Effect of soil aggregate size on infiltration and erosion characteristics

Detachment of soil particles by the processes of splash from rainfall and shallow flow from surface runoff is influenced by soil cohesion, soil aggregate properties, and characteristics of this flow. We have evaluated relationships between rates of detachment, aggregate size, and tensile strength of the soil. Soil and water losses were determined in the laboratory from sieved air‐dry samples on three aggregate size ranges of two clay loam soils differing in particle‐size distribution and organic matter. Tensile strength was measured for each aggregate size range. The results showed that as clod size increased, detachment rates increased and interaggregate tensile strength decreased. Wash erosion increased as initial clod size increased despite a decrease in runoff. Final rates of loss by splash were greater from the largest clods than from the smaller clods. Finally, splashed material was larger in size than material washed off. The fact that the size of the splashed material was larger than washed‐off material shows that material in the wash suffered more impact by raindrops and thus was more likely to be fragmented.     

Prediction of the soil structures produced by tillage

Data are presented for the amount of clods >50 mm produced when five different soils were tilled at a range of different, naturally occurring water contents. The optimum water content for soil tillage is defined as that at which the amount of clods produced is minimum. The amount clods produced at this optimum water content is shown to be linearly and negatively correlated with the value of Dexter's index S of soil physical quality. This results in a rational model for soil tillage that enables predictions to be made for all different soils and conditions. Pedo-transfer functions can be used to estimate the input parameters for the model for cases, for which measured values are not available. It is concluded that for soils with good physical condition (i.e. S > 0.035), no clods >50 mm are produced during tillage.     

THE OCCURRENCE AND PREDICTION OF CLODS IN POTATO RIDGES IN RELATION TO SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Clod crushing resistance, bulk density, moisture content, and size distribution, together with fifteen bulk soil physical properties, were determined at thirty sites. Regression analyses indicated that the plasticity index of the soil is the principal property affecting both the clod crushing resistance and the yield of clods. Other less closely related properties are not always consistent in their effect between clod size ranges. A‘clod factor’ was derived from the product of the clod crushing resistance and the weight of clods in the ridge for each soil. The clod factor is linearly correlated with plasticity index (r= 0·587, P= 0·002) and a clod factor > 1000 was found for soils with a plasticity index greater than about 5. Harvest observations suggest that where the clod factor exceeded 1000, the efficiency of a mechanical potato harvester was reduced.     

Soil structures produced by tillage as affected by soil water content and the physical quality of soil

Tillage experiments were carried out in order to study the effect of water content on the aggregate size distribution produced by tillage, and to investigate the relationship between the soil structures produced by tillage and Dexter's index of soil physical quality, S. Tillage with a mouldboard plough was done on four different soils over a range of naturally occurring water contents. The aggregate size distribution and the specific surface area produced by tillage were obtained by sieving. We define the optimum water content for tillage, θ_OPT, as the water content at which the specific surface area of the aggregates produced is maximum. This is consistent with the water content at which the amount of small aggregates produced is greatest and the proportion of clods produced is smallest. For the four investigated soils, θ_OPT was found to be close to the water content at the inflection point of the water retention curve, and in the vicinity of 0.8θ_PL (where θ_PL is the lower plastic limit). At water contents either lower or higher than θ_OPT, the specific surface area produced was smaller. The specific surface area produced at θ_OPT was found to be strongly correlated with the index of soil physical quality, S. The specific surface area produced is larger the greater S, i.e. the better the soil physical quality. Consistently, the proportion of small aggregates produced at θ_OPT is larger and the proportion of clods produced at θ_OPT smaller, the greater S. No clods (>50 mm) are produced on soils with good physical quality.     

AGE HARDENING OF AGRICULTURAL TOP SOILS

Changes in the strength of remoulded agricultural top soil with ageing are studied for two sandy loam soils from South Australia and a clay soil from Queensland. There is evidence of significant thixotropic behaviour in these soils around the water contents at which tillage is usually performed. For the Urrbrae soil, in which the dominant clay minerals are illite and kaolinite. the maximum thixotropic strength ratio was obtained at a water content just below the plastic limit. For the Strathalbyn soil, which contains illite and actinolite. and for the Waco soil which contains montmorillonite. the maximum thixotropic strength ratios occurred at water contents between the plastic and liquid limits. The age hardening for these soils was investigated using probe penetration, tensile strength and compression resistance measurements. The effect was still apparent after sterilization and after removal of organic matter.     

