Factors affecting runoff and erosion under simulated rainfall in Mediterranean vineyards

Data on surface runoff and soil loss on gentle slopes with vineyards are analysed. Using a rainfall simulator, 22 rainstorms with varied intensities from 30 to 117.5 mm h⁻¹ and return periods from 2 to 127 years were reproduced. The experimental plots were installed on vineyards planted in straight rows and oriented with the slope direction having a mean gradient of 3.8°. The texture of soils was loamy, with a very heterogeneous surface gravel cover. Values of measured surface runoff varied from 7.2 mm h⁻¹ for low rainfall intensities (30 mm h⁻¹) and short return periods (2 years) to 41.9 mm h⁻¹ with simulation experiments of higher rainfall intensity (104 mm h⁻¹) and long return periods (68 years). Runoff increased linearly with rainfall intensity resulting in soil losses that also increased with rainfall intensity (18.2 g m⁻² h⁻¹ with storms of 30 mm h⁻¹, and 93.2 g m⁻² h⁻¹ with storms of 104 mm h⁻¹); however, r² explains only 36% of the variance. It was necessary to add other factors to improve the coefficient of determination (0.74; p = 0.001) and the predictive function of the equation. These variables were rainfall intensity, kinetic energy of the storm, runoff, soil resistance to drop detachment, surface gravel cover, and gradient. The equation obtained was validated with the USLE-M. In comparison with similar experiments in other regions, the results obtained for soil loss were very moderate, especially those caused by rainstorms of intermediate and low intensity.     

Nutrient losses from a vineyard soil in Northeastern Spain caused by an extraordinary rainfall event

Vineyards are one of the lands that incur the highest soil losses in Mediterranean environments. Most of the studies that report about this problem only focus on soil losses and few investigations have addressed the nutrient losses associated with erosion processes during the storms. The present research evaluates the loss of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in vineyard soils located in a Mediterranean area (NE Spain), after an extreme rainfall event recorded on 10 June 2000. The total rainfall of this event was 215 mm, 205 mm of which fell in 2 h 15 min. The maximum intensity in 30-min periods reached 170 mm h⁻¹. This rainfall produced a large amount of sediments both inside and outside the plots, with the consequent soil mobilisation and loss of nutrients. The estimate of soil loss was based on the subtraction of two very accurate digital elevation models (DEMs) of different dates in GIS, and measures of the nutrient content of sediment collected in the plot. Soil loss in the study plot reached 207 mg ha⁻¹. Most sediment was produced by concentrated surface runoff. Nutrient losses amounted as 108.5 kg ha⁻¹ of N, 108.6 kg ha⁻¹ of P and 35.6 kg ha⁻¹ of K. The proposed method allowed mapping the sediment contribution and deposition areas and the distribution of the nutrient load and losses within the plot.     

Rainfall erosivity map for Brazil

Rainfall erosivity is the potential ability for rainfall to cause soil loss. Erosivity can be quantified by means of the R factor calculation of the universal soil loss equation (USLE). The purpose of this study was to investigate the spatial distribution of annual rainfall erosivity in Brazil. For each of eight Brazilian regions covering the whole of the territory of Brazil, one adapted equation was applied using pluviometric records obtained from 1600 weather stations. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to interpolate the values and to generate a map showing spatial variations of erosivity. The annual values of erosivity ranged from 3116 to 20,035 MJ mm ha⁻¹ h⁻¹ year⁻¹. The region with highest annual values was the extreme northwestern, while the northeastern region showed the lowest annual values of erosivity. For the most part of the Brazilian territory, December and January revealed the highest erosivity values, while the lowest values were observed from June to September.     

