Author(s):  
Rafael Blanco-Sepúlveda ◽  
Amilcar Aguilar-Carrillo ◽  
Francisco Lima
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Soil Cover ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tropical Mountains ◽  
Litter Cover ◽  
Vegetal Cover

In conservation agriculture, the no-tillage cultivation system and the retention of permanent vegetal cover are crucial to the control of soil erosion by water. This paper analyses the cultivation of maize under no-tillage, with particular reference to the effect produced on soil erosion when weed control is performed by a hand tool (machete), which disturbs the surface of the soil, and to the behavior of the soil cover in these circumstances. The study area is located in the humid tropical mountains of northern Nicaragua (Peñas Blancas Massif Nature Reserve). The results obtained show that 59.2% of the soil surface was affected by appreciable levels of sheet and splash erosion, although the vegetal cover of the soil was relatively high (with average weed and litter cover of 33.9% and 33.8%, respectively). The use of machetes for weed control provoked considerable soil disturbance, which explained the high rates of erosion observed. Moreover, this form of soil management disturbs the litter layer, making it less effective in preventing erosion. The litter remains loose on the soil surface, and so an increase in soil cover does not achieve a proportionate reduction in the area affected by erosion; thus, even with 80–100% weed and litter cover, 42% of the cultivated area continued to present soil erosion.

scholarly journals Examination of soil parameters based on the evaluation of the spectroradiometric reflectance characteristics of the topsoil

2014 ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
Károly Bakos ◽  
Attila Dobos ◽  
János Nagy
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Surface Reflectance ◽  
Imaging Spectrometer ◽  
Top Soil ◽  
Multiple Samples ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
Landscape Formation

In this article we are presenting the methodology applied to analyse and interpret the topsoil surface reflectance parameters of multiple samples collected in the Mugello valley area in northern Italy in October 2012. The main aim of the whole project was to discover geomorphological behaviour and situation of the area ino order to improve potential for correct dating of certain archaeological artefacts found in the nearby areas. One of the crucial problem researchers are facing in the area is the lack of understanding of the underlying geological and geomorphological processes that were describing and characterizing the area and that played important role not only in the current geography and landscape formation but also in the transportation of various sediments and artefacts. In this particular research the main aim is to examine the possibility of developing a quick way to assess low level properties of the soil using hand held spectrometer and rapid analysis of cross-section using in situ measurement techniques. In this work we collected over 2000 individual samples of topsoil surface reflectance properties that we organized into a spectral library. This library is then to be used to describe physical and chemical processes in the soil. To support the analysis results were compared to analysis results from different kind of assessments in the same area. Our results show a great potential of application of hand held imaging spectrometer in soil property analysis based on the top soil surface reflectance parameters.

scholarly journals Erosion Control in the Sustainable Cultivation of Maize (Zea mays L.) and Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) at Two Stages of the Agricultural Cycle in Southern Guatemala

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4654
Author(s):  
Rafael Blanco Sepúlveda ◽  
Francisco Enríquez Narváez
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Erosion Control ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Erosion Threshold ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
Vegetal Cover

Agricultural intensification in the mountains of Central America has increased soil vulnerability to erosion by water. This study was undertaken to analyse the erosion that affects the mixed cultivation of maize and beans at two stages of the crop development cycle (at 3 and 6 months after sowing) in southern Guatemala, together with the influence of the ground and crop canopy vegetal cover on soil erosion. The main aim of this analysis is to establish the soil erosion threshold enabling sustainable agriculture. The results obtained show that the soil surface was severely eroded, with mean values of area affected of 88.4% and 73.5% at 3 and 6 months, respectively. In the 3-month plots, the erosion bore scant relation to the factors analysed. Conversely, the area affected by soil erosion in the 6-month plots was significantly related to the degree of ground cover by weeds and litter, and the erosion threshold was located at 80% of vegetal cover. However, plots with this level of cover did not achieve effective erosion control, due to the low level of plant litter cover (15.7%) compared to that of weeds (75.5%). We conclude that this low content of vegetal residue in the soil, together with the tillage practices employed, explains the large surface area affected by erosion and the impossibility of establishing an erosion threshold.