Effects of land use and clay content on soil structure as measured by Fracture Surface Analysis

Soil clods were collected from the A horizons of six soils (3 Aqualfs and 3 Uderts) in the vicinity of Bayreuth in northern Bavaria. The soils had a range of clay contents and came from arable, meadow (pasture) and forest areas. The soils ranged in workability from easily workable to difficult to work. The clods, still moist as collected, were fractured into two parts by tensile stress and one part of each clod was embedded in polyester resin. The embedded clod parts were then sectioned to show profiles of the fracture surfaces. The profiles were digitized by a television scanner. Statistical measures of the roughness of the fracture surfaces were computed. Fracture surface roughness was strongly influenced by land use and soil clay content. Soil workability was related to fracture surface roughness and hence also to land use and soil clay content. Ease of soil working was mainly associated with the presence of soil structural features larger than 10 mm.     

Impact of clod (aggregate) size on evaporation rate and soil moisture profile during the drying process

Large clods (centimetres in size) can be formed by tillage in clayey paddy fields where upland crops are planted. These clods cause early water depletion near the soil surface, which decreases crop germination and emergence rates. Because of the difficulty in reducing clod size, desiccation damage to seeds can be avoided by adjusting the seeding depth based on the clod size-dependent soil moisture profile. This study aimed to clarify the effect of clod size on (1) the evaporation rate (E) and soil moisture profile and (2) the mobility of soil water during the drying process. Evaporation experiments were conducted in an air-conditioned greenhouse with natural light using cylindrical columns filled with artificially made clods 3 (L columns) and 1 cm (S columns) in diameter. We measured E, potential evaporation rate (PE), and total soil moisture content (w_tot) throughout the experiment and the soil moisture profiles at the end of the experiment. The water diffusivity (D_w) and apparent vapour diffusion coefficient (d_vap) were calculated as the mobility of soil water and water vapour, respectively. We found that w_tot was lower in the L column than in the S column, although not at the onset of the experiment. At the end of the experiment, the soil moisture content was lower in the L column than in the S column throughout the soil layer. In contrast, E/PE was higher in the L column than in the S column throughout the experiment and even at the same w_tot. Regarding mobility, D_w was slightly greater in the L column than in the S column in the soil moisture content range, where vapour movement could be greater than liquid water movement. In addition, the ratio of d_vap to the diffusion coefficient of water vapour in soil was higher than unity in both columns and was 2.4–3.2 times higher in the L column than in the S column. In summary, larger clods caused a higher evaporation rate and lower soil moisture content, owing to the increased enhancement of water vapour movement probably induced by wind.     

A FLOTATION METHOD FOR THE RAPID MEASUREMENT OF THE WET BULK DENSITY OF SOIL CLODS

A flotation method for the rapid measurement of the wet bulk density of soil clods is described in which the clods are sprayed with a waterproof coating of a resin and then immersed sequentially in liquids of different specific gravity. It is compared with the wax coating method for a selection of soil textures and moisture contents and shown to be ten times as rapid when used to measure wet bulk density with an accuracy of ± 0.05 g cm^-8. The flotation method was used to show that, for three contrasting soils, clod wet bulk density is independent of clod size.     

土壤紧实度与土块分配对水稻生长的影响及耕作方法的调节

本文就苏南地区二种粘质水稻土的土壤紧实度和土块组成对水稻生长的影响进行了研究,并对不同方法耕作后耕层土块的组成状况进行了观测,结果指出:土壤紧实度和土块/细土比例的不同对水稻生长有明显的影响,土壤紧实度对水稻生长的影响是通过土壤对根的机械阻力,抑制土壤养分的转化及水分物理特性的改变所致;而土块组成的影响可能主要是影响土壤养分的转化。研磨细了的土壤转化成NH₄-N的量最高,土块大于1厘米者对NH₄-N的产生受到严重抑制,因此认为,春耕后耕层中小于1厘米的土块是评定春耕质量的一个重要指标,耕层土块大于8厘米时妨碍栽秧操作,8-4厘米者影响次之,1-4厘米者对栽秧无影响。对于要获得较小土块组成的耕作质量,旋转耕作效果最好,机耙最差,但土壤经过充分晒垡后,各种耕作方法均可获得较好的相同效果,这时,对合适机具的选择主要可从经济效益考虑。渍水条件下土垡经过挤压受损后,可使土块膨软,这或对土壤养分的释放有利,故一般用于春耕机具,只考虑其切割效果而不同时考虑挤压作用是不足的。     

Tillage management changes size-distribution of aggregates and macro-structure of soils used for irrigated row-crops

The Tatura system for the preparation of seed-beds for irrigated annual row-crops is described, where the soil is tilled when wet and friable and so requires few passes with implements to become suitable for crops, and where seeds are sown into wet soil. In soil prepared by the Tatura system, the percentage of aggregates < 0.5 mm diameter (as measured by dry-sieving) in the seed-bed was about half that found in commercially prepared seed-beds which were tilled up to 50 times when dry. With the Tatura system, the wetter the soil (up to 22% water content) when tilled, or the more passes (up to 4) of the implement at a water content of 22%, the less dust (< 0.5 mm diameter) and/or fewer clods (> 20 mm diameter) were formed.

