Soil erosion on Alfisols in Western Nigeria: IV. Nutrient element losses in runoff and eroded sediments

Nutrient element losses in runoff and eroded sediments were monitored during 1972 on different slopes and under different soil and crop management treatments. The experiments were conducted on 25 × 4 m field runoff plots, established on natural slopes of 1, 5, 10 and 15%. The soil and crop management treatments consisted of bare fallow (plowed), maize-maize (plowed and mulched), maize-maize (plowed), maize-cowpeas (no-till), and cowpeas-maize (plowed).Total loss of nutrient elements in runoff and eroded soil materials was significantly affected by slope and by soil and crop management treatments. Total annual nutrient element losses in runoff were 55 kg/ha for bare-fallow, 17 kg/ha for maize-maize (plowed), 12 kg/ha for cowpeas-maize (plowed), 2.3 kg/ha for maize-maize (plowed and mulched) and 4.3 kg/ha for maize-cowpeas (no-till). The concentration of nitrate in seepage water was two or three times higher than in surface water. Nutrient losses in eroded soil materials from the mulched and no-till treatments were negligible. From the plowed treatments, greatest losses were of organic matter and total nitrogen. The enrichment ratios were 2.4 times for organic carbon, 1.6 times for N, and 5.8 times for available phosphorus.     

Soil erosion on alfisols in Western Nigeria: I. Effects of slope,crop rotation and residue management

The effect of slope, crop rotation and residue management on runoff and soil loss was investigated using field runoff plots of 25 m × 4 m on natural slopes of 1, 5, 10 and 15% on an Alfisol on the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) research site near Ibadan, Nigeria. The soil and crop management treatments consisted of conventionnally plowed bare fallow, maize-maize (conventionally plowed and mulched), maize-maize (conventionally plowed), maize-cowpeas (zero-tillage), and cowpeas-maize (conventionally plowed). The effect of two contour lengths of 12.5 and 37.5 m was also investigated for the maize-cowpeas rotation.Soil erosion under slopes of 5, 10 and 15% is severe for these soils and if not controlled can limit crop growth.Mulching and no-till treatments had negligible runoff and soil loss. During 1973 the annual runoff losses from the 15% slope were 36, 2 and 2% of the total annual rainfall for the bare-fallow, mulched and no-till treatments, respectively. Annual soil losses during 1973 from the 15% slope were 230 t/ha from bare-fallow, 0.0 t/ha from maize-maize (mulched), 41 t/ha from maize-maize (conventional plowing), 0.1 t/ha from maize-cowpeas (no-till) and 43 t/ha from cowpeas-maize (plowed). Significant soil erosion was associated with only a few extremely intense storms. The soil loss during a single rainstorm increased exponentially with an increase in slope gradient. There was no definite relationship between contour length and runoff or soil loss.     

Residue impacts on runoff and soil erosion for different corn plant populations

The year to year carry-over effects of biomass additions under different plant populations on runoff and erosion are unclear. The objective of this study was to quantify the impact of different plant populations on residue cover to elucidate the effects of residue cover on runoff and erosion. The residue management system involved shredding of corn (maize) biomass after harvest, incorporating the residue in the spring, and leaving the land fallow until it was no-till planted the following spring. Runoff and soil losses were measured on 18 runoff plots with plots arranged in two areas with each having three randomized treatments (0%, 50%, and 100% plant population) with three replications. The two areas were managed as a fallow/no-till corn rotation in two cycles of alternating years. Surface residue cover was highly dynamic with significant changes between cycles and seasons in response to the management practices. The annual soil losses were reduced by 47% and 54% for the 50% and 100% plant populations, respectively compared to the control. However, the annual soil loss even for the 100% plant population was still nearly seven times the tolerable soil loss limit of 7 ton ha⁻¹. The normal erosion protection afforded by no-till practices was lost by the incorporation of residue the previous year.     

