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Alfalfa Survival ‐ Indicator of Sloping Land Drainage Effectiveness 1
Author(s) -
Benoit G. R.,
Fisher K. D.,
Bornstein J.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1967.00021962005900050019x
Subject(s) - loam , drainage , agronomy , soil water , environmental science , silt , hydrology (agriculture) , biology , soil science , ecology , geology , geotechnical engineering , paleontology
Plant cutting data of alfalfa for 1964, 1965, and 1966 and plant counts for 1966 were taken from a 12‐plot surface‐subsurface drainage research project. The project was located on a Cabot silt loam typical of many sloping, hardpan, wet soils of the Northeast. Drainage effectiveness trends were established as early as the first cutting. Percent alfalfa (dry weight basis) and plant count data each gave a good indication of drainage effectiveness. Percent winterkill was significantly correlated with soil water content (r = 0.79 to 0.84). Drainage of excess water to the content present at 0.1 bar of tension insured negligible (10% or less) winterkill.