Effect of tillage management on the wind erosion of arable soil in the Chinese Mollisol region

Abstract

Wind erosion is a serious problem in agricultural regions and threatens the regional food production in Northeast China. However, limited information is available on the characteristics of wind erosion in arable soil in Northeast China. As a result, field-based research during periods of vulnerability to wind erosion is essential. This study quantified the characteristics of soil wind erosion under no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) treatments in China’s northern “corn-belt.” The results determined the wind erosion transport mode of Mollisols to be generally characterized by creep and supplemented by saltation and suspension in Northeast China. The erodible particles of the creep accounted for 80.37% and 85.42% of the total wind erosion under the NT and CT treatments, respectively. During experiments with erodible particles in the saltation mode from the soil surface to 2 m, the majority of the particles were collected by the sampler at 0.5 m height, with the NT and CT treatments collecting 5.82 kg·m−2 and 6.93 kg·m−2 of erodible particles per unit area, respectively. Wind erosion on agricultural land was observed to be influenced by tillage practices, rainfall, wind speed, and soil moisture content. Average and maximum wind speeds exhibited significant positive correlations with wind erosion during April and May. Moreover, the erodible particles of each wind erosion transport mode (creep, saltation, and suspension) under CT were higher (1.73, 1.41, and 1.35 times) than those under the NT treatment. With less damage and greater protection of the surface soil, the NT treatment was able to decrease the occurrence of wind erosion and influence its outcome on farmland. Therefore, NT treatment should be encouraged as a key initiative for the reduction of wind erosion of arable soil in the Chinese Mollisol region.

Research Trends and Areas of Focus on Wind Erosion: A Bibliometric Analysis during 1941-2022

“…The use of polyacrylamide (PAM) to form shells on soil surfaces has also been developed [40,41]. Agricultural measures like no tillage [42,43], ridge [44,45], and vertical tillage [43] have been implemented to improve soil structure and enhance soil roughness as a means of preventing wind erosion.…”

“…Changes in precipitation and temperature directly affect the soil conservation f unction of the ecosystem [115,116]. Many studies have demonstrated the stimulating effect of temperature and wind speed on wind erosion [42,107,117], while precipitation has a mitigating effect on wind erosion [118,119]. In recent years, global warming has exacerbated soil dryness and led to an increase in soil temperature [120].…”