The effect of slope on interrill erosion at short slopes

Slope gradient is an important factor that affects soil erosion. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of slope gradient on soil erosion and determine the splash contribution to interrill erosion at short steep slopes. An experimental device was used to make simultaneous measurements of interrill splash and wash at 9, 18, 27, 36, 47, 58, 70, 84, and 100% slopes under a constant rainfall intensity of 67 mm h^? 1 in a laboratory setting. The specially designed runoff and sediment collection system provided a means of partitioning total splash into four directional components and interrill sediment transport into wash and splash components. The results revealed that the total splash loss, net downslope splash loss and wash loss all increased with slope, and then decreased after a maximum value was reached. The slope factor equation of short slopes in RUSLE matched the wash loss from this study very well when the slope gradient was less than or equal to 58%. The ratio of net downslope splash loss to wash loss increased from 0.21 to 1.33 as the slope gradient increased from 9% to 100%. Taken together, these results indicate that upslope splash loss was a very important component of the total splash loss on gentle slopes and may be neglected on slopes greater than 36%. Splash transport was a significant part of interrill sediment delivery at short steep slopes.     

Slope and rainfall effects on the volume of sediment yield by gully erosion in the Souar lithologic formation (Tunisia)

The Souar lithologic formation in semi-arid Tunisia is undergoing severe gully erosion which is threatening soil and water resources. Soil conservation strategies have focused more on terracing than on gully control techniques, since the contribution of gully sediment yield in the overall soil loss from watersheds is unknown. The paper reports investigations into the sediment yield provided by head-cut as well as sidewall–floor erosion of first order gullies on gentle and steep slope catchments underlined by the Souar lithologic formation. We measured mean field sediment volumes evacuated by different headward reaches of 10 and 9 gullies located on gentle and steep slope catchments, respectively. Two equations between the length of the gully head cutting and the corresponding volume of evacuated sediment were established. The treatment with a Geographic Information System (Arc View) of air photographs of six flights from 1952 to 2000 allowed the calculation of the volume of sediment provided both by head cutting and gully sidewalls–floor erosion through the following up of gully extension in eight catchments during the five periods separating the dates of these flights. Total gully erosion was on average 1.66 m³ ha^− 1 year^− 1 for the gentle slopes and 5.603 m³ ha^− 1 year^− 1 for the steep slopes. Sidewalls–floor contribution in total erosion was on average 81.5% for the gentle slopes and 77.8% for the steep slopes. We found out that the mean annual rainfall resulting from 40 mm daily rainfall threshold explained better the variation of annual head cutting sediment yield for these five periods than any other annual rainfall resulting from lower daily rainfall thresholds. Two equations between these two variables were established both for gentle and steep slope catchments.     

溅蚀研究进展

溅蚀是水蚀的初始阶段,是雨滴对地表击打直接作用的结果,是一个动能减少,地表土壤颗粒发生位移的过程。溅蚀主要发生在坡面产生径流之前和刚产生径流时,是水蚀的主要形式之一。国内外学者对溅蚀的影响因素的研究主要集中在降雨特征、土壤特性以及地形因素等方面,其中主要影响因子包括:坡度、降雨特征、植被覆盖和土层结构。溅蚀量随坡度的增大逐渐增多,但是坡度超过临界坡度时,随坡度增大而减小;随降雨强度和雨滴大小增大而增大;地表植被对降雨有直接的再分配的过程,主要表现为截流、透流和干流3方面,当地表覆盖物超过1cm时,溅蚀可以完全消失;不同级配的土壤颗粒抗溅蚀能力不同,粒径在0.15mm附近的颗粒最容易被溅蚀,溅蚀同时随着土壤结皮厚度增大,土壤抗溅蚀能力增强。然而目前国内外对溅蚀的研究主要是在实验室模拟条件下完成的,较少有野外实地的研究,更缺乏在实际农业生产条件下的研究。所以需要在前人的基础上结合我国有些地方坡耕地较多的情况,在不同作物、作物生产方式和土地耕作方式等条件下,探讨坡耕地溅蚀规律。     

