Interrill soil erosion as affected by tillage and residue cover

Published source details Bradford J.M. & Huang C. (1994) Interrill soil erosion as affected by tillage and residue cover. Soil & Tillage Research, 31, 353-361.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Retain crop residues Action Link
	Change tillage practices Action Link

Retain crop residues

A replicated experiment in 1992 on silt loam at three sites in Illinois, USA (Bradford and Huang 1994) found decreased water infiltration rates and increased soil loss under both no-tillage (from >70 to 47.1 mm/h and 0.01-0.15 kg/m²/h) and tillage (from 64.1 to 37.2 mm/h and 0.1-0.6 kg/m²/h respectively) when crop remains were removed at site 1. Removing crop remains from a no-till system increased soil loss at site 2 from 0.01-0.13 kg/m²/h and site 3 from 0.01-0.16 kg/m²/h. The three sites were under corn Zea mays-soybean Glycine max rotations. Site 1 was under conventional tillage and treatments were: tilled vs. tilled with crop remains removed. Sites 2 and 3 had been under no-tillage for more than 15 years. Site 2 treatments were: no-tillage, no-tillage with crop remains removed, tillage residue replaced on the soil surface, and tillage residue removed. Site 3 treatments were: no-tillage, no-tillage with crop remains removed, tillage with residue removed, and tillage residue removed after three soil-drying days. Plots were 1 x 2 m and treatments were replicated six times at each site. Rainfall was simulated at an intensity of 70 mm/h on each plot for 90 minutes.
Change tillage practices

A replicated experiment in 1992 on silt loam in Illinois, USA (Bradford and Huang, 1994) found decreased infiltration rates and increased soil loss under both no-till (from >70 to 47.1 mm/h and 0.01-0.15 kg/m²/h) and till (from 64.1 to 37.2 mm/h and 0.1-0.6 kg/m²/h respectively), when crop residue was removed. Removing residue from a no-till system increased soil loss at Site 2 from 0.01-0.13 kg/m²/h and Site 3 from 0.01-0.16 kg/m²/h. There were three sites under corn Zea mays-soybean Glycine max rotations. Site 1 was under conventional tillage and treatments were: tilled and tilled residue removed. Sites 2 and 3 had been no-till for more than 15 years. Site 2 treatments were: no-till, no-till residue removed, tillage residue replaced on surface, and tillage residue removed. Site 3 treatments were: no-till, no-till residue removed, tillage residue removed, and tillage residue removed again after three soil-drying days. Plots were 1 x 2 m and respective treatments were replicated six times at each site. Rainfall was simulated at an intensity of 70 mm/h on each plot for 90 minutes.