EFFECT OF SOIL BUNDS ON RUNOFF,SOIL AND NUTRIENT LOSSES,AND CROP YIELD IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF ETHIOPIA

The effects of soil bunds on runoff, losses of soil and nutrients, and crop yield are rarely documented in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia. A field experiment was set up consisting of three treatments: (i) barley‐cultivated land protected with graded soil bunds (Sb); (ii) fallow land (F); and (iii) barley‐cultivated land without soil bund (Bc). For 3 years (2007–2009), the effect of soil bunds on runoff, losses of soil and nutrients, and crop productivity was studied. Daily runoff and soil and nutrient losses were measured for each treatment using standard procedures while barley yield was recorded from the cultivated plots. The results showed that Sb brought about significant reduction in runoff and soil losses. Plots with Sb reduced the average annual runoff by 28 per cent and the average annual soil loss by 47 per cent. Consequently, Sb reduced losses of soil nutrients and organic carbon. However, the absolute losses were still high. This implies the need for supplementing Sb with biological and agronomic land management measures to further control soil erosion. Despite these positive impacts on soil quality, Sb do not increase crop yield. Calculated on a per‐hectare basis, Sb even reduce crop yield by about 7 per cent as compared with control plots, which is entirely explained by the reduction of the cultivable area by 8·6 per cent due to the soil bunds. Suitable measures are needed to compensate the yield losses caused by the construction of soil bunds, which would convince farmers to construct these land management measures that have long‐term beneficial effects on erosion control. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long‐term effects of cropped vs. fallow and fertilizer amendments on soil organic matter II. Nitrogen

The present study evaluated the effect of fertilizer amendments (organic manure and mineral fertilizers), management practices (fallow and untilled vs. cropped and tilled) on changes of N in bulk soil and N associated with different particle‐size fractions. The long‐term field experiment was conducted since 1962 in Gumpenstein, Austria, on a Dystric Cambisol. The N content of the topsoils changed distinctively during 28 and 38 yr of treatments under both fallow and cropped management practices. Highest increase in total N content was found in animal‐manure (liquid)‐treated plots. The remaining ranking was: animal manure (solid) > cattle slurry > half cattle slurry + straw = PK = NPK. Quite short N‐half‐life values of around 2 yr were found for the cattle‐slurry application, while animal manure exhibited longer N‐half‐lives of around 8 yr. Crop removal of N and mineralization losses in cropped plots obviously were higher than N losses from the bare soil plots lacking a plant cover to keep N in the system. This was confirmed by a consistent shift in the natural ¹⁵N abundances. Comparing the mean N contribution of particle‐size fractions to the total N amounts revealed the following ranking after 28 and 38 yr of different treatments: silt > clay > fine sand > coarse sand, with small exceptions. Particle‐size separates showed more significant responses to changes in the N dynamics of the system due to the various treatments than the bulk soil and can be regarded as the better indicators in this respect.     

Soil erosion on Alfisols in Western Nigeria: II. Effects of mulch rates

The effects of four rates of straw mulching on runoff and soil loss were compared with those of no-tillage treatments under natural rainfall conditions using field runoff plots of 25 × 4 m established at 1, 5, 10 and 15% slopes on the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) research site near Ibadan, Nigeria. The four rates of straw mulching were 0, 2, 4 and 6 t/ha. The mean annual runoff was 50, 10, 4 and 2% of the total annual rainfall for mulch rates of 0, 2, 4 and 6 t/ha, respectively. Runoff from unmulched treatments was not related to slope. Runoff loss from no-till treatments was only 2% of the rain received. The mean soil losses for the rainstorms greater than 25 mm were 143, 16, 2 and 0.4 kg/ha per mm of rain received for mulched rates of 0, 2, 4 and 6 t/ha, respectively. The soil loss declined exponentially with increasing mulch rate with exponents ranging from approximately ?0.3 to ?0.7. The soil losses from the no-till plots were equal to those from plots that received mulch at the rate of 6 t/ha. Soil erodibility was significantly influenced by time after clearing, with maximum K reached two to three years after forest removal. The nutrient loss in runoff and eroded soil was significant only for unmulched treatments. The maximum annual loss of NO₃-N in runoff was about 15 kg/ha. The maximum annual loss of total N in eroded soil from unmulched plots was about 180 kg/ha, that of P, 5 kg/ha, and that of K, about 14 kg/ha.     

