Tillage erosion: a review of controlling factors and implications for soil quality

Abstract

Tillage erosion has been identified as an irrportantglobal soil degradation process that has to be accounted for when assessing the erosional irrpacts on soil productivit;l, environmental quality or landscape evolution. In this paper, we present a summary of available data describing tillage erosion. This provides insights in the controlling factors determining soil redistribution rates and patterns by tillage for various irrplements used in both mechanized and non-mechanized agriculture.Variations in tillage depth and tillage direction cause the largest variations in soil redistribution rates, although other factors, such as tillage speed and irrplement maracteristics, also play an important role. In general, decreasing tillage depth and ploughing along the contour lines substantially reduce tillage erosion rates and can be considered as effective soil conservation strategies. Implement erosivities reported in literature, characterized by the tillage transport coeffi cient, are very consistent and range in the order of 400--800 kg m-1yr-1 and 70-260 kg m-1yr-1 for mechanized and non mechanized agriculture, respectively. Comparison of tillage erosion rates with water erosion rates using a global data set indicates that tillage erosion rates are at least in the same order of magnitude or higher than water erosion rates, in almost all cases. Finally, we discuss how tillage erosion increases the spatial variability of soil properties and aff ects soil nutrient cycling. Considering the widespread use of tillage practices, the high redistribution rates associated with the process and its direct effect on soil properties, it is clear that tillage erosion should be considered in soil landscape studies.

Quantification and control of runoff and soil erosion on avocado orchards on ridges along steep-hillslopes

“…The soil movement necessary for ridge construction is an erosion process itself, as it provokes a signifi cant movement and alteration of the cropping soil layer (Van Oost et al, 2006). Subsequently, the bare and disaggregated soil (Figure 1b) is exposed to water and eolic erosion, which occurs in three stages: (i) disaggregation and suspension of the individual particles, (ii) particles transport by runoff, and (iii) particles deposition in low zones (Morgan, 1997;Toy et al, 2002).…”

The Impact of Policy Instruments on Soil Multifunctionality in the European Union

“…For example the provision of functional and intrinsic biodiversity is positively affected through measures such as grass buffers and small landscape elements in and around the fields as they can significantly increase soil biodiversity [43]. The provision and cycling of nutrients are affected through measures such