scholarly journals Applying the RUSLE and ISUM in the Tierra de Barros Vineyards (Extremadura, Spain) to Estimate Soil Mobilisation Rates

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Barrena-González ◽  
Jesús Rodrigo-Comino ◽  
Yeboah Gyasi-Agyei ◽  
Manuel Pulido Fernández ◽  
Artemi Cerdà
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
La Mancha ◽  
Soil Erosion Rates ◽  
Soil Depletion ◽  
Mapping Techniques

Spain is one of the largest wine producers in the world, with Extremadura (south-west Spain) being its second-largest producing region after Castilla La Mancha. Within Extremadura, the most traditional and productive viticulture region is the Tierra de Barros, which boasts an annual production of 3×106 litres. However, no soil erosion assessment has been undertaken in any vineyard in the region to ascertain environmental sustainability. Therefore, the Improved Stock Unearthing Method (ISUM) and the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) were applied to assess the long-term soil erosion rates. Both methods were applied using an experimental plot (2.8 m × 148.5 m) encompassing 99 paired vines in a 20-year-old vineyard under a tillage management system and on bare soils throughout the year. The ISUM and RUSLE found total soil mobilization values of 45.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1 and 17.4 Mg ha−1 yr−1, respectively, a difference of about 5 times. Mapping techniques showed that soil surface declined to an average of −6.2 cm, with maximum values of −28 cm. The highest values of soil depletion were mainly observed in the upper part and the form of linear features following the hillslope direction. On the other hand, under the vines, the soil surface level showed accumulations of up to +2.37 cm due to tillage practices. Our study demonstrated the potential of high soil erosion rates occurring in conventional vineyards managed with tillage in the inter-row areas and herbicides under the vines within the Tierra de Barros. Also, we demonstrated the elevated differences in soil mobilisation rates using the ISUM and RUSLE. Therefore, further research must be conducted in other vineyards to determine the suitability of the models for assessing soil erosion rates. Undoubtedly, soil conservation measures must be designed and applied immediately due to high erosion rates.

Effect of tillage practices on the fate of hard seeds of subterranean clover in a ley farming system

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 568 ◽  
Author(s):  
GB Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Minimum Tillage ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Tillage Treatment ◽  
Clover Seed

In a rotation of 1 year pasture/l year crop, a subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum cv. Daliak) pasture was either left untilled or subjected to minimum or conventional tillage. One set of tillage treatments was imposed in each ofthree crop years while another set of treatments was imposed in only the first crop year. Regenerating clover plants were prevented from setting seed. In the first crop, 44% of the clover seeds were buried below 2 cm of soil by minimum tillage; this proportion was 65% in the conventional tillage treatment. In the first pasture regeneration year, seedling densities were highest in the no-tillage treatment. Conversely, there were more residual seeds in the tilled treatments and, in the second and third pasture regeneration years, this led to higher seedling densities than in the no-tillage treatment. The effects of tillage were more marked in the conventional than in the minimum-tillage treatment. Clover establishment was improved by repeat tillage operations which returned some of the buried seeds closer to the soil surface. Although more seedlings overall were obtained from the no-tillage treatment, the disadvantage of fewer seedlings in the tilled treatments was offset by the spread of seedling establishment over a number of pasture years. This spread, which would be more marked with harder-seeded cultivars, could be desirable in environments in which clover seed production is unreliable.

scholarly journals Biological Intrusion of Low-Level Waste Trench Covers

1981 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Hakonson ◽  
Ernest S. Gladney
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Burial Site ◽  
Barrier Materials ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Stable Tracers ◽  
Physical And Chemical