Chemical and microbial properties of semiarid tropical soils of short-term fallows in Burkina Faso,West Africa

In the soudano–sahelian zone of Burkina Faso, the short-term fallow effect on the soil chemical and microbial properties was evaluated. In four farm experiments, two types of fallows were compared with cultivated fields: a natural vegetation fallow and a fallow enriched with Andropogon gayanus. After 5 to 7 years of experiments, soil chemical and microbial characteristics were determined in laboratory for 0–10 cm soil depth. Soil organic carbon (+64%), nitrogen (+35%), microbial biomass (+76%), basal respiration (+141%), and β-glucosidase activity (+86%) were significantly higher in fallows plots than in cultivated fields. The metabolic quotient was not significantly different on fallows compared to the cropped plots. Also, no significant difference was highlighted between natural vegetation fallows and the A. gayanus-enriched one.     

Soil and nutrients losses under different crop covers in vertisols of Central India

Purpose

Accelerated erosion removes fertile top soil along with nutrients through runoff and sediments, eventually affecting crop productivity and land degradation. However, scanty information is available on soil and nutrient losses under different crop covers in a vertisol of Central India. Thus, a field experiment was conducted for 4 years (2010–2013) to study the effect of different crop cover combinations on soil and nutrient losses through runoff in a vertisol.

Materials and methods

Very limited information is available on runoff, soil, and nutrient losses under different vegetative covers in a rainfed vertisol. Thus, the hypothesis of the study was to evaluate if different crop cover combinations would have greater impact on reducing soil and nutrient losses compared to control plots in a vertisol.

This experiment consisted of seven treatment combinations of crop covers namely soybean (Glycine max) (CC₁), maize (Zea mays) (CC₂), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) (CC₃), soybean (Glycine max)?+?maize (Zea mays) ??1:1 (CC₄), soybean (Glycine ma x))?+?pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) ?2:1 (CC₅), maize (Zea mays)?+?pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) ??1:1 (CC₆), and cultivated fallow (CC₇). The plot size was 10?×?5 m with 1% slope, and runoff and soil loss were measured using multi-slot devisor. All treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with three replications.

Results and discussion

Results demonstrated that the runoff and soil loss were significantly (p?<?0.05) higher (289 mm and 3.92 Mg ha^?1) under cultivated fallow than those in cropped plots. Among various crop covers, sole pigeon pea (CC₃) recorded significantly higher runoff and soil loss (257 mm and 3.16 Mg ha^?1) followed by that under sole maize (CC₂) (235 mm and 2.85 Mg ha^?1) and the intercrops were in the order of maize?+?pigeon pea (211 mm and 2.47 Mg ha^?1) followed by soybean?+?maize (202 mm and 2.38 Mg ha^?1), and soybean?+?pigeon pea (195 mm and 2.15 Mg ha^?1). The lowest runoff and soil loss were recorded under soybean sole crop (194 mm and 2.27 Mg ha^?1). The data on nutrient losses indicated that the highest losses of soil organic carbon (SOC) (25.83 kg ha^?1), total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) (7.76, 0.96, 32.5 kg ha^?1) were recorded in cultivated fallow (CC₇) as compared to those from sole and intercrop treatments. However, sole soybean and its intercrops recorded the minimum losses of SOC and total N, P, and K, whereas the maximum losses of nutrients were recorded under pigeon pea (CC₃). The system productivity in terms of soybean grain equivalent yield (SGEY) was higher (p?<?0.05) from maize?+?pigeon pea (3358 kg ha^?1) followed by that for soybean?+?pigeon pea (2191 kg ha^?1) as compared to sole soybean. Therefore, maize?+?pigeon pea (1:1) intercropping is the promising option in reducing runoff, soil-nutrient losses, and enhancing crop productivity in the hot sub-humid eco-region.

Conclusions

Study results highlight the need for maintenance of suitable vegetative cover as of great significance to diffusing the erosive energy of heavy rains and also safe guarding the soil resource from degradation by water erosion in vertisols.