陡坡耕地施加PAM侵蚀产沙规律及临界坡长的试验研究

PAM(聚丙烯酰胺 )作为一种土壤结构改良剂施用于地表 ,能显著的减小径流和土壤侵蚀量。本研究设计了一系列人工降雨模拟试验 ,定量研究了坡度、坡长、PAM覆盖度、雨强对陡坡耕地土壤侵蚀产沙的影响。试验采用三种雨强 :5 0mmh- 1 、10 0mmh- 1 、15 0mmh- 1 ,四种坡度 :5°、10°、2 0°、2 5° (8 74%、17 63 %、3 6 4%、46 63 % ) ,四种当量坡长 :8m、16m、2 4m、40m ,五种地表处理 :对照、麦草覆盖、三种PAM覆盖度A、B、C(A 相似文献   

南方风化花岗岩坡地产流过程与侵蚀率模拟研究

采用室内人工降雨模拟方法研究了不同坡度(5°,8°,15°,25°)和降雨强度(1.0,1.5,2.0,2.5 mm/min)对南方风化花岗岩坡地土壤侵蚀特征的影响。结果表明,径流量和径流率均随降雨强度的增大而增大,但随坡度的增大而减小。径流入渗率与坡度呈极显著正相关(r=0.660,p<0.01),而随着降雨时间的延长呈现出3个不同阶段的变化:初始全渗阶段、快速下降阶段和相对稳定阶段。降雨强度对径流量的影响比坡度更明显。平均产沙浓度与坡度呈极显著正相关(r=0.694,p<0.01),而其与降雨强度之间的关系取决于坡度条件。土壤侵蚀率随降雨延长呈先增后减趋势,整体上与坡度和降雨强度呈正相关(r>0.580,p<0.05)。土壤侵蚀率和径流率在陡坡上呈线性关系(R^2>0.861),在缓坡上呈幂函数关系(R^2>0.966)。最后采用修正的典型土壤流失方程模型来预测土壤侵蚀率,发现模拟值的变化趋势与实际测量值接近,表明该修正模型在研究区具有一定的适用性。研究结果可以为风化花岗岩地区的土壤侵蚀率研究提供数据支撑,对进一步理解土壤侵蚀过程有着重要的意义。     

Influence of deer exclusion on soil nutrients in oak forests of a central European low mountain range

High densities of red deer can have severe impacts on soil nutrient status by removing the ground vegetation and enhancing erosion of the fertile soil layers. We compared four fenced deer exclosures with adjacent unfenced sites to evaluate the effect of deer grazing and trampling on the soil nutrient status (C_org, N_t, PO₄³⁻, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺) in sloping oak forests of a central European low mountain range. The investigation was set up as a three‐factor randomized complete block design (RCBD) with the factors: ‘fencing’ (fenced/unfenced), ‘gradient’ (gentle/steep) and ‘aspect’ (windward/leeward). We hypothesized that exclusion of red deer by fencing would increase soil nutrient contents independent of slope gradient and aspect. Fencing increased the contents of C_org, N_t, Ca²⁺ and PO₄³⁻, but only at the windward sites. This effect was less pronounced at the gently sloping site than at the steep site, which exhibited the lowest contents of C_org, N_t and PO₄³⁻ of all sites. We did not find increased soil nutrients in the fenced exclosures at the leeward sites, neither at the steep nor at the gently sloping site. At both slope aspects nutrient contents (C_org, N_t, PO₄³⁻, K⁺) tended to be higher on the gentle than at the corresponding steep slopes. Our results suggest that red deer trampling and grazing enhance the loss of soil nutrients at predisposed sites such as windward locations with a high slope gradient. Only at such sites did the exclusion of red deer increase several soil nutrients. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

三峡库区坡地表层风化特征研究

Extractability and mobility of Cu and Zn and their relationships with 1） accumulation of Cu and Zn and 2） soil pH were studied in three sandy soils （Wabasso, Ankona, and Winder） from commercial citrus groves in Florida, USA. The soils, with a broad range of Cu and Zn concentrations, were fractionated by a modified procedure of Amacher, while Cu and Zn mobility were evaluated using column leaching. The extractability of Cu and Zn increased with decreasing soil pH. Also with increasing total soil Cu and Zn for extractable Cu in the Wabasso sand a threshold level, where the metal extraction rate increased, was noted at 100 mg kg^-1, whereas for extractable Zn in the Wabasso sand the threshold level was found at 60 mg kg^-1 and in the Ankona sand at 120 mg kg^-1. These results suggested that the release potential of Cu and Zn was greater in the Wabasso sand than in the Ankona sand. The column leaching experiment showed that at total soil Cu or Zn concentrations 〈 100 mg kg^-1 all leachates had low Cu and Zn concentrations. However at total concentrations 〉 200 mg kg^-1 for Cu and 〉 150 mg kg^-1 for Zn with decreasing soil pH, the concentrations of both Cu and Zn in the leachates increased exponentially. Also in these sandy soils soluble Cu and Zn mainly originated from the exchangeable fractions, and pH was a key factor controlling Cu and Zn extractability and mobility.     