The macro-structure of the surface layer of soil tilled at different water contents by the Tatura system was also quantified statistically by the method of wax-impregnation. The macro-structures were compared at the 10 mm, 20 mm, 40 mm, 60 mm and 80 mm depths in beds of soil prepared for irrigated annual row-crops by a system which has been described previously. Within each treatment (21.7%; 19.0%; 11.6% water content at 0–100 mm depth at tillage), the linear porosity and mean pore-size each tended to decrease with depth to 40 mm, with no further change or slight decrease to 80 mm depth. In all treatments, the mean aggregate-size tended to increase with depth from 10 mm depth to 80 mm depth. The sizes of pores and aggregates varied across each bed and possibly depended on the position of tines within the bed at each pass at tillage. Water content at tillage led to small differences in structure of the beds of soil. Soil tilled at a water content slightly above the Casagrande Plastic Limit generally had slightly larger pores and aggregates than soil tilled at lower water contents.     

The structure of two alluvial soils in Italy after 10 years of conventional and minimum tillage

Micro and macroporosity, pore shape and size distribution, aggregate stability, saturated hydraulic conductivity and crop yield were analysed in alluvial silty loam (Fluventic Eutrochrept) and clay soils (Vertic Eutrochrept) following long-term minimum and conventional tillage. The soil structure attributes were evaluated by characterizing porosity by means of image analysis of soil thin sections prepared from undisturbed soil samples.

The interaggregate microporosity, measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry, increased in the minimally tilled soils, with a particular increase in the storage pores (0.5–50 μm). The amount of elongated transmission pores (50–500 μm) also increased in the minimally tilled soils. The resulting soil structure was more open and more homogeneous, thus allowing better water movement, as confirmed by the greater hydraulic conductivity of the minimally tilled soils. The aggregate stability was less in the conventionally tilled soils and this resulted in a greater tendency to form surface crusts and compacted structure, compared with the minimally tilled soils. The latter tillage practice seemed to maintain, in the long-term, better soil structure conditions and, therefore, maintain favourable conditions for plant growth. In the silt loam, the crop yield did not differ significantly between the two tillage systems, while in the clay soil it decreased in the minimum tilled soil because of problems of seed bed preparation at the higher surface layer water content.     

Hard-setting behaviour of some structurally weak tropical soils

Some soils set hard on drying and may limit crop productivity. The hard-setting behaviour is influenced by soil properties and management. The objective of this study was to relate physical properties of soils sampled from 3 sites in Nigeria to soil strength or degree of hard-setting and to management. Clearing the vegetation and tillage led to a decrease in organic matter content and wet aggregate stability and increased bulk density leading to an increase in soil strength. The soil strength increased as the water content decreased but the increase was much more marked for mechanized cleared or tilled soils than for the less disturbed treatments of forestry or no-till cropping.     

Field studies to assess the workable range of soils in the tropical zone of Veracruz, Mexico

In the tropical area of Veracruz (Mexico) the decision of when and how to carry out tillage operations is based on qualitative criteria. It often results in excessive and unnecessary work, energy waste, operational delay, soil exposure to water erosion and soil structural damage. Objective criteria are needed in this area for selecting when and how to do cultivation in order to meet crop and conservation requirements. The workable range of typical soils of the area (Haplic Pheaozems) was quantified by assessing in-field implement effects on the soil structure and measuring the specific energy applied by the tractor–implement combination. This was done over a range of soil moisture contents inside and outside the theoretical friable consistency state of the soils, determined by the shrinkage and plastic limits. Empirical relationships between initial moisture content and the technological result of tillage showed that these results for moist loam and clay soils shifted from optimum to poor at soil water potentials that coincides quite well with the plastic limit. However, as soil was drying out, the implement effect changed from optimum to sub-optimum at soil moisture contents well above the shrinkage limit, so the actual field workable range was smaller than the theoretical friable status of the soils. The minimum input of specific energy to obtain optimum results, was close to the soil water potential where results changed to sub-optimum as soils were drying out. To support decisions for tillage planning and operation, valuable information on workable periods can be obtained by making use of quantified workability thresholds.     