Estimation of rainfall erosivity using 5- to 60-minute fixed-interval rainfall data from China

The 30-min rainfall erosivity index (EI₃₀) is commonly used in the Universal Soil Loss Equation for predicting soil loss from agricultural hillslopes. EI₃₀ is calculated from the total kinetic energy and the maximum 30-min rainfall intensity of a storm. Normally, EI₃₀ values are calculated from breakpoint rainfall information taken from continuous recording rain gauge charts, however, in many places in China and other parts of the world the detailed chart-recorded rain gauge data relative to storm intensities are not readily available, while hourly rainfall is readily available. The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of EI₃₀ estimations based on 5-, 10-, 15-, 30-, and 60-min time-resolution rainfall data as compared to EI₃₀ estimations from breakpoint rainfall information. 456 storm events from five soil conservation stations in eastern China were used. The values of EI₃₀ based on the fixed-time-interval data were less than those calculated from breakpoint data. The average conversion factors (ratio of values calculated from the breakpoint data to those from the fixed-interval data) for the five stations decreased from 1.105 to 1.009 for the estimation of E values, from 1.668 to 1.007 for I₃₀ values, and from 1.730 to 1.014 for EI₃₀ values as the time resolution increased from 60 to 5 min. The maximum 30-min rainfall intensity was the major source of error in estimating EI₃₀ for 60-min fixed-interval data, while storm kinetic energy played a proportionately more significant role as the fixed-interval data decreased from 60 to 5 min.     

Effects of rainfall intensity and slope gradient on the dynamics of interrill erosion during soil surface sealing

Soil erosion during rainfall is strongly affected by runoff and slope steepness. Runoff production is drastically increased when a seal is formed at the soil surface during rainfall. Therefore, a complex interaction exists between soil erosion and surface sealing. In this study, the dynamics of interrill erosion during seal formation is studied under different simulated rainfall and slope conditions. A sandy soil was exposed to 70 mm of rainfall at two intensities, 24 mm h^− 1 and 60 mm h^− 1, and five slope gradients, from 5% to 25%. Infiltration, runoff and soil loss rates were monitored during rainfall. Final infiltration rates increased with slope gradient at both rainfall intensities, this effect being stronger for the higher intensity. Cumulative runoff at the end of the rainfall event was lower as slopes were steeper, while an opposite trend was obtained for soil loss. For the 5% and the 9% slopes, the sediment concentration in runoff reached quickly a stable value during the whole rainfall event, while it reached a peak value before declining for the higher slopes. The peak value and its timing were rainfall intensity dependent. Soil erodibility during seal formation was evaluated using two empirical multiplication-of-factors type models. It seems that slope and rainfall erosivity are accounted for only partly in these models. For mild slope gradients below 9%, the value of K_i estimated by means of the two expressions becomes practically constant shortly after runoff apparition. Consequently, the estimates resulting from this type of expressions remain valuable from the practical point of view.     

Development of an appropriate procedure for estimation of RUSLE EI30 index and preparation of erosivity maps for Pulau Penang in Peninsular Malaysia

Pluviographic data at 15 min interval from 6 stations in Pulau Penang of Peninsular Malaysia were used to compute rainfall erosivity factor (R) for the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE). Three different modelling procedures were applied for the estimation of monthly rainfall erosivity (EI₃₀) values. While storm rainfall (P) and duration (D) data were used in the first approach, the second approach used monthly rainfall for days with rainfall ≥ 10 mm (rain₁₀) and monthly number of days with rainfall ≥ 10 (days₁₀). The third approach however used the Fournier index as the independent variable. Based on the root mean squared error (RMSE) and the percentage error (PE) criteria, models developed using the Fournier index approach was adjudged the best with an average PE value of 0.92 and an average RMSE value of 164.6. Further, this approach was extended to the development of a regional model. Using data from additional sixteen stations and the Fournier index based regional model, EI₃₀ values were computed for each month. ArcView GIS was used to generate monthly maps of EI₃₀ values and also annual rainfall erosivity (R). The rainfall erosivity factor (R) in the region was estimated to vary from 9000 to 14,000 MJ mm ha^− 1 h^− 1 year^− 1.     