干旱阳坡半阳坡微地形土壤水分分布研究

采用固定点动态监测的方法,对黄土丘陵区吴起县合家沟流域阳坡和半阳坡各微地形土壤水分进行了对比研究.结果表明,微地形对土壤含水量具有显著影响,阳坡各微地形土壤水分顺序为:切沟>平缓坡>切沟沟头>陡坡>极陡坡;半阳坡各微地形土壤水分顺序为:平缓坡>浅沟>陡坡>极陡坡.0-20 cm土层土壤水分变异系数最大的是切沟,最小的是切沟沟头.最后指出在植被恢复过程中,应根据不同微地形的土壤水分分布特征,结合"适地适树,适林适草"的植被恢复原则,合理配置乔、灌、草的营建模式.     

Interrelationship among slope steepness,tillage practice and rainfall properties with surface runoff and soil loss on Mollisols in Northeast China

ABSTRACT

Soil erosion and rainfall-induced runoff are well studied yet remain somewhat unpredictable from one natural rainfall to the next, due to interactions between erosion parameters. This study quantified the relationship between annual (2011–2016) and individual (2016) rain events with overland flow (runoff) and soil loss in China’s northern ‘corn-belt’. Two tillage practices and slopes were evaluated (no-till and conventional till, 5° and 7° slopes). Results showed 54 rainfall events for a total of 394 mm precipitation ranging between May and October 2016. Runoff occurred 13 times in the conventional till with 7° slope, accounting for 25.9% of the precipitation volume and caused 15.6 t ha^?1 erosion. It occurred twice in the no-till with 5° slope plot and caused 0.2 t ha^?1 erosion., Thus the no-till with 5° slope treatment is the best tillage system to protect soil in Mollisols in Northeast China. Broad analysis coupled with a detail review of three rainfall events demonstrates that water either runs off plots quickly or rapidly infiltrates while sediment moves in a pulsing manner.     

Erosion of agrochernozems under sprinkler irrigation and rainfall simulation in the southern forest-steppe of Bashkir Cis-Ural region

Experiments on small (about 10 m in length) runoff plots on slopes of 1°–3° subjected to sprinkler irrigation in the southern Cis-Ural forest-steppe region showed that the formation of surface runoff is controlled by the intensity and character (intermittence) of sprinkler irrigation, its duration, and the state of the soil surface. On the clay-illuvial moderately leached agrochernozem, the surface runoff is developed after 14?20 h of irrigation imitating heavy rain (180–210 mm rainfall), after 15 min (24 mm) under shower, and after 10 min (23 mm) under heavy shower. Runoff appeared on the plowed plots unprotected by plants after 100–140 mm of heavy rainfall 6 h earlier than on the fallow plot; in the case of shower and heavy shower on the unprotected plot, it appeared virtually immediately. Turbidity of runoff flows gradually increased after the beginning of runoff under heavy rain and sharply increased under heavy shower. After reaching its maximum, it decreased. The contents of fine fractions, humus, and nutrients in the solid runoff (drift) were higher under lower rain intensity (heavy rain) than under showers and heavy showers; they were higher in all the drifts than in the soil on the adjacent slope. Long (about 24 h) continuous artificial heavy rain (0.17–0.22 mm/min) caused slight soil compaction and some improvement of the structure of the surface soil layer both on the fallow plots and on the plowed plots.     