Response of maize (Zea mays L.) and mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) to tillage in relation to water table depth in tropical lowland rice soils

The effects of zero, minimum and conventional tillage on soil physical properties and on the growth and yield of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) grown after lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) were studied in field experiments conducted during the 1984 and 1985 dry seasons (DS) at two Philippine sites (clay loam, Vertic Tropaquept, with shallow water table and sandy loam, Aeric Tropaquept, with deep water table). Effects on maize (Zea mays L.) were studied only in 1984 on clay loam soil.All parameter measurements were not significantly different with minimum and conventional tillage. Tillage, averaged over minimum and conventional and in both seasons, significantly lowered bulk density (10%) and increased aeration porosity (120%) of the 0–0.10 m clay loam soil layer. In sandy loam soil in 1985, it decreased bulk density by 7% and increased aeration porosity by 61%. Tillage only slightly affected the matric suction, strength and temperature of both soils.Maize seedling emergence was 15% higher with zero tillage than with minimum and conventional tillage. Tillage, however, did not affect mungbean emergence. It significantly increased maize plant height (42%) and root length (61%) as compared with no tillage. In mungbean, tillage increased plant height (18%) and root length (60%), as averaged over both sites and seasons. In clay loam soil, tillage increased grain yield of maize by 242%. On the same field, tillage increased mungbean grain yield by 78% in 1984 and 20% in 1985. In sandy loam, tillage produced 38% more mungbean grains than without tillage.     

Effects of tillage depth on infiltration characteristics of two bangladesh soils having ploughpans

Ploughpans, caused by puddling of soil for rice cultivation for years, are bound to affect soil water balance and the utilization of the stored soil water by dry-land crops. Loosening of the pan by increasing the plough depth is likely to increase utilization of sub-soil water and recharge of the soil profile. The effects of different tillage regimes on infiltration of two Bangladesh soils with ploughpans were studied. Cumulative infiltration rates were increased in both Sonatala and Modhupur soils owing to increase in depth of tillage. Cumulative infiltration and infiltration rates were much higher in the grey floodplain sandy loam soil compared with the red terrace clay loam soil. The cumulative infiltration of Sonatala soil in no-tillage, 7.5, 15.0 and 22.5 cm tillage depth plots were 18.8 cm in 400 min, 31.0 cm in 400 min, 36.3 cm in 300 min and 43.3 cm in 150 min, respectively. The total amount of water entering into Modhupur soil in 400 min was 14.3, 21.0, 35.5, 46.9 and 50.7 cm in no-tillage, 7.5, 12.5, 17.5 and 22.5 cm tillage depth plots, respectively. Results further revealed that although the initial infiltration was higher and different in different tillage treatments, it decreased with time and tended to be more or less similar for all the tillage depths at the end of the study period. This was true for both the soils.     

Studies on tillage-induced physical edaphic properties in relation to peanut crop

The aim of the present investigation is to study the changes brought about in the soil environment by the use of various tillage implements and mulches and the response of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) yield. A series of experiments were conducted for two years in lateritic sandy loam soil (ultisols) to assess the optimum range of physical edaphic conditions which can be measured with a single parameter such as clod-size distribution expressed as mean weight diameter (MWD).The effect of tillage operations on the bulk density, porosity, penetration resistance and infiltration rate were recorded.It was concluded that the most conducive and desirable soil physical environment for peanut cultivation was provided in the plots tilled with mouldboard (clod MWD 11.32 mm) and cultivator (clod MWD 9.70 mm) because they produced higher pod yields.     

Tillage effects on compaction, earthworms and other soil quality indicators in Hungary