ABSTRACTThe long-term integrity of low-level waste shallow land burial sites is dependent on the interaction of physical, chemical, and biological factors that modify the waste containment system. Past research on low-level waste shallow land burial methods has emphasized physical (i.e., water infiltration, soil erosion) and chemical (radionuclide leaching) processes that can cause waste site failure and subsequent radionuclide transport.The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the need to consider biological processes as being potentially important in reducing the integrity of waste burial site cover treatments. Plants and animals not only can transport radionuclides to the ground surface via root systems and soil excavated from the cover profile by animal burrowing activities, but they modify physical and chemical processes within the cover profile by changing the water infiltration rates, soil erosion rates and chemical composition of the soil.One approach to limiting biological intrusion through the waste cover is to apply a barrier within the profile to limit root and animal penetration with depth. Experiments in the Los Alamos Experimental Engineered Test Facility were initiated to develop and evaluate biological barriers that are effective in minimizing intrusion into waste trenches. The experiments that are described employ four different candidate barrier materials of geologic origin. Experimental variables that will be evaluated, in addition to barrier type, are barrier depth and soil overburden depth. The rate of biological intrusion through the various barrier materials is being evaluated through the use of activatable stable tracers.

scholarly journals Soil Physical Properties Spatial Variability under Long-Term No-Tillage Corn

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ripendra Awal ◽  
Mohammad Safeeq ◽  
Farhat Abbas ◽  
Samira Fares ◽  
Sanjit K. Deb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Physical Properties ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Soil Physical Properties ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Soil Surface Temperature

Spatial variability of soil physical and hydrological properties within or among agricultural fields could be intrinsically induced due to geologic and pedologic soil forming factors, but some of the variability may be induced by anthropogenic activities such as tillage practices. No-tillage has been gaining ground as a successful conservation practice, and quantifying spatial variability of soil physical properties induced by no-tillage practices is a prerequisite for making appropriate site-specific agricultural management decisions and/or reformulating some management practices. In particular, there remains very limited information on the spatial variability of soil physical properties under long-term no-tillage corn and tropical soil conditions. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to quantify the spatial variability of some selected soil physical properties (soil surface temperature (ST), volumetric water content (θv), soil resistance (TIP), total porosity (θt), bulk density (ρb), organic carbon, and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)) using classical and geostatistical methods. The study site was a 2 ha field cropped no-tillage sweet corn for nearly 10 years on Oahu, Hawaii. The field was divided into 10 × 10 and 20 × 20 m grids. Soil samples were collected at each grid for measuring ρb, θt, and soil organic carbon (SOC) in the laboratory following standard methods. Saturated hydraulic conductivity, TIP at 10 and 20 cm depths, soil surface temperature, and θv were also measured. Porosity and ρb have low and low to moderate variability, respectively based on the relative ranking of the magnitude of variability drawn from the coefficient of variation. Variability of the SOC, TIP, and Ksat ranges from moderate to high. Based on the best-fitted semivariogram model for finer grid data, 9.8 m and 142.2 m are the cut off beyond which the measured parameter does not show any spatial correlation for SOC, and TIP at 10 cm depth, respectively. Bulk density shows the highest spatial dependence (range = 226.8 m) among all measured properties. Spatial distribution of the soil properties based on kriging shows a high level of variability even though the sampled field is relatively small.

scholarly journals Surface runoff, subsurface drainflow and soil erosion as affected by tillage in a clayey Finnish soil

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 332 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. TURTOLA ◽  
L. ALAKUKKU ◽  
R. UUSITALO
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Clayey Soil ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Water Conductivity ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Soil Losses

Conservation tillage practices were tested against autumn mouldboard ploughing for differences in physical properties of soil, surface runoff, subsurface drainflow and soil erosion. The study (1991 -2001) was performed on a gently (2%) sloping clayey soil of southern Finland, with two replicates of the tillage treatments on 0.5 ha plots. The annual shares of surface runoff of the total flow (surface runoff + subsurface drainflow) were 8–42% for ploughing (depth 20–23 cm), 36–66% for shallow autumn stubble cultivation (depth 5–8 cm) and 36–82% for soil left untilled over winter. Surface runoff increased with decrease in the tillage intensity, and in line with the values of depressional water storage, macroporosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Erodibility of this gently sloping soil was at highest after autumn and spring tillage operations and decreased with time. Shallow autumn tillage produced erosion as high as mouldboard ploughing (407–1700 kg ha–1yr–1), but 48% and 12% lower erosion levels were measured from plots left untilled in autumn, covered by grass or barley residues, respectively. Eroded soil particles moved relatively freely to the subsurface drains, which carried 37–94% of the annual soil losses from the field. The study shows that even on the relatively flat clayey soils typical for southern Finland, tillage has a great influence on soil losses. The frequency of tillage needs to be reduced rather than the depth of tillage on clayey soils with poor water conductivity and structural stability if soil loss is to be diminished by conservation tillage.;

scholarly journals Relations between soil surface roughness, tortuosity, tillage treatments, rainfall intensity and soil and water losses from a red yellow latosol

