Reassessment of tillage erosion rates by manual tillage on steep slopes in northern Thailand

Changing land-use practices in northern Thailand have increased tillage intensity. This study re-assesses the rate of tillage erosion by manual hoeing on steep slopes (17–82%) in northern Thailand. Previously collected soil translocation data during an on-farm tillage erosion experiment and additionally collected data during an on-farm tillage erosion survey have been analysed whereby a new calculation method (i.e. trapezoid tillage step) has been used. A comparison with previously collected data indicates that the trapezoid tillage step method and the tracer method are the most reliable methods to assess downslope translocation by manual tillage. Based on newly acquired understanding of the processes involved, soil fluxes by tillage erosion are quantified by linear functions for different slope gradient classes rather than one single diffusion-type equation for the whole slope range. For slope gradients smaller than 3%, soil fluxes are close to zero as farmers do not have a preferred tillage direction. For slope gradients between 3% and 70%, soil is tilled only in the downslope direction and soil fluxes range between 16 and 67 kg m⁻¹ tillage pass⁻¹. On slopes with gradients in excess of 70%, the angle of repose for soil clods is often exceeded resulting in a sliding down of the complete tilled top layer. These data are used to assess the soil flux for complete cropping cycles for the most dominant cropping systems in the highlands of northern Thailand: i.e. upland rice, maize, (soy) beans, cabbage and ginger. The on-site effects of tillage erosion will be very pronounced if parcels are short with respect to their slope length, cultivated for upland rice or cabbage, or when weed pressure is high. Tillage erosion results in a tillage step with low soil fertility and low infiltration capacity. Solutions to reduce tillage erosion intensity depend on the degree that tillage intensity can be reduced. This might happen by an improved weed management or by changing landuse to perrenial cropping. Other strategies are concentrating nutrients on the truncated hillslope sections and retaining soil on the field by vegetative buffers.     

耕作侵蚀及其对土壤肥力和作物产量的影响研究进展

在坡耕地景观内,由于农耕工具和重力作用而引起的耕作位移使土壤发生向下坡运动或向上坡运动(依赖于耕作方向),导致净余土壤量向下坡传输、堆积,重新分配,从而形成耕作侵蚀。试验研究表明耕作侵蚀是坡耕地的主要侵蚀形式之一,耕作侵蚀发生最严重的区域是坡度较大、坡体短的坡耕地。该文就耕作侵蚀的概念、发生机理、典型的耕作侵蚀模型的发展,以及耕作侵蚀对土壤肥力和作物产量影响的研究现状作了简要论述,特别总结了针对中国的地貌和耕作工具特征而进行的耕作侵蚀的研究成果。指出在一定的景观范围内,耕作侵蚀是十分严重的,甚至其严重程度已经超过了水蚀。但是相对于水蚀而言,耕作侵蚀研究还很少,因此加强耕作侵蚀的研究是十分必要的。只有这样才能正确评价农耕地侵蚀状况,准确制定土壤保持措施和采用减少耕作侵蚀力的耕作工具,从而有效地控制土壤侵蚀。     

耕作侵蚀研究述评

耕作位移和耕作侵蚀主要是在重力作用下,由耕作工具触发的土壤侵蚀;是造成坡耕地土壤重新分布和坡耕地土壤侵蚀的重要过程之一;对坡面地形演化、土壤性质改变、土壤养分流失与重新分布、土地生产力降低、土壤碳储存变化等都有重要影响.在以往研究的基础上,总结耕作侵蚀的基本过程和机制、研究方法、影响因素和侵蚀速率的研究进展,讨论目前研究中的不足与未来可能的研究方向.不同于风蚀和水蚀,耕作侵蚀发生的动力条件是人为影响,而非自然发生的降水或风力;因而,其侵蚀过程和机制、研究方法、影响因素、侵蚀速率分布等均不同于风蚀和水蚀.耕作侵蚀主要受人为和自然因素的影响,人为因素驱动耕作侵蚀发生,坡面是耕作侵蚀的地形基础.人为因素主要有耕作工具特性、耕作方向、速度和深度等;自然因素主要包括坡面的形状和尺寸、地形、坡度和土壤性质等.强烈的耕作侵蚀主要发生在坡面上部和坡面曲率剧烈变化的部位.耕作侵蚀研究主要通过基于示踪技术的实测方法,结合模型预测开展.由于耕作侵蚀、风蚀和水蚀的研究方法各成体系,通用方法较少,因而,多营力侵蚀研究难度巨大.以137 Cs为代表的核素在研究水蚀、风蚀和耕作侵蚀中均表现出独特的优势,为区分多营力侵蚀中各种侵蚀的速率和贡献提供了新的可能.     