Rainfall erosivity estimation over the Tibetan plateau based on high spatial-temporal resolution rainfall records

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) in China has been experiencing severe water erosion because of climate warming. The rapid development of weather station network provides an opportunity to improve our understanding of rainfall erosivity in the TP. In this study, 1-min precipitation data obtained from 1226 weather stations during 2018–2019 were used to estimate rainfall erosivity, and subsequently the spatial-temporal patterns of rainfall erosivity in the TP were identified. The mean annual erosive rainfall was 295 mm, which accounted for 53% of the annual rainfall. An average of 14 erosive events occurred yearly per weather station, with the erosive events in the wet season being more likely to extend beyond midnight. In these cases, the precipitation amounts of the erosive events were found to be higher than those of the daily precipitations, which may result in implicit bias as the daily precipitation data were used for estimating the rainfall erosivity. The mean annual rainfall erosivity in the TP was 528 MJ mm·ha^?1·h^?1, with a broader range of 0–3402 MJ mm·ha^?1·h^?1, indicating a significant spatial variability. Regions with the highest mean annual rainfall erosivity were located in the forest zones, followed by steppe and desert zones. Finally, the precipitation phase records obtained from 140 weather stations showed that snowfall events slightly impacted the accuracy of rainfall erosivity calculation, but attention should be paid to the erosion process of snowmelt in the inner part of the TP. These results can be used as the reference data for soil erosion prediction in normal precipitation years.     

Soil erosion caused by extreme rainfall events: mapping and quantification in agricultural plots from very detailed digital elevation models

This paper presents a method that can be used to quantify and map soil losses at field scale produced by extreme rainfall events. The amounts of sediment produced by overland flow and concentrated overland flow (inter-rill, rill and gully erosion) at the agricultural plot scale are evaluated from elevation differences computed from very high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs), from before and just after an extreme rainfall event. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) techniques are used to analyse the multi-temporal spatial data. The research case study presented makes reference to a mechanised vineyard plot located in the Alt Penedès–Anoia region (Catalonia, Spain). The rainfall event, which occurred in June 2000, registered 215 mm, 205 mm of which fell in 2 h 15 min. The average intensity of the downpour was 91.8 mm h⁻¹, with a maximum intensity in 30-min periods of up to 170 mm h⁻¹. The erosivity index R reached a value of 11,756 MJ ha⁻² mm h⁻¹, 10 times greater than the annual value for this area. The volume of soil detached by the rainfall, as measured by the proposed method, was 828±19 m³. About 57% of those materials were deposited in other parts within the same plot. The balance was negative, with a total 352±36 m³ of soil loss from the plot, which represented a rate of 207±21 Mg ha⁻¹. The paper analyses the characteristics of the rainfall event in relation to historical data and discusses the proposed method for soil erosion mapping at plot scales in relation to other measurement methods.     

Soil loss and runoff obtained with customized precipitation patterns simulated by InfiAsper

Applying constant precipitation intensity, which does not occur in natural events, is one of the main limitations concerning rainfall simulators in soil erosion studies. The present work evaluated the InfiAsper rainfall simulator operating with a new control panel to program rainfalls with different precipitation intensities (PI). Infiltration rates and soil and water losses were evaluated in a Distrophic Acrisol (clay loam texture) with simulated rainfalls of 30 mm and duration of 40 min, considering advanced (AD), intermediate (IN), delayed (DE), and inverted intermediate (II) patterns, all with PI peaks of 110 mm h^?1, and a constant (CT) pattern. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with five treatments (rainfall patterns) and experimental units measuring 2.5 × 2.5 m. The simulator worked satisfactorily, applying the rainfall according to the preconfigured programs. The simulated rainfall with the CT and II patterns did not promote runoff nor soil loss. Infiltration and runoff rates varied according to the applied rainfall pattern, reaching 97.8 and 27.3 mm h^?1 (AD), 82.1 and 39.5 mm h^?1 (IN), and 76.2 and 49.7 mm h^?1 (DE), respectively. Soil loss and surface runoff totaled each 4.77 g m^?2 and 3.9 mm (AD), 6.70 g m^?2 and 6.8 mm (IN), and 6.03 g m^?2 and 7.0 mm (DE). The InfiAsper simulator modified enables varying precipitation intensity besides obtaining satisfactory results in the field and information consistent with the expected characteristics of natural rainfall patterns. In the intermediate and delayed rainfall patterns, soil and water losses are higher than in the advanced.     