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 1291-1298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julieta Bramorski ◽  
Isabella C. De Maria ◽  
Renato Lemos e Silva ◽  
Silvio Crestana
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Water Losses ◽  
Slope Length ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Soil Surface Roughness ◽  
Tillage System ◽  
Soil And Water

The soil surface roughness increases water retention and infiltration, reduces the runoff volume and speed and influences soil losses by water erosion. Similarly to other parameters, soil roughness is affected by the tillage system and rainfall volume. Based on these assumptions, the main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of tillage treatments on soil surface roughness (RR) and tortuosity (T) and to investigate the relationship with soil and water losses in a series of simulated rainfall events. The field study was carried out at the experimental station of EMBRAPA Southeastern Cattle Research Center in São Carlos (Fazenda Canchim), in São Paulo State, Brazil. Experimental plots of 33 m² were treated with two tillage practices in three replications, consisting of: untilled (no-tillage) soil (NTS) and conventionally tilled (plowing plus double disking) soil (CTS). Three successive simulated rain tests were applied in 24 h intervals. The three tests consisted of a first rain of 30 mm/h, a second of 30 mm/h and a third rain of 70 mm/h. Immediately after tilling and each rain simulation test, the surface roughness was measured, using a laser profile meter. The tillage treatments induced significant changes in soil surface roughness and tortuosity, demonstrating the importance of the tillage system for the physical surface conditions, favoring water retention and infiltration in the soil. The increase in surface roughness by the tillage treatments was considerably greater than its reduction by rain action. The surface roughness and tortuosity had more influence on the soil volume lost by surface runoff than in the conventional treatment. Possibly, other variables influenced soil and water losses from the no-tillage treatments, e.g., soil type, declivity, slope length, among others not analyzed in this study.

scholarly journals Effect of tillage, slope, and rainfall on soil surface microtopography quantified by geostatistical and fractal indices during sheet erosion

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 232-241
Author(s):  
Na Ta ◽  
Chutian Zhang ◽  
Hongru Ding ◽  
Qingfeng Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Surface Microtopography ◽  
Artificial Rainfall ◽  
Soil Surface Roughness ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Sheet Erosion

AbstractTillage and slope will influence soil surface roughness that changes during rainfall events. This study tests this effect under controlled conditions quantified by geostatistical and fractal indices. When four commonly adopted tillage practices, namely, artificial backhoe (AB), artificial digging (AD), contour tillage (CT), and linear slope (CK), were prepared on soil surfaces at 2 × 1 × 0.5 m soil pans at 5°, 10°, or 20° slope gradients, artificial rainfall with an intensity of 60 or 90 mm h−1 was applied to it. Measurements of the difference in elevation points of the surface profiles were taken before rainfall and after rainfall events for sheet erosion. Tillage practices had a relationship with fractal indices that the surface treated with CT exhibited the biggest fractal dimension D value, followed by the surfaces AD, AB, and CK. Surfaces under a stronger rainfall tended to have a greater D value. Tillage treatments affected anisotropy differently and the surface CT had the strongest effect on anisotropy, followed by the surfaces AD, AB, and CK. A steeper surface would have less effect on anisotropy. Since the surface CT had the strongest effect on spatial variability or the weakest spatial autocorrelation, it had the smallest effect on runoff and sediment yield. Therefore, tillage CT could make a better tillage practice of conserving water and soil. Simultaneously, changes in semivariogram and fractal parameters for surface roughness were examined and evaluated. Fractal parameter – crossover length l – is more sensitive than fractal dimension D to rainfall action to describe vertical differences in soil surface roughness evolution.

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