Assessment of tillage erosion rates on steepland Oxisols in the humid tropics using granite rocks

Soil translocation by tillage may be an important factor in land degradation in the humid tropics. The objective of this study was to evaluate tillage-induced soil translocation on an Oxisol with 25% and 36% slopes in Claveria, Philippines for three tillage systems: contour moldboard plowing (CMP), moldboard plowing up and downslope (UMP), and contour ridge tillage (CRT). Small rocks 3–4 cm in “diameter” were used as soil movement detection units (SMDU). The SMDUs were placed at 10 cm intervals in a narrow 5-cm-deep trench near the upper boundary of each plot, the position of each rock recorded, and the trench backfilled. Five tillage operations used to produce one corn crop were performed during a one month period: two moldboard plowing operations for land preparation (except for CRT), one moldboard plowing for corn planting, and two inter-culture (inter-row cultivation) operations. After these operations, over 95% of the SMDU were recovered manually and their exact locations recorded. Mean annual soil flux for the 25% slope was 365 and 306 kg m⁻¹ y⁻¹ for UMP and CMP, respectively. For the 36% slope, comparable values were 481 and 478 kg m⁻¹ y⁻¹. Estimated tillage erosion rates for the 25% slope were 456 and 382 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ for UMP and CMP, respectively, and increased to 601 and 598 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, respectively, for the 36% slope. The mean displacement distance, mean annual soil flux, and mean annual tillage-induced soil loss for both slopes were reduced by approximately 70% using CRT compared to CMP and UMP.     

保护性耕作对土壤风蚀的影响

保护性耕作能够有效减少农田土壤风蚀.通过室内风洞模拟试验,研究秸秆覆盖、留茬和垄作3种保护性耕作措施对黄土高原北部农田土壤风蚀的影响.结果表明:1)秸秆覆盖和留茬能有效降低土壤风蚀速率,秸秆覆盖量为4 210 kg/hm2时土壤风蚀速率最小,与对照相比减少62.8%;垄作在低风速下能够降低土壤风蚀率,垄向与风向垂直时降...     

Ridge tillage and contour natural grass barrier strips reduce tillage erosion

Large amounts of soil are eroded annually from tilled, hilly upland soils in the humid tropics. Awareness has been increasing that much of this erosion may be due to tillage operations rather than water-induced soil movement. This field study estimated soil translocation and tillage erosion for four tillage systems on Oxisols with slope gradients of 16–22% at Claveria, Misamis Oriental, Philippines. Soil movement was estimated using ‘soil movement tracers' (SMT) which consisted of painted 12-mm hexagonal steel nuts. The SMT were buried in three replicate plots of the following tillage treatments: (1) contour moldboard plowing in the open field (MP-open); (2) contour ridge tillage in the open field (RT-open); (3) contour moldboard plowing plus contour natural grass barrier strips (MP-strip); and (4) contour natural grass barrier strips plus ridge tillage (RT-strip). Two hundred SMT were placed at the 5-cm depth at 5-cm spacings on 10 rows and 20 columns in two microplots within each plot. The microplots were oriented with the boundaries running downslope and along the contour of each 8-m-wide × 38-m-long (downslope) tillage plot. After tilling the land for four successive corn (Zea mays L.) crops (20 tillage operations), the SMT were manually excavated and their positions recorded. Recovery of SMT ranged from 82% to 85%. Displacement of SMT was directly related to slope length, percent slope, and tillage method. Mean displacement distance of SMT during the four corn growing seasons was 3.3 m for MP-open, 1.8 m for RT-open, 1.5 m for the RT-strip, and 2.2 m for MP-strip. Based on tillage operations associated with two corn crops per year, mean annual soil flux was estimated to be 241, 131, 158 and 112 kg m⁻¹ for MP-open, RT-open MP-strip, and RT-strip, respectively. Compared to the mean annual soil loss for MP-open of 63 Mg ha⁻¹, soil loss was reduced by 30%, 45%, and 53% for the MP-strip, RT-open, and RT-strip systems, respectively. Both ridge tillage and natural grass barrier strips reduced soil displacement, soil translocation flux, and tillage erosion rates.     