     

Soil erosion under simulated rainfall in relation to phenological stages of soybeans and tillage methods in Lages, SC, Brazil

Soil tillage may increase vulnerability to water erosion, whereas no tillage and other conservation cultivation techniques are viewed as strategies to control soil erosion. The objective of this research was to quantify runoff and soil losses by water erosion under different soil tillage systems at the Santa Catarina Highlands, southern Brazil. A field study was carried out using a rotating-boom rainfall simulator with 64 mm h⁻¹ rainfall intensity on a Typic Hapludox, between April 2003 and May 2004. Five rainfall tests were applied along successive cropstages. Surface cover was none (fallow) or soybean (Glycine max, L.). Five treatments were investigated, replicated twice. These treatments were conventional tillage on bare soil (BS) as a control treatment and the following treatments under soybean: conventional tillage (CT), no tillage over burnt crop residues on never before cultivated land (NT-B), no tillage over desiccated crop residues, also on never before cultivated land (NT-D) and traditional no tillage over desiccated crop residues on a soil tilled 4 years before this experiment (NT-PT). Water losses by surface runoff seemed to be more influenced by vegetative crop stadium than by tillage system and consequently a wide range of variation in surface runoff was found, following successive cropstages. The most efficient tillage system in reducing surface runoff and soil losses was no tillage, particularly the NT-PT treatment. Sediment losses were more influenced by tillage system than water losses. In the NT-B, NT-D and NT-PT treatments the rate of sediment losses along the crop vegetative cycle showed a tendency to increase from the first to the second cropstages and later to decrease from the third cropstage onwards. In the conventionally tilled treatment (CT) soil losses were greater than in any of the no tillage treatments (NT-D, NT-B and NT-PT) during the initial growth periods, but at the end of the vegetative period differences in sediment rates between tilled and non-tilled treatments tended to be smaller. In the BS control treatment, soil losses progressively increased following the vegetative growth season of soybean.     

Assessment of fungal communities in soil and tomato roots subjected to diverse land and crop management systems

Effects of diverse agricultural land management practices on soil and on root colonizing fungal communities were determined through a PCR-based molecular method and a culture-dependent method, respectively, in a field location with uniform soil type. Initiated in July 2000, the management systems were: conventional tomato production, frequent tillage (disk fallow), undisturbed weed fallow, bahiagrass pasture (Paspalum notatum var. notatum ‘Argentine’), and an organically managed system including cover crops and annual applications of poultry manure and urban plant debris. Culture-dependent colony counting was used to identify and enumerate communities of root colonizing fungi and length heterogeneity polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR) analysis of internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1) profiles to characterize phylotypes in soil fungal communities. Three years after initiation of land management treatments and midway through tomato cultivation, both methods detected a high degree of similarity in fungal community composition between weed fallow and bahiagrass plots. Soil fungal communities in organically managed plots were similar to each other and distinct from communities in other land management systems while the composition of root colonizing fungal communities in organic plots was divergent. The results demonstrate that the soil fungal communities and root colonizing fungal communities were affected differently depending on land and crop management practices. Fusarium oxysporum was a dominant species in all soil and root colonizing fungal communities except those subjected to organic management practices.     

Effects of tillage practices combined with mucuna fallow on soil erosion and water dynamics on Ishigaki Island,Japan

Abstract

This study was conducted on a sloping field at the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Okinawa Subtropical Station, Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, to evaluate the effects of zero tillage farming combined with mucuna fallow as a cover crop on soil erosion and water dynamics. Two fallow systems (natural and mucuna) in combination with two soil tillage treatments (zero tillage and conventional tillage) were imposed on three sloping fields (2.0°, 3.5° and 5.0°). A sorghum crop (Sorghum bicolor (L) moench) was planted after the soil tillage treatment. Soil loss for zero tillage farming combined with mucuna fallow was equivalent to only 3% of that for the conventional tillage farming with natural fallow. Runoff water was also reduced by between 74% and 77% when compared with the conventional tillage system with natural fallow. These results indicate that zero tillage with mucuna fallow is a very effective measure for the control of soil erosion and water runoff. Moreover, this farming system improved water infiltration during both the fallow and the sorghum cropping periods. For the zero tillage plot, water loss as deep percolation increased 1.6-fold compared with that for the conventional farming under heavy rainfall conditions. It is expected that under less rainfall areas or seasons, the effects of zero tillage farming combined with the mucuna cover crop may be more pronounced on water runoff control and, therefore, may greatly improve soil water conditions.     