Effect of time resolution of rainfall measurements on the erosivity factor in the USLE in China

Rainfall erosivity, one of the factors in the Universal Soil Loss Equation, quantifies the effect of rainfall and runoff on soil erosion. High-resolution data are required to compute rainfall erosivity, but are not widely available in many parts of the world. As the temporal resolution of rainfall measurement decreases, computed rainfall erosivity decreases. The objective of the paper is to derive a series of conversion factors as a function of the time interval to compute rainfall erosivity so that the R factor computed using data at different time intervals could be converted to that computed using 1-min data. Rainfall data at 1-min intervals from 62 stations over China were collected to first compute the ‘true’ R factor values. Underestimation of the R factor was systematically evaluated using data aggregated at 5, 6, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 60-min to develop conversion factors for the R factor and the 1-in-10-year storm EI₃₀ values. Compared with true values, the relative error in R factor using data at fixed intervals of ≤10min was <10% for at least 44 out of 62 stations. Errors increased rapidly when the time interval of the rainfall data exceeded 15 min. Relative errors were >10% using 15-min data for 66.1% of stations and >20% using 30-min data for 61.3% of stations. The conversion factors for the R factor, ranging from 1.051 to 1.871 for 5 to 60-min data, are higher than those for the 1-in-10-years storm EI₃₀, ranging from 1.034 to 1.489 for the 62 stations.     

Rainfall erosivity in Cape Verde

This paper presents rainfall erosivity values derived from a 7-year rainfall recording in the Cape Verde islands, Central East Atlantic. The data set consisted of 63 storm events, continuously registered in 15-min intervals. Kinetic energy of storm rainfall corresponded to established values in other tropical locations. Two algorithms to estimate erosivity, expressed as energy times intensity, using daily rainfall or storm depth and duration as predictor variables are derived. Erosivity of design storms for various return frequencies is calculated for some locations in Santiago island. An indicative range for the annual rainfall erosion R-index is given. Data analysis further showed the extreme seasonal concentration of precipitation and erosivity at this location, with a very high fraction of total annual erosivity contained in the annual maximum 24-h rainfall.     

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.     

Seasonal variability of runoff and soil loss on forest road backslopes under simulated rainfall

Runoff and soil loss from forest road backslopes is a serious problem in Mediterranean areas. Surface runoff and sediment production on backslopes of forest roads in Los Alcornocales Natural Park (southern Spain) has been studied in this paper using a simple portable rainfall simulator at an intensity of 90 mm h^− 1. One hundred rainfall simulations were performed on bare and vegetated road backslopes during summer and winter in order to study seasonal differences. Runoff coefficients and soil loss rates were lower on the vegetated plots than on the bare ones. Runoff coefficients increased 1.7 (bare backslopes) and 3.1 times (vegetated backslopes) from summer to winter. Preserving the vegetation cover over 20% is recommended for keeping soil loss rates under low levels, especially during winter.     

Residue cover and rainfall intensity effects on runoff soil organic carbon losses

Soil cover and rainfall intensity (RI) are recognized to have severe impacts on soil erosion and an interaction exists between them. This study investigates the effect of rainfall intensity (RI) and soil surface cover on losses of sediment and the selective enrichment of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the sediment by surface runoff. A field rainfall simulator was used in the laboratory to produce 90 min rainfall events of three rainfall intensities (65, 85 and 105 mm h^− 1) and four cover percentages (0%, 25%, 50% and 75%) on soil material at 9% slope. A strong negative exponential relation was observed between cover percentage and RI on sediment loss under 85 and 105 mm h^− 1 of rain, while under RI of 65 mm h^− 1, the highest sediment loss was observed under 25% cover. Overall, higher RI and lower cover produced higher sediment and consequently higher nutrient loss, but resulted in a lower SOC enrichment ratio (ER_SOC) in the sediment. The amount of runoff sediment rather than the ER_SOC in the sediment was the determinant factor for the amount of nutrients lost. The values of ER_SOC were high and positively correlated with the ER values of particles smaller than 20 µm (p < 0.01). Although the sediment contained substantially more fine fractions (fine silt and clay, < 20 µm), the original soil and runoff sediment were still of the same texture class, i.e. silt clay loam.     