Simulation and 137Cs tracer show tillage erosion translocating soil organic carbon,phosphorus, and potassium

Research on how tillage‐induced soil redistribution affects soil properties is limited for complex slopes in nonmechanized agricultural areas. The objectives of this study are (1) to examine the vertical redistribution of soil organic C (SOC), extractable P and K induced by tillage on a complex slope, (2) to assess the effects of tillage erosion on soil profile properties, and (3) to elucidate the variations in soil properties induced by both vertical mixture and downslope transport of soil within the landscape. Simulated tillage was conducted in the Yangtze Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China. The ¹³⁷Cs data showed that intense tillage caused the soil vertical mixture and downslope transport. The redistribution of ¹³⁷Cs and soil constituents varied with the number of tillage passes and location in relation to curvature. SOC was completely depleted with the disappearance of soil profiles at the summit position, while SOC concentrations decreased by 26% for the till layer and increased by 29% for the sublayer at the toeslope position for the 15‐tillage operation, as compared with those of pretillage. The vertical redistribution of extractable P and K followed a similar pattern to that of SOC. The gap and variation in soil constituents between the till layer and sublayer declined after tillage, suggesting that the mixing effect of tillage attenuates the variability of soil properties in the vertical direction. Net loss and gain of soil constituents occurred at the summit and toeslope positions, respectively, suggesting that the downslope transport of soil induced by tillage accentuates the variability of soil properties in the lateral direction.     

保护性耕作对农田土壤风蚀影响的试验研究

在河北省北部的丰宁县坝上地区建立农田土壤风蚀试验区，采用美国BSNE采样器观测不同耕作处理条件下的农田风蚀土壤损失情况。试验结果表明：在风蚀过程中，土壤颗粒主要集中在近地表层运动，悬浮在空气中的土壤颗粒随着高度的增加逐渐减少，且与高度之间符合幂函数关系；风蚀土壤颗粒粒度组成随高度增加，砂粒级颗粒含量减少，而粉砂及粘土含量增加；免耕覆盖(NTC)、免耕覆盖＋耙(NTCH)和免耕无覆盖(NTN)三种处理分别比传统翻耕减少风蚀量73.75%、75.31%和14.17%，由秸秆覆盖和少免耕相结合的保护性耕作可明显地减少农田土壤损失；在覆盖和耕作两因素中，覆盖对减小风蚀的作用最大，地表耕作的作用次之；另外，保护性耕作地能够减少农田土壤养分损失。     

Interrill soil erosion as affected by tillage and residue cover

No-till cropping systems are effective in reducing soil erosion. The objective of this study was to determine whether high infiltration rates and low runoff and soil loss under long-term, no-till conditions in loessial regions of the Midwest US result from both the well-structured, porous condition of the soil and the protective cover of crop residue or primarily from residue cover. Soil loss, runoff, and infiltration were measured using a rainfall simulator on interrill erosion plots with and without residue cover on a conventional and two no-till systems in central Illinois. For both conventional till and no-till conditions, removing surface residue significantly decreased infiltration rates and increased soil loss. Tilling the no-till surface while maintaining an equal surface cover as with the no-till system slightly increased interrill erosion. Removing residue on a no-till system, however, increased soil loss significantly. A no-till soil condition without adequate residue cover will seal, crust, and erode with extremely high soil losses following surface drying.     