黄土区坡耕地土壤结皮对入渗的影响

黄土高原地区,坡面土壤水分是生态建设的关键问题。以黄土高原坡耕地人为管理方式为背景,在室内人工模拟降雨条件下采用等高耕作和人工掏挖两种措施,并且设计直线坡作为对照,研究不同耕作措施下土壤结皮的形成特征,同时从降雨-入渗的角度研究两种类型结皮(结构结皮和沉积结皮)对坡面土壤水分入渗的影响。研究结果表明:土壤结皮阻碍坡面土壤水分入渗,结皮坡面产流时间早,且土壤累积入渗量明显低于无结皮坡面;采用Kostiakov模型、Horton模型、蒋定生模型对坡面土壤水分入渗过程进行优化模拟的结果表明蒋定生模型适用于描述本研究坡面土壤水分入渗的特征;耕作措施造成的微地形对土壤结皮的类型有很大影响,在洼地径流携带泥沙堆积形成沉积结皮,地势较高处降雨雨滴直接打击形成结构结皮。研究两种类型结皮发现,沉积结皮相对于结构结皮密度高且孔隙度低,并且两种类型结皮对坡面土壤水分入渗的影响存在差异,沉积结皮平均减渗效应为37.13%,结构结皮平均减渗效应为19.79%,因此,沉积结皮更大程度影响坡面土壤水分入渗。     

Land use and soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River: some socio‐economic considerations on China's Grain‐for‐Green Programme

Soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in China is a major concern and the Central Government has initiated the Grain‐for‐Green Programme to convert farmland to forests and grassland to improve the environment. This paper analyses the relationship between land use and soil erosion in Zhongjiang, a typical agricultural county of Sichuan Province located in areas with severe soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. In our analysis, we use the ArcGIS spatial analysis module with detailed land‐use data as well as data on slope conditions and soil erosion. Our research shows that the most serious soil erosion is occurring on agricultural land with a slope of 10∼25 degrees. Both farmland and permanent crops are affected by soil erosion, with almost the same percentage of soil erosion for corresponding slope conditions. Farmland with soil erosion accounts for 86·2 per cent of the total eroded agricultural land. In the farmland with soil erosion, 22·5 per cent have a slope of < 5 degrees, 20·3 per cent have a slope of 5∼10 degrees, and 57·1 per cent have a slope of > 10 degrees. On gentle slopes with less than 5 degrees inclination, some 6 per cent of the farmland had strong (5000∼8000 t km⁻² y⁻¹) or very strong (8000∼15000 t km⁻² y⁻¹) erosion. However, on steep slopes of more than 25 degrees, strong or very strong erosion was reported for more than 42 per cent of the farmland. These numbers explain why the task of soil and water conservation should be focused on the prevention of soil erosion on farmland with steep or very steep slopes. A Feasibility Index is developed and integrated socio‐economic assessment on the feasibility of improving sloping farmland in 56 townships and towns is carried out. Finally, to ensure the success of the Grain‐for‐Green Programme, countermeasures to improve sloping farmland and control soil erosion are proposed according to the values of the Feasibility Index in the townships and towns. These include: (1) to terrace sloping farmland on a large scale and to convert farmland with a slope of over 25 degrees to forests or grassland; (2) to develop ecological agriculture combined with improving the sloping farmland and constructing prime farmland and to pay more attention to improving the technology for irrigation and cultivation techniques; and (3) to carry out soil conservation on steep‐sloping farmland using suggested techniques. In addition, improving ecosystems and the inhabited environment through yard and garden construction for households is also an effective way to prevent soil erosion. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Infiltration rates, surface runoff, and soil loss as influenced by grazing pressure in the Ethiopian highlands

Abstract. The effect of grazing pressure on infiltration, runoff, and soil loss was studied on a natural pasture during the rainy season of 1995 in the Ethiopian highlands. The study was conducted at two sites with 0–4% and 4–8% slopes at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Debre Zeit research station, 50 km south of Addis Ababa. The grazing regimes were: light grazing stocked at 0.6 animal-unit-months (AUM)/ha; moderate grazing stocked at 1.8 AUM/ha; heavy grazing stocked at 3.0 AUM/ha; very heavy grazing stocked at 4.2 AUM/ha; very heavy grazing on ploughed soil stocked at 4.2 AUM/ha; and a control with no grazing. Heavy to very heavy grazing pressure significantly reduced biomass amounts, ground vegetative cover, increased surface runoff and soil loss, and reduced infiltrability of the soil. Reduction in infiltration rates was greater on soils which had been ploughed and exposed to very heavy trampling. It was observed that, for the same % vegetative cover, more soil loss occurred from plots on steep than gentle slopes, and that gentle slopes could withstand more grazing pressure without seriously affecting the ground biomass regeneration compared to steeper slopes. Thus, there is a need for developing 'slope-specific' grazing management schedules particularly in the highland ecozones rather than making blanket recommendations for all slopes. More research is needed to quantify annual biophysical changes in order to assess cumulative long-term effects of grazing and trampling on vegetation, soil, and hydrology of grazing lands. Modelling such effects is essential for land use planning in this fragile highland environment.     