Natural disaster in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state,Brazil: Assessment of the daily rainfall erosivity as an early warning index

Rainfall erosivity is defined as the potential of rain to cause erosion. It has great potential for application in studies related to natural disasters, in addition to water erosion. The objectives of this study were: i) to model the R_day using a seasonal model for the Mountainous Region of the State of Rio de Janeiro (MRRJ); ii) to adjust thresholds of the R_day index based on catastrophic events which occurred in the last two decades; and iii) to map the maximum daily rainfall erosivity (R_maxday) to assess the region's susceptibility to rainfall hazards according to the established R_day limits. The fitted R_day model presented a satisfactory result, thereby enabling its application as a R_day estimate in MRRJ. Events that resulted in R_day > 1500 MJ ha^?1.mm.h^?1. day^?1 were those with the highest number of fatalities. The spatial distribution of R_maxday showed that the entire MRRJ has presented values that can cause major rainfall. The R_day index proved to be a promising indicator of rainfall disasters, which is more effective than those normally used that are only based on quantity (mm) and/or intensity (mm.h^?1) of the rain.     

The cost of soil erosion in vineyard fields in the Penedès–Anoia Region (NE Spain)

On-site and off-site environmental impacts of runoff and erosion are usually stressed in order to bring to the public's attention the importance and implications of soil erosion. However, few studies are aimed at calculating the economic implications of erosion, this being the message that farmers and/or policy makers understand best. In this current work we estimated the cost of erosion in vineyards in the Penedès–Anoia region (NE Spain), in which high intensity rain storms (> 80–100 mm h^− 1) are frequent. Modern plantations in the region consist of trained vines, usually planted perpendicular to the maximum slope direction. Broadbase terraces are interspersed between vine rows to intercept surface runoff and convey it out of the field. Part of the sediment generated above these terraces is deposited in them and other parts are either deposited beyond the boundaries of the fields or are exported to the main drainage network. High intensity rainfall produces heavy soil losses (up to 207 Mg ha^− 1 computed in an extreme event in June 2000, which had a maximum intensity in 30-min periods of up to 170 mm h^− 1). To estimate the cost of erosion in vineyard fields of this region, two important aspects were considered. These were a) the cost incurred by the maintenance of the broadbase terraces, drainage channels and filling of ephemeral gullies and b) the cost incurred by the loss of fertilisers (mainly N and P) caused by erosion. According to farmers' records, the former was estimated at 7.5 tractor-hour ha^− 1 year^− 1 (as average), which comprises 5.4% of the income from grape sales. Regarding N and P losses, nutrients exported by runoff were 14.9 kg ha^− 1 N and 11.5 kg ha^− 1 of P, which, if compared to the annual intakes, represent 6% and 26.1% of the N and P respectively. In economic terms, the replacement value of the N and P lost represents 2.4% for N or 1.2% for P of the annual income from the sale of the grapes.     

Erosion rates and nutrient losses affected by composted cattle manure application in vineyard soils of NE Spain

Land preparation for mechanisation in vineyards of the Anoia–Alt Penedès region, NE Spain, has required major soil movements, which has enormous environmental implications not only due to changes in the landscape morphology but also due to soil degradation. The resulting cultivated soils are very poor in organic matter and highly susceptible to erosion, which reduces the possibilities of water intake as most of the rain is lost as runoff. In order to improve soil conditions, the application of organic wastes has been generalised in the area, not only before plantation but also every 3–4 years at rates of 30–50 Mg ha^− 1 mixed in the upper 30 cm.These organic materials are important sources of nutrients (N and P) and other elements, which could reduce further fertilisation cost. However, due to the high susceptibility to sealing of these soils, erosion rates are relatively high, so a higher nutrient concentration on the soil surface increases non-point pollution sources due to runoff.The aim of this study is to analyse the influence of applied composted cattle manure on infiltration, runoff and soil losses and on nutrients transported by runoff in vineyards of the Alt Penedès–Anoia region, NE Spain. In the two plots selected for the analysis, composted cattle manure had been applied in alternate rows 1 year previous to the study. In each plot soil surface samples (0–25 cm) were taken and compared to those of plots without manure application. The study was carried out at laboratory scale using simulated rainfall. Infiltration rates were calculated from the difference between rainfall intensity and runoff rates, and the sediment and total nitrogen and phosphorus were measured for each simulation. In addition, the influence of compost was investigated in the field under natural rainfall conditions by analysing the nutrient concentration in runoff samples collected in the field (in the same plots) after seven rainfall events, which amount different total precipitation and had different erosive character.Compost application increases infiltration rates by up to 26% and also increases the time when runoff starts. Sediment concentration in runoff was lower in treated (13.4 on average mg L^− 1) than in untreated soils (ranging from 16.8 to 23.4 mg L^− 1). However, the higher nutrient concentration in soils produces a higher mobilisation of N (7–17 mg L^− 1 in untreated soils and 20–26 mg L^− 1 in treated soils) and P (6–7 mg L^− 1 in untreated soils and 13–19 mg L^− 1 in treated soils). A major part of the P mobilised was attached to soil particles (about 90% on average) and only 10% was dissolved. Under natural conditions, higher nutrient concentrations were always recorded in treated vs. untreated soils in both plots, and the total amount of N and P mobilised by runoff was higher in treated soils, although without significant differences. Nutrient concentrations in runoff depend on rainfall erosivity but the average value in treated soils was twice that in untreated soils for both plots.     