紫色土坡地旋耕机耕作侵蚀特征

耕作侵蚀的过程机制和防治技术研究是我国现阶段水土保持科学与技术的重点研究领域,关于小型旋耕机耕作的土壤再分布过程和影响因素研究较少.应用磁性示踪法研究旋耕机等高耕作、向下耕作和向上耕作的土壤再分布模式和强度,查明耕作速度对旋耕机耕作侵蚀的影响.结果表明:不同耕作方向下旋耕机单次耕作过程中均引起土壤同时发生向上坡和向下坡移动,且均导致土壤发生向下坡净位移;不同耕作速度时等高耕作和向上耕作土壤净位移与坡度均呈显著正相关(P＜0.01),而向下耕作二者无显著相关性(P＞0.05);土壤净位移量表现为快挡等高耕作(11.53 kg/m)＞快挡向下耕作(11.40kg/m)＞快挡向上耕作(7.59kg/m)＞慢挡向下耕作(7.33 kg/m)＞慢挡等高耕作(6.87 kg/m)＞慢挡向上耕作(6.29 kg/m);快挡时上下坡交替耕作的耕作侵蚀速率小于等高耕作,但慢挡时二者相当.旋耕机耕作相比传统耕作机具的耕作侵蚀明显下降,其推广应用对于防治紫色土坡地耕作侵蚀和土壤退化有重要作用.     

岩溶区坡地耕作侵蚀过程中的土壤再分布研究

对耕作侵蚀引起的土壤空间再分布进行研究,有利于改革不合理的耕作方式和治理坡耕地水土流失。本文以重庆市中梁山为例用示踪法对坡耕地进行试验研究。结果表明:随着坡度的增大,耕作后示踪剂在示踪区的含量越来越少;它的最大值出现的位置离基线越来越远,值越来越小;沿耕作方向移动的距离越来越远。这种规律性以锄头和铁锹顺坡明显,等高和踩锹顺坡不明显。从本区耕作侵蚀的角度考虑,等高耕作方式明显要优于顺坡耕作;在顺坡耕作中踩锹优于锄头和铁锹。最后还结合岩溶山区特殊的自然环境条件,讨论了耕作侵蚀对石漠化的影响。     

Soil erosion estimation in conservation tillage systems with poultry litter application using RUSLE 2.0 model

Soil erosion is a major threat to global economic and environmental sustainability. This study evaluated long-term effects of conservation tillage with poultry litter application on soil erosion estimates in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plots using RUSLE 2.0 computer model. Treatments consisting of no-till, mulch-till, and conventional tillage systems, winter rye (Secale cereale L.) cover cropping and poultry litter, and ammonium nitrate sources of nitrogen were established at the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Belle Mina, AL (34°41′N, 86°52′W), beginning fall 1996. Soil erosion estimates in cotton plots under conventional tillage system with winter rye cover cropping declined by 36% from 8.0 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in 1997 to 5.1 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in 2004. This result was largely attributed to cumulative effect of surface residue cover which increased by 17%, from 20% in 1997 to 37% in 2004. In conventional tillage without winter rye cover cropping, soil erosion estimates were 11.0 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in 1997 and increased to 12.0 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in 2004. In no-till system, soil erosion estimates generally remained stable over the study period, averaging 0.5 and 1.3 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹with and without winter rye cover cropping, respectively. This study shows that cover cropping is critical to reduce soil erosion and to increase the sustainability of cotton production in the southeast U.S. Application of N in the form of ammonium nitrate or poultry litter significantly increased cotton canopy cover and surface root biomass, which are desirable attributes for soil erosion reduction in cotton plots.     

降雨条件下耕作方式对地表糙度的溅蚀效应

地表糙度是影响坡耕地土壤侵蚀的主要因素之一,为了进一步明确耕作方式对地表糙度的侵蚀效应,该文通过室内人工模拟降雨的方法,就单雨强与组合雨强条件下耕作方式对溅蚀的作用以及地表糙度的变化进行了研究。结果表明,从对照坡面,经耙耱地、人工锄耕、人工掏挖到等高耕作方式的坡面,在雨强0.62 mm/min条件下,不同耕作方式坡面向上坡溅蚀量呈先增加再减小的变化,向下坡和总溅蚀量均呈先增加再减小最后增加的变化;除耙耱地外,其他耕作方式坡面的地表糙度呈减小的变化。在雨强1.53 mm/min条件下,不同耕作方式坡面向上坡、向下坡和总溅蚀量均呈先增加再减小最后增加的变化;地表糙度与对照坡面相反,均呈增加的变化。组合雨强条件下,随降雨强度的增加,耙耱地总溅蚀量与地表糙度呈一直增加的变化趋势;其他耕作方式下,随降雨强度的增加,坡面总溅蚀量呈先增加后减小的变化趋势,地表糙度却呈先减小后增大的变化。这为揭示地表糙度的侵蚀特征提供了一定的理论依据,同时也可服务于黄土高原坡耕地的水土流失治理。     

