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Long‐Term Tillage Effects on Interrow Runoff and Infiltration
Author(s) -
Lindstrom M. J.,
Voorhees W. B.,
Randall G. W.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1981.03615995004500050025x
Subject(s) - surface runoff , tillage , environmental science , infiltration (hvac) , plough , hydrology (agriculture) , chisel , tractor , ponding , soil science , agronomy , drainage , geology , geotechnical engineering , geography , meteorology , engineering , ecology , archaeology , automotive engineering , biology
Simulated rainfall trials were conducted in wheel‐tracked and nonwheel‐tracked interrows for three continuous corn ( Zea mays L.) tillage systems (fall moldboard plow with spring field cultivate, fall chisel with field cultivate, and no till designated as conventional, conservation, and no till, respectively) in the 10th year of the tillage and crop system in south central Minnesota to determine the effect of long‐term tillage systems on interrow runoff and infiltration. Wheeltracked interrow refers to tractor tire tracks from the planting operation. Simulated rainfall was applied with a sprinkling‐type infiltrometer at a rate of 12.7 cm/hour simultaneously to wheel‐tracked and nonwheel‐tracked interrows. Differences were observed in random roughness and soil bulk density of the surface 7.6 cm between wheel‐tracked variables, tillage systems, or both. Energy required to initiate runoff, reported as rainfall kinetic energy (KE), was significantly different among tillage systems for each wheel‐tracked variable. Ranking of the treatments was conservation > conventional > no till for the nonwheel‐tracked interrow, and conservation = conventional > no till for the wheel tracked interrow in relation to KE required to start runoff. The conservation and conventional nonwheel‐tracked interrows had a greater infiltration rate after runoff started than the wheel‐tracked interrows and the no till system. Evidence from this study indicates that the no till system may result in a consolidated soil surface with a low infiltration capacity that is persistent with time and susceptible to high volumes of runoff during severe rainstorm events.