红壤区裸露坡地不同类型次降雨的产流产沙规律

为探究红壤区裸露坡地在不同类型次降雨下的产流产沙规律,研究收集长汀县水土保持科教园红壤裸露坡地径流小区2013年1月至2020年12月共388场降雨—径流—土壤侵蚀观测资料,采用K-means将降雨划分为4类进行分析。结果表明:(1)主要降雨类型有A(短历时、大雨强、小雨量、低频次)、B(长历时、小雨强、大雨量、中频次)、C(中等历时、小雨强、小雨量、高频次)3类,B、C为研究区主要产流产沙来源,贡献85%以上的径流和土壤侵蚀量。(2)次降雨径流深及土壤侵蚀量与降雨量(P)、最大30 min雨强(I₃₀)和降雨动能(E)呈线性正相关,与降雨侵蚀力(EI₃₀)呈幂函数关系。但降雨特征对产流产沙的总解释度小于65%,且随着降雨历时的增加而减小。(3)降雨特征与产流产沙存在3种约束关系,其约束线表明降雨特征对次降雨潜在最大产流产沙的影响。其中,潜在最大径流深主要由P和E决定,潜在最大土壤侵蚀量的上限为800~900 t/hm²。从降雨特征单因子影响、综合影响和约束效应3个方面分析了红壤裸露坡地的产流产沙特征,为红壤区水土流失防治提供了数据基础。     

Effects of tilling no-till soil on losses of atrazine and glyphosate to runoff water under variable intensity simulated rainfall

Herbicides released through agricultural activities to surface waters and drinking water systems represent a risk to human and environmental health, as well as a cost to municipalities for removal. This study focuses on the viability of glyphosate tolerant cropping systems as an alternative to atrazine-based systems, and the impact of tilling historically no-till ground on the runoff pollution potential of these systems. Variable intensity field rainfall simulations were performed on 2 m long × 1 m wide plots within a field in first-year disk and harrow following no-till (CT), and within a long-term no-tilled (NT) field, both treated with atrazine and glyphosate according to label. Rainfall sequence was: 50 mm h⁻¹ for 50 min followed by 75 mm h⁻¹ for 15 min, 25 mm h⁻¹ for 15 min, and 100 mm h⁻¹ for 15 min. Runoff was collected at regular time intervals during two simulated rainfall events and analyzed for herbicide concentration, sediment content, and volume. Maximum glyphosate concentration in runoff was 233 μg L⁻¹ for NT and 180 μg L⁻¹ for CT (approximately 33% and 26% of the maximum contaminant limit (MCL) for glyphosate (700 μg L⁻¹), respectively, while maximum atrazine concentrations in runoff was 303 μg L⁻¹ for NT and 79 μg L⁻¹ for CT (approximately 100 times and 26 times the atrazine MCL (3 μg L⁻¹)). Atrazine concentration and loading were significantly higher in runoff from NT plots than from CT plots, whereas glyphosate concentration and loading were impacted by tillage treatment to a much lesser degree. Results suggest that glyphosate-based weed management may represent a lower drinking water risk than atrazine-based weed management, especially in NT systems.