发展保护性耕作技术 有效防治耕地土壤侵蚀

 我国是世界上人均耕地最少的国家之一,人均耕地仅为0.093 3 hm2,不到世界平均水平的40%。同时,我国也是世界上耕地土壤侵蚀最严重的国家之一,全国耕地土壤侵蚀面积为4 033万hm2,占耕地总面积的33.15%。仅坡耕地每年产生的土壤流失量约达15亿t,占全国土壤侵蚀总量的33%。耕地土壤侵蚀已对我国的粮食安全、生态安全和经济社会可持续发展构成了严重威胁。论述了水土保持领域发展保护性耕作技术的重要意义、产生与发展、主要技术内容与技术模式及保护性耕作技术的生态、经济和社会效益。发展保护性耕作技术,是水土保持的新理念,对于有效防治耕地土壤侵蚀和非点源污染具有重要意义。     

河西绿洲灌区保护性耕作对土壤风蚀特征的影响

为研究河西绿洲灌区保护性耕作对土壤风蚀的影响,通过春小麦田间试验,设置免耕不覆盖、免耕秸秆覆盖、立茬和残茬压倒4种保护性耕作处理,以传统耕作为对照,分析了河西绿洲灌区不同保护性耕作措施对田间输沙量、风蚀深度、风蚀物粒径组成、风速的影响。结果表明：0~30 cm高度输沙量能敏感地反映不同耕作措施之间输沙量的差异。与传统耕作相比,免耕不覆盖、免耕秸秆覆盖、立茬和残茬压倒处理0~30 cm高度输沙量分别减少17.4%~46.7%、21.7%~45.2%、24.7%~48.2%和10.7%~42.4%。风蚀深度传统耕作为1.22~1.44 mm,4种保护性耕作处理均为0 mm。与传统耕作相比,保护性耕作处理风蚀物粒径组成无显著变化,但<0.063 mm细粒占比有减小趋势。立茬处理20 cm高度风速显著降低24.1%~39.5%,其他保护性耕作措施风速降低不显著。综上所述,河西绿洲灌区不同保护性耕作措施能不同程度地抑制土壤风蚀,立茬处理是相对较优的保护性耕作措施,适宜该地区推广应用。     

Modelling tillage erosion in the topographically complex landscapes of southwestern Ontario, Canada

A tillage erosion model was developed for southwestern Ontario based on the relationship between tillage translocation and slope gradient and slope curvature. Two studies of tillage translocation and tillage erosion were used to calibrate this model, one a comparison of upslope and downslope tillage translocation on shoulder slopes, the other an examination of tillage translocation throughout topographically complex landscapes. Two field sites were used for validation of the model. For both sites, past tillage practices were known and past soil erosion was determined using ¹³⁷Cs as an indicator of soil redistribution. The model accurately predicted the pattern of soil redistribution that had occurred within the two field sites. Severe soil loss was observed and predicted on convex landscape positions and soil accumulation was observed and predicted on concave landscape positions. The model accounted for almost all of the soil lost from the convex upper slope positions where tillage erosion was expected to be the dominant erosion process. There was considerable soil loss and accumulation elsewhere in the landscapes which could not be accounted for by the model and was presumed to be primarily the result of water erosion. It was concluded that tillage erosion must be incorporated into soil erosion modelling for the purposes of soil conservation.     

Tillage erosion,water erosion and soil quality on cultivated terraces near Xifeng in the Loess Plateau,China

This study sought to contribute to the understanding of soil redistribution by tillage on terraces and the extent and causes of within-field variation in soil properties by examining the spatial distributions of soil redistribution rates, derived using caesium-137, and of total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations, within a ribbon and a shoulder terrace in a yuan area of the Loess Plateau of China. Additional water erosion rate data were obtained for nine other terraces. Water erosion rates on the ribbon terraces were low (<1 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹), unless slope tangents exceeded 0·1. However, despite the use of animal traction, high rates of tillage erosion were observed (mean 5·5 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹). Soil nitrogen concentrations were related to rates of soil redistribution by tillage on the ribbon terrace examined in detail. In general, higher rates of water erosion (0·5–2·9 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹) and lower rates of tillage erosion (mean 1·4 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹) were evident on the longer shoulder terraces. On the shoulder terrace examined in detail, soil phosphorus concentrations were related to net rates of soil redistribution. A statistically significant regression relationship between water erosion rates and the USLE length and slope factor was used in conjunction with the simulation of tillage erosion rates to evaluate a range of terrace designs. It is suggested that off-site impacts of erosion could be further reduced by ensuring that the slope tangents are kept below 0·06 and lengths below 30 m, especially on the shoulder terraces. Tillage erosion and the systematic redistribution of soil nutrients could be reduced by modification of the contour-cultivation technique to turn soil in opposing directions in alternate years. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of caesium-137 data for validation of spatially distributed erosion models: the implications of tillage erosion