Improvement of the physical fertility of a degraded Alfisol with planted and natural fallows under humid tropical conditions

Abstract. Topsoil (0–15 cm) bulk density, aggregate stability, soil dispersibility, water retention and infiltration were measured between 1989 and 1996 on an Alfisol under rehabilitation in southwestern Nigeria. The planted leguminous species were Pueraria phaseoloides, Senna siamea, Leucaena leucocephala, Acacia leptocarpa and A. auriculiformis. Also, plots with natural fallow and maize/cassava intercropping were included. Level (minimum) and mound tillage with hoes was adopted for the cultivated areas under study after 4 and 6 year fallow periods. Under fallow, the soil bulk density decreased from1.56 to 1.11 t m73.The continuously cropped treatment (level tillage) had significantly higher bulk density than the fallowed subplots after 6 years. Mean soil penetrometer resistance ranged from 75 to 157 kPa for fallowed plots and from 192 to 295 kPa for the continuously cropped (level tillage) subplot. Surface soilwater contentswere similar for all the treatments during the soil strength measurements. Although soil aggregates were generally of low stability and not well formed, they were improved by fallowing.
Soil structural improvement by planted fallows was similar to that by natural fallow, but the trees were more promising for long-term fallow (>6 years) than the herbaceous P. phaseoloides. However, the improvement in soil structure after 4 or 6 year fallow could not be maintained in subsequent cropping. Furthermore, the significant improvement in soil bulk density caused by A. auriculiformis and natural fallow was more rapidly lost on the cultivated subplots compared with other fallow treatments. Thus, soil structure recovery under a fallow does not imply a sustained improvement when stress is applied to this soil. Post-fallow soil management options such as residue incorporation and tillage to ameliorate compaction or soil strength will be necessary to enhance the improvements by fallow species.     

Effect of Mulching with Vegetative Residues on Soil Water Erosion and Water Balance in an Oxisol Cropped by Cassava in East Cameroon

Soil water erosion is a major agricultural concern in tropical Africa with high precipitation and low soil fertility where Oxisols are generally distributed. A field experiment was conducted in east Cameroon during the rainy season in 2013 to investigate the effects of surface mulching with the residues of Imperata cylindrica on soil losses and surface runoff water generation in a cassava cropland on an Oxisol. Three treatments were established using two small plots for each treatment: bare plot (BA), cassava plot (CA) and cassava with mulch plot (CM). Soil loss and surface runoff water were measured, and water budgets of rainfall, surface runoff and soil moisture within rainfall events were measured in all treatment plots. Runoff coefficients in all treatment plots were suppressed below 8·0% because the large volume of large pores of surface soil of Oxisols contributed to the high drainage capacity over a rainy season even under wet soil moisture conditions. Total soil loss in CM was decreased by 49% compared with that in BA and CA, despite there not being a large difference in runoff water among treatments. These results suggest that surface mulching with the residues of I. cylindrica can substantially suppress soil losses caused by particle detachment by raindrops, while it maintain soil surface with originally high permeability in cassava croplands on Oxisols. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental assessment of runoff and soil erosion in an olive grove on a Vertic soil in southern Spain as affected by soil management

Abstract. Three different management systems were compared in an olive grove on a Vertic soil, near the city of Cordoba, Spain. Rainfall, runoff and soil loss were recorded from experimental plots of 6×12 m for three years. Results indicated that the no-tillage system, which was kept weed-free with herbicides, gave the largest soil loss (8.5 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and average annual runoff coefficient (21.5%), due to increased soil compaction, particularly outside the canopy projection area. A system that used a grass cover gave the lowest soil losses (1.2 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and average annual runoff coefficient (2.5%) due to the protective effects of the cover and increased soil aggregate stability. The third system, conventional tillage, gave intermediate results, with a soil loss of 4.0 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and an average runoff coefficient of 7.4%. The search for alternative soil management to conventional tillage should consider occasional light tillage to establish a grass cover that would keep both soil erosion and runoff losses to a minimum.     

Fallow management practices in Guatemala's Western Highlands: social drivers and biophysical impacts

Land pressures and environmental degradation are driving forces behind shortened fallow periods in the tropics, often resulting in reduced crop yields and increased migration from rural areas. This paper describes contemporary fallow practices in the Western Highlands of Guatemala based on interdisciplinary data collected using participatory rural appraisal and qualitative research methods in combination with a quantitative evaluation of the impacts of fallow management decisions on soil fertility. Case studies of two communities in San Marcos department illustrate contemporary and traditional land use practices. Currently, over 70 per cent of families engage in a variety of fallow management practices, with combined cropping‐fallow cycles within a field averaging 3–6 years. Despite the reduction in length of fallow cycles, new fallow practices in the study area appear to improve some aspects of soil fertility while also providing fodder and fuelwood. Calcium and magnesium concentrations in fallow soil were twice that of cropped plots, indicating that weathering reactions and atmospheric deposition during fallow periods are able to restore base cation fertility that is taken up by potato crops during cropping cycles. Soil in cropped plots, however, showed 25 per cent higher soil organic matter and five times higher nitrate concentrations than soil in fallow plots, which resulted from additions of compost and inorganic fertilizer to cropped plots. Nevertheless, the ¹³C/¹²C isotopic ratio of soil organic carbon indicated that as soil organic matter content decreases in cropped plots, the remaining carbon is increasingly degraded. Potential improvements in fallow management practices proposed by farmers and researchers are also presented. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

百喜草覆盖和敷盖对中国南方红壤坡地径流和产沙的影响

Rainfall,runoff (surface runoff,interflow and groundwater runoff) and soil loss from 5 m × 15 m plots were recorded for 5 years (2001-2005) in an experiment with three treatments (cover,mulch and bare ground) on sloping red soil in southern China.Surface runoff and erosion from the Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) cover plot (A) and mulch plot (B) during the 5 years were low,despite the occurrence of potentially erosive rains.In contrast,the bare plot (C) had both the highest surface runoff coefficient and the highest sediment yield.There were significant differences in interflow and surface runoff and no significant difference in groundwater runoff among plots.The runoff coefficients and duration of interflow and groundwater runoff were in the order plot B > plot A > plot C.Effects of Bahia grass cover were excellent,indicating that the use of Bahia grass cover can be a simple and feasible practice for soil and water conservation on sloping red soil in the region.     

Effects of long-term winter wheat, summer fallow residue and nutrient management on field hydrology for a silt loam in north-central Oregon

In a region where water is the primary limiting factor of crop production, loss of water from fields by overland flow represents an economic loss to producers. Traditional crop management practices in north-central Oregon have led to crop water loss by overland flow. In 1931, a long-term experiment was begun near Pendleton, Oregon, in a Walla Walla silt loam (coarse-silty, mixed, mesic Typic Haploxeroll—US; Kastanozems—FAO), to examine the influence on soil fertility and crop production by nutrient amendments and crop residue management practices. This experiment provided the opportunity to evaluate the influence of a several traditional farming practices on field hydrology. Tillage in all treatments consisted of moldboard plowing and multiple passes with secondary tillage equipment to smooth the surface for planting and for weed control. The treatments were combinations of nutrient amendments (0.90 kg N ha⁻¹ commercial fertilizer, and 145 kg N ha⁻¹ from manure) and residue management (fall-burn, spring-burn, and no-burn), whose soil organic carbon increased with increasing nutrient amendments. These treatments were in a winter wheat–fallow system and represent a set of past and current cultural practices. Overland flow from these treatments was measured. Lister furrows separated the plots of 12 m×40 m (≈0.05 ha) to prevent overland flow from treatment to treatment and were instrumented with weirs to capture and measure overland flow. To determine if hydrologic differences existed between treatments, we tested the overland flow to precipitation (Q/P) ratio. The Q/P ratio (P<0.15) was greatest within crop year/low soil fertility (0 kg N ha⁻¹, burn) whereas the high fertility (145 kg N ha⁻¹, no-burn) treatment crop year plots Q/P ratios were similar to fallow, standing stubble plots. Most notably, the manure amendment plots in crop, produce significantly less overland flow than the other residue and nutrient management practices, and marginally less overland flow than treatments in stubble. This research demonstrates that overland flow was greater from low fertility and stubble burned treatments. Increased overland flow increases the risk of soil erosion and loss of water to overland flow is potentially a loss of needed soil water for crop growth and production.     

Comparison of DTPA and resin extractable soil Zn to plant Zn uptake

Abstract

Extraction of soil zinc with routine chemical extractants does not always reflect differences in Zn availability as detected by plant uptake. This study was undertaken to explore and compare the use of an ion exchange resin and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) for extracting soil Zn as related to plant Zn uptake. Beans were grown in 1989 following differential cropping with corn and beans or fallow in 1988 on a Portneuf silt loam near Kimberly, Idaho. Two Zn fertilizer treatments were imposed across previous cropping treatments. A batch method for determining resin extractable soil Zn was established.

Both plant Zn concentration and Zn uptake by beans in 1989 were significantly higher in Zn fertilized than unfertilized treatments regardless of previous crop; and higher in plots previously cropped with corn than beans or fallow, regardless of Zn treatment. DTPA and resin extractable soil Zn were significantly higher in Zn fertilized plots compared to unfertilized plots but did not differ between previous cropping treatments. Resin and DTPA extractable soil Zn concentrations were positively correlated. Resin extracted soil Zn correlated better with plant Zn concentration and Zn uptake throughout the growing season than DTPA extracted soil Zn, particularly in plots that had been fallowed or previously cropped with corn. Resin may be extracting labile soil Zn not extracted with DTPA and, therefore, be better simulating plant uptake. Both extraction methods correlated better with Zn uptake when evaluated within cropping treatments, emphasizing the need to consider previous crop when calibrating soil tests.     

Long‐term effects of cropped vs. fallow and fertilizer amendments on soil organic matter I. Organic carbon

A long‐term field experiment, conducted since 1962 in Gumpenstein (Austria) on a Dystric Cambisol, was used for the present investigation. We combined a physical fractionation procedure with the determination of natural abundance of ¹³C and FT‐IR spectroscopy to study the influence of fertilizer amendments (organic manure and mineral fertilizers) and management practices (fallow vs. cropped) on changes in organic carbon (OC) associated with different particle‐size fractions. The OC content in bulk soil decreased or was not affected by slurry+straw, PK, and NPK treatments in both fallow and cropped plots after 28 and 38 yr of treatment. However, OC in plots receiving organic manures increased depending on the quality of the organic manures applied. The ranking among the different treatments under both fallow and cropped plots was: animal manure (liquid) > animal manure (solid) > cattle slurry = slurry+straw = PK = NPK. Results showed that the two types of management practices, fallow (non‐tilled) vs. cropped (tilled) had effects on OC concentrations. Comparing the OC contribution of particle‐size fractions to the total OC amount revealed the following ranking: silt > clay > fine sand > coarse sand except in the plots receiving solid or liquid animal manure. Size fractions within treatments showed larger variations of ¹³C abundances than bulk samples between treatments. The natural abundances of ¹³C increased especially in cropped (and tilled) plots. It was shown by cluster analysis that FT‐IR spectra differentiated between the different treatments originating from different land management practices. The present study revealed that below‐ground C deposition by agricultural plants can hardly compensate the C losses due to tillage.     

A multi-scale approach of runoff generation in a Sahelian gully catchment: a case study in Niger

Runoff production conditions in a small gully catchment are studied at four different scales: the point scale (0.001 m²), the local scale (1 m²), the field scale (of the order of 100 m²) and the catchment scale (0.2 km²). At the point scale, infiltration measurements were conducted using a tension infiltrometer. At the local and the field scale, runoff plots were setup on typical soil surface conditions of the catchment (plateau bare soil, hillslope bare soil and fallow grassland). At the catchment scale, stream discharges were measured at two gauging stations.The overland flow yield is significantly nonuniform in space, due to the high spatial variability of infiltration capacities and the depressional storage of the soil surface. The runoff and the infiltration data collected confirmed the major role played by soil crusting on runoff generation in that part of Sahel. At the point scale, hydraulic conductivity measurements have shown that infiltration and runoff were driven by the hydraulic properties of the crust. At the field scale, microtopography and heterogeneity in the soil surface crusting decreased discharge volumes. The influence of vegetation growth on runoff yield was evident in the case of the fallow sites. Analysis of discharge data at the catchment scale highlights that infiltration through the bottom of the gully between two gauging stations leads to considerable runoff water transmission losses.