急陡坡土壤侵蚀试验研究

随着各项开发建设项目的大力开展,人为地产生了大量>25℃的急陡坡坡面,造成严重的土壤侵蚀.采用人工模拟降雨方法,进行了急陡坡对土壤侵蚀影响的试验研究.研究结果表明:随着坡度的增加,降雨产流的径流总量和流速随之减少;坡面的降雨侵蚀形式由径流侵蚀为主向击溅侵蚀为主转变,从而导致土壤侵蚀量的波动变化趋势.     

Effectiveness of palm and simulated geotextiles in reducing run-off and inter-rill erosion on medium and steep slopes

Palm‐leaf geotextiles could be an effective and cheap soil conservation method with enormous global potential. However, there are very few data on the effectiveness of palm geotextiles in reducing soil erosion by water. This study investigates the effectiveness of two types of palm geotextiles and the effect of geotextile mesh size on infiltration, run‐off and inter‐rill erosion rate and soil surface roughness on a medium and steep slope. A well‐defined protocol was developed to conduct laboratory experiments. Rainfall was simulated for 90 min with an intensity (I) of 45 and 67 mm h^?1 on an inter‐rill erosion plot, filled with an erodible sandy loam and having slope gradients (S) of 15 and 45%. Two palm‐leaf geotextiles (Borassus aethiopum and Brazilian Buriti Palm) and three simulated geotextiles (polyethylene tarpaulin) with different mesh sizes (1 × 1, 5 × 5 and 12 × 12 cm) were tested on a simulated fine tilth. Calculated k values from the Horton infiltration equation ranged from 0.025 to 0.145 and decreased linearly on both slopes with geotextile cover. Geotextiles are more effective in reducing the run‐off coefficient on a medium slope (15%) compared with that on a steep slope (45%), ranging from 76.4 to 17.9%. Mean b values from the mulch cover equation equalled 0.024 for a 15% slope and 0.045 for a 45% slope, indicating a higher effectiveness of geotextiles in reducing total inter‐rill soil loss on gentler slopes compared with commonly used mulches. Erosion‐induced soil surface roughness at the end of each experiment increased linearly with geotextile cover percentage and this increase was not significantly different between the two slope gradients.     

紫色土坡面细沟流的水动力学特征试验研究

通过不同坡度、流量的组合放水冲刷试验,对紫色土坡面细沟侵蚀发生过程中的坡面细沟流水动力学特征进行了研究。结果表明,在试验的坡度和流量范围内,紫色土细沟流流速随放水量的增加而增大,而在相同放水量下紫色土坡面细沟流流速随坡度增加变化趋势不明显。紫色土细沟流的雷诺数变化于500～4600之间,流态基本属于紊流,在同一坡度下,雷诺数随放水量的增大而迅速增大。紫色土细沟流弗汝德数在整个试验过程中均大于1,属于急流范畴。坡面流阻力系数的大小与水流雷诺数有关,但其变化趋势受坡度和流量的影响。在坡度较缓时阻力系数随雷诺数的增大而减小,在坡度较大时阻力系数随雷诺数的增大而增大,但起伏较大。     

紫色土坡面细沟流的水动力学特征试验研究

通过不同坡度、流量的组合放水冲刷试验,对紫色土坡面细沟侵蚀发生过程中的坡面细沟流水动力学特征进行了研究。结果表明,在试验的坡度和流量范围内,紫色土细沟流流速随放水量的增加而增大,而在相同放水量下紫色土坡面细沟流流速随坡度增加变化趋势不明显。紫色土细沟流的雷诺数变化于500~4 600之间,流态基本属于紊流,在同一坡度下,雷诺数随放水量的增大而迅速增大。紫色土细沟流弗汝德数在整个试验过程中均大于1,属于急流范畴。坡面流阻力系数的大小与水流雷诺数有关,但其变化趋势受坡度和流量的影响。在坡度较缓时阻力系数随雷诺数的增大而减小,在坡度较大时阻力系数随雷诺数的增大而增大,但起伏较大。     

喷施中性多聚糖对黄土坡面降雨入渗的影响

中性多聚糖(Jag S)是一种新型高聚物,研究该高聚物对黄土坡面降雨入渗的影响可对采用土壤侵蚀化学调控技术措施防治黄土坡面土壤侵蚀提供新的理论基础。通过人工模拟降雨试验,研究不同雨强(1.0、1.5、2.0 mm min-1),不同坡度(10°、15°、20°)条件下,坡面降雨入渗及产流时间与喷施不同剂量(1、3、5 g m-2)Jag S之间的关系。结果表明:在不同坡度不同雨强下,与裸露坡面相比,喷施3种剂量的高分子化学材料Jag S均减少了前期降雨入渗率,但1及3 g m-2剂量Jag S处理能够明显提高黄土坡面入渗性能,减缓入渗在整个降雨过程的下降趋势,提高稳渗率,强化入渗效应均值分别为21.53%及9.17%,大剂量(5 g m-2)Jag S反而降低了土壤入渗性能(小雨强下除外)。喷施不同剂量Jag S的坡面其产流开始时间差异很小,但均早于裸露坡面,且表现为Jag S喷施剂量越大,坡面越早产流,大坡度大剂量对降雨产流时间影响较大。三个剂量对应产流时间提前百分比均值分别为47.26%、50.47%及66.28%。总之,Jag S在一定程度上能改善黄土坡面土壤结构,提高黄土坡面降雨入渗性能,从而降低土壤侵蚀,为采用高聚物进行水土保持提供了科学依据。     

雨强和坡度对黄土陡坡地浅沟形态特征影响的定量研究

浅沟形态特征是建立陡坡地坡面浅沟侵蚀预报模型的基础。为了定量研究黄土陡坡地浅沟形态特征,在长8 m、宽2 m、深0.6 cm的试验土槽上制作了雏形浅沟,设计了2个降雨强度(50、100 mm/h)和3个浅沟发生的典型坡度(15°、20°、25°),利用模拟降雨和径流冲刷(10 L/min)相结合的试验方法定量分析了黄土陡坡地的浅沟形态特征。结果表明:降雨强度和坡度的增加均加快了坡面浅沟侵蚀过程并使浅沟沟槽宽度和深度不断增加,25°和100 mm/h降雨强度下的浅沟沟槽平均宽度和深度比15°和50 mm/h降雨强度下的分别增加1.40和0.61倍。根据测针板法得到的3 cm×10 cm精度的地表高程值数据,在Surfer软件中生成不同试验处理下的地面数字高程模型(DEM,digital elevation model)及水流流路图等,发现坡度的增加使两侧坡面细沟汇入浅沟沟槽的坡长增大,而降雨强度的增加则导致浅沟沟槽两侧坡面细沟汇入浅沟沟槽的坡长缩短,同时,沟道密度、地面割裂度和浅沟复杂度均随着降雨强度和坡度的增加而呈现增大的趋势,三者分别变化于0.74~1.48 m/m2、0.13~0.29和1.64~2.84之间,而不同降雨强度和坡度条件下浅沟沟槽宽深比变化于0.65~1.27之间。基于不同试验处理下的DEM,根据相邻格网关系在水平方向上计算方向导数后发现,方向导数格网等值线图可以有效地反映坡面浅沟和细沟的长度、表面积及侵蚀最严重的浅沟沟底位置。     

Effect of mulch rates and tillage systems on infiltrability and other soil physical properties of an Oxisol in Paraná, Brazil

A 7-year-old tillage trial, comprising conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT) and no-tillage (NT), was chosen to study the relative importance of controlled mulch rates and soil physical properties such as bulk density, pore volume and hydraulic conductivity upon infiltrability. Infiltration measurements were carried out with a portable rainfall simulator. Mulch consisted of soya bean residues.Soil physical analysis showed higher bulk densities in the top 20 cm under NT, whereas CT, and to a lesser extent MT, led to the development of a plough pan in 20–30 cm depth. At the same time, compaction brought about a decrease in macropores and an increase in micropores. Total porosity ranged between 56.6% and 66.4%. Hydraulic conductivity did not differ significantly between tillage systems, and overall conductivity values were very high.The main factor influencing infiltrability was the formation of a surface seal depending on the degree of soil cover by mulch, irrespective of tillage system. For all 3 tillage systems, a 100% soil cover led to the complete infiltration of a 60-mm rainfall, whereas only 20% of the applied rain infiltrated when the soil was bare and the surface completely sealed. Plant residues of 4–6 t ha⁻¹ are proposed, as the minimum amount of mulch needed to reduce runoff and erosion effectively.