Validation of spatially distributed models using spatially distributed data represents a vital element in the development process; however, it is rarely undertaken. To a large extent, this reflects the problems associated with assembling erosion rate data, at appropriate temporal and spatial scales and with a suitable spatial resolution, for comparison with model results. The caesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) technique would appear to offer considerable potential for meeting this need for data, at least for longer timescales. Nevertheless, initial attempts to use ¹³⁷Cs for model validation did not prove successful. This lack of success may be explained by the important role of tillage erosion in redistributing soil within agricultural fields and, therefore, contributing to the ¹³⁷Cs-derived soil redistribution rates. This paper examines the implications of tillage erosion for the use of ¹³⁷Cs in erosion model validation and presents an outline methodology for the use of ¹³⁷Cs in model validation. This methodology acknowledges and addresses the constraints imposed by the need to: (1) separate water and tillage erosion contributions to total soil redistribution as represented in ¹³⁷Cs derived rates; (2) account for lateral mixing of ¹³⁷Cs within fields as a result of tillage translocation; (3) simulate long-term water erosion rates using the model under evaluation if ¹³⁷Cs-derived water erosion rates are to be used in model validation. The methodology is dependent on accurate simulation of tillage erosion and tillage translocation. Therefore, as greater understanding of tillage erosion is obtained, the potential for the use of ¹³⁷Cs in water erosion model validation will increase. Caesium-137 measurements remain one of the few sources of spatially distributed erosion information and, therefore, their potential value should be exploited to the full.     

Influences of tillage operations on soil translocation over sloping land by hoeing tillage

Very few studies have investigated the factors affecting soil displacement and tillage erosion by hoeing tillage. This study adopted a magnetic tracer method to investigate the influences of hoe form and tillage depth on soil translocation over steep hillslopes in Southwest China using a new type of magnetic tracer, i.e., ilmenite powder. Ilmenite powder enhanced the magnetic sensitivity of soil at the end position of tracer distribution, and improved the accuracy and efficiency of tillage translocation measurements. Tillage translocation by wide and perforated hoes was found to be significantly correlated with slope gradient (P < 0.01), however, no significant correlation was found for narrow and bidentate hoe tillage (P > 0.05). Compared with wide hoes, the tillage erosion rates resulting from the use of narrow, perforated and bidentate hoes were reduced by 12.4%, 11.0%, and 16.3%, respectively, indicating that changes in hoe forms resulted in a marked decrease in downslope soil translocation and tillage erosion. Tillage erosion rate decreased by 64% when the tillage depth was reduced from 0.26 to 0.14 m. These results suggest that innovations in hoe form and reductions in tillage depth are important means to manage tillage erosion due to hoeing.     

Soil displacement and tillage erosion during secondary tillage operations: the case of rotary harrow and seeding equipment

This study reports the results of a series of experiments that were set up on agricultural land in central Belgium to investigate soil translocation and erosivity resulting from a secondary tillage operation using an implement sequence of a rotary harrow and seeder. Aluminium cubes were used as tracers of soil movement. Results show that soil displacement resulting from tillage with such an implement sequence is far from insignificant. This is mainly related to the relatively shallow tillage depth as well as to the loose initial soil condition of such secondary tillage operations. The calculated value for the tillage transport coefficient k (123 kg m⁻¹ per tillage operation) is comparable with k-values from implements that are considered to be more erosive, like mouldboard and chisel implements. In conclusion, this study shows that tillage erosion not only results from relatively aggressive tillage operations such as mouldboard and chisel passes, but that secondary operations contribute significantly to soil displacement and tillage erosion.