The philosophy toward tillage throughout the last century in Hungary can be characterized as a fight against extreme climatic and economic situations. The ‘Hungarian reasonable tillage’ approach that was promoted by Cserháti at the end of the 1800s was aimed at reducing tillage without increasing the risk of crop failure in arable fields. Recently, new tillage trends and systems have been introduced because of the rise in energy prices and because of the need to cut production costs, conserve soil and water resources and protect the environment. In Hungarian relation, the rationalized plowing, loosening and mulching systems are counted to the new tillage solutions. There are new steps in the sowing methods too, such as seedbed preparation and plant in one pass, till and plant, mulch-till and plant and direct drilling, which are environment capable, throughout improving soil condition and avoiding the environment harms. The applicability of various soil conservation tillage methods is currently being tested in research projects and discussed in workshops throughout the country. In this paper, soil quality problems such as compaction, trends in soil tillage, and factors affecting soil quality or condition as well as improvement and maintenance are summarized. The data show that annual disking and plowing causes subsoil compaction at the depth of tillage within 3 years and that the compacted layer expanded both in surface and deeper layers after the 5th year. Soil quality deterioration by tillage-pans was improved by subsoiling and maintained by direct drilling and planting soil-loosening catch crops. Within a loam and a sandy loam soil there were close correlations between earthworm activity and soil quality. Earthworm numbers increased on undisturbed but noncompacted soils and soils that included stubble residues remaining on the surface, but did not increase on soils that were deteriorated by tillage-pans or left bare by the absence of mulch. Our goal for the new millennium, is to use only enough tillage to create and maintain harmony between soil conservation, soil quality and crop production.     

Effect of amplitude and frequency on soil break-up by an oscillating tillage tool in a soil bin experiment

Experiments were conducted in a soil bin to study the effect of amplitude and frequency of an oscillating tillage tool on fragmentation of Kharagpur sandy clay loam soil. It was observed that the maximum utilization of energy occurs at an oscillation frequency close to the natural frequency of the soil. Therefore, optimum values of frequency and amplitude of oscillation were determined on the basis of maximum clod surface produced per unit of energy input. The oscillating tillage tool produced smaller soil aggregates than a non-oscillating one. At a given amplitude of oscillations, increase in frequency above the natural frequency of soil did not increase soil break-up further. At any frequency, soil break-up increased with increase in amplitude. At a tool oscillation frequency equal to the natural frequency of soil the equation MWD = A₀exp(−K₀r), where MWD is the mean weight diameter of soil aggregates, r is the amplitude of the oscillations, A₀ is MWD of soil aggregates produced by an identical rigid tool and K₀ is a constant, described the data on soil break up adequately.     

Seasonal differences in tillage draught on a sandy loam soil with long‐term additions of animal manure and mineral fertilizers

Energy requirements for soil tillage are closely linked to soil properties, such as clay, water and soil organic carbon (SOC) contents. Long‐term application of inorganic fertilizer and organic amendments affects SOC content but little is known about seasonal differences in tillage draught requirements of soils subject to contrasting nutrient management regimes. We assessed autumn and spring tillage draught following harvest of early‐sown and timely sown winter wheat grown on a sandy loam in the Askov Long‐Term Experiment on Animal Manure and Mineral Fertilizers. Draught force was related to soil texture, soil water and SOC content, shear strength and bulk density, nutrient management, and yield of the preceding winter wheat. Contents of clay and SOC ranged from 8.9 to 10.6% and from 0.98 to 1.36%, respectively. In the autumn and spring, SOC normalized by clay content explained 38 and 5% of the variation in specific draught, respectively. Specific draught did not differ significantly among individual fertilization treatments. SOC was closely correlated with clay and water contents and bulk density, and with yield of the preceding wheat. Draught force was significantly smaller in the spring than in the autumn. In the autumn when soils were drier (?700 hPa), tillage draught was correlated with several soil characteristics, whereas water content was the dominating parameter in the spring when soils were wetter (?100 hPa). The range of SOC contents observed in this study aligns with that observed in Danish sandy loams under intensive cultivation, and within this range, SOC per se had little effect on draught requirements.     

Effect of mouldboard and chisel ploughing and their timing on seedbed quality

The effects of tillage on weed growth are supposed to depend largely on the type of implement, the timing of the operation and the type of soil. Experiments on the effect of mouldboard and chisel ploughing with duckfeet, used for the main tillage operation and the timing of the main tillage operation on seedbed quality and weed development in sugar-beet were carried out from 1981–1983 on silty clay, silty loam and two sands. Seedbed quality was only slightly influenced by type and timing of the main tillage operation. Soil texture affected seedbed quality significantly: seedbeds on light soils compared with silty soils had a finer tilth, were deeper and were scarcely sorted (stratified according to particle size). Chisel ploughing with duckfeet to the full depth of the arable layer required much tractor power and during the late autumn on silty loam and in spring on sand, chiselling was impossible because the soil was too wet; the mouldboard plough did not cause problems of this kind. Moreover, soil inversion by the mouldboard plough was attended by a surface free of crop residues and weeds after the main tillage operation and a strong suppression of weeds during winter, sowing time and in the young crop.