scholarly journals Relationship between Rainfall, Surface Runoff and Soil Loss on an Experimental Farm in the Middle Belt of Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 122-139
Author(s):  
J A Aper ◽  
S A Iorkua ◽  
N J Akegh
Keyword(s):  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
Correlation Statistics ◽  
Runoff And Soil Loss ◽  
Experimental Plots ◽  
Agricultural Production Systems

Rainfall induced depletion of soil nutrients resulting from runoff and soil erosion are a main threat for agricultural lands, tending to reducing soil fertility, soil productivity and eventually leading to the un-sustainability of agricultural production systems. It is based on the problems associated with soil loss that the required mulch type, mulch cover and slope of the farming field need to be properly investigated and determined. This research therefore analyzed surface runoff and soil loss under different mulch treatment at a farm site in Benue State, in the middle-belt region of Nigeria. The main aim is to analyze the effect of varied mulching will have on runoff and soil loss volumes resulting from rainfall and examine the implication of the results on soil management practice in the region. Experimental plots of 20m long by 3m wide were carved out with an outlet down slope of 1.5m2 (20m×3m+1.5m2 = 61.5m2 ) were bordered with corrugated iron sheets and inserted with runoff and soil loss receptors. The experimental plots were treated with weighted organic materials (mulching, in tons) and planted with maize with plots of zero (0) tons as control (T1). The maize planted was spaced 25cm on row and 75cm on columns. The experimental plots were replicated and symbolized as (T1) = bare surface (0 tons A, B and C), (T2) = surface mulch +maize (4 tons A, B and C) and (T3)= surface mulch + maize (8 tons A, B and C). Rainfall data was collected over ten (10) rain events and runoff and soil loss measurements was analyzed with using correlation statistics, variability and regression. The results show that 96.14% runoff occurs on T1, 3.22% and 0.63% runs off on the T2 and T3 respectively with corresponding 193.7kg, 3.1kg and 0.5kg soil loss. The study finds out that mulching reduces simultaneously both runoff and soil loss in the region. The amount rainfall only has no significant effect on amount of runoff and volume of soil loss. The study revealed that, surface cover combined with simple cropping controls runoff and soil loss by 67% and 61% respectively. This will be useful to farmers in addition to the fact that mulching also has a collateral benefit of stimulating microbial activities and regulating soil moisture and temperature.

scholarly journals Effects of gravel-sand mulch on the runoff, erosion, and nutrient losses in the Loess Plateau of north-western China under simulated rainfall

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 22-28
Author(s):  
Yang Qiu ◽  
Xinping Wang ◽  
Zhongkui Xie ◽  
Yajun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Western China ◽  
Nutrient Losses ◽  
Gravel Mulch ◽  
Runoff And Soil Loss ◽  
North Western ◽  
Fine Gravel

Gravel mulching is a characteristic agricultural technique that has been used for hundreds of years in the north-western Loess Plateau of China. However, the effects of the gravel-sand mulch on the processes of the runoff, soil erosion, and nutrient losses are neither fully distinguished nor even known in many parts of the world. This study investigated how different gravel particle sizes in the mulch affected the runoff, erosion as well as the extent of the nutrient losses in the surface runoff. The laboratory experiments were conducted using a rainfall simulator with three gravel mulch treatments: (1) fine gravel mulch (FG); (2) medium gravel mulch (MG); (3) coarse gravel mulch (CG) and a control group, bare soil (BS). The results of these rainfall simulation experiments gave estimates on how the grain size influences the runoff and losses of the soil and its nutrients. Applying the gravel mulch significantly delayed the runoff’s starting time when compared with the bare soil. Both the total runoff and soil loss increased with the grain size of the gravel mulch. Compared with the bare soil, the lowest surface runoff and soil loss was observed from the fine gravel treatment. These results clearly show that gravel mulch plays an important role in the runoff and sediment generation processes, and that it significantly reduces the surface runoff and soil loss. The losses of the total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total organic carbon (TOC) from the bare soil were much higher than those under the gravel mulching. The fluctuations in these nutrient-loss processes were the most intense in the CG treatment, while the TC content, in initial runoff, was significantly higher in the FG than the other treatments. Our findings suggest gravel mulch is a useful water and soil conservation technique in the loess area of north-western China, and these results can inform one on the theoretical principles for properly utilising gravel-mulched fields.

Effect of Tillage on Surface Runoff and Soil Loss from Cotton

1987 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 0166-0168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyung H. Yoo ◽  
J. T. Touchton ◽  
R. H. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Runoff And Soil Loss

Throughfall, stemflow, overland flow and throughflow in the Ulu Segama rain forest, Sabah, Malaysia

1992 ◽  
Vol 335 (1275) ◽  
pp. 389-395 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Loss ◽  
Overland Flow ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Total Rainfall ◽  
Understorey Vegetation ◽  
Annual Basis ◽  
Interception Loss ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
A Site ◽  
Runoff And Soil Loss

On an annual basis 80.7% of the 3627 mm precipitation at a site of the East Ridge at Danum Valley, September 1989 to September 1990, reached the forest floor as throughfall and 1.9% as stemflow, giving an interception loss of 17.4%. The proportion of total rainfall intercepted decreases with storm magnitude. Stemflow amounts vary greatly from tree to tree. Under forest, removal of the ground cover and understorey vegetation led to changes in runoff and soil loss; soil faunal activity under natural forest produced higher soil loss from undisturbed natural plots, than from adjacent, partly cleared plots. Between 2.0 and 2.5% of the rain reaching the ground forms overland flow, the remainder infiltrates and much may be evacuated by pipeflow. Storms of 35 mm or more, which accounted for less than 35% of all rain events, produced 70% of the runoff and soil loss.

Managing runoff and soil loss in asparagus production systems

2018 ◽  
pp. 127-134
Author(s):  
J.C. Niziolomski ◽  
R.W. Simmons ◽  
R.J. Rickson ◽  
M.J. Hann
Keyword(s):  
Soil Loss ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Runoff And Soil Loss

scholarly journals Effect Of Rice Straw Mulch on Surface Runoff and Soil Loss in Agricultural Land Under Simulated Rainfall

2021 ◽  
Vol 930 (1) ◽  
pp. 012007
Author(s):  
R Haribowo ◽  
R Asmaranto ◽  
L T W N Kusuma ◽  
B G Amrina
Keyword(s):  
Rice Straw ◽  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Straw Mulch ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Runoff And Soil Loss

Abstract Installation of mulch on agricultural land, besides reducing weed growth, can also protect the soil surface from rain and erosion. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of rice straw mulch in reducing surface runoff and soil loss before entering the river. The experimental soil materials were similar to those in Sumber Brantas village, Bumiaji Sub-District, Batu. Runoff modelling utilized the Armfield S12 Rainfall Simulator - Advanced Environmental Hydrology System, with rainfall of 1 and 1.7 l/min. Land with rice straw mulch was compared to land without mulch. The land slope was adjusted to study area conditions, with mild (9%) and steep (15%) slopes. The three-Way ANOVA method was utilized for statistical analysis. In all the experimental runs, it was found that straw mulch effectively reduced the sediment yields that could enter the river area by more than 50%. The results of ANOVA analysis on sediment yield also showed that the significance value of the interactions between slope, rain intensity, and mulch usage was 0 (p<0.05). These results show that the difference in variations in these three factors determines the sediment yield that occurs. In the future, comparing straw mulch with other materials to cover agricultural land should be conducted.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mulching for Reducing Soil Erosion in Cut Slope and Fill Slope of Forest Roads in Hyrcanian Forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-268
Author(s):  
Ahmad Solgi ◽  
Ramin Naghdi ◽  
Eric K. Zenner ◽  
Vahid Hemmati ◽  
Frashad Keivan Behjou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Cut Slope ◽  
Forest Roads ◽  
Runoff Volume ◽  
Side Slope ◽  
Cut Slopes ◽  
Runoff And Soil Loss ◽  
Mulch Cover ◽  
Fill Slope

Forest operations often enhance runoff and soil loss in roads and skid trails, where cut slopes and fill slopes are the most important source of sediment. This study evaluated the effectiveness of four erosion control treatments applied to cut slope and fill slope segments of forest roads of different ages in the Hyrcanian forest in northern Iran. The treatment combinations, each replicated three times, included four classes of mulch cover (bare soil [BS], wood chips cover [WCH], sawdust cover [SC], and rice straw cover [RSC]), two levels of side slope (cut slope and fill slope), two levels of side slope gradient (20–25% and 40–45%), and three levels of road age (three, 10 and 20 years after construction). Mulch cover treatments significantly reduced average surface runoff volume and sediment yield compared to BS. Regardless of erosion control treatment, greater surface runoff volume and soil loss under natural rainfall occurred on steeper slope gradients in all road age classes and decreased with increasing road age on both slope gradients. On cut slopes, average runoff and soil loss from the plots covered with WCH (17.63 l per plot, 2.43 g m–2) was lower than from those covered with SC (22.81 l per plot, 3.50 g m–2), which was lower than from those covered with RSC (29.13 l per plot, 4.41 g m–2 and BS (34.61 l per plot, 4.94 g m–2). On fill slopes, average runoff and soil loss from the plots covered with WCH (14.13 l per plot, 1.99 g m–2) was lower than from plots covered with SC (20.01 l per plot, 3.23 g m–2), which was lower than from plots covered with RSC (24.52 l per plot, 4.06 g m–2) and BS (29.03 l per plot, 4.47 g m–2). Surface cover successfully controlled erosion losses following road construction, particularly on steep side slopes with high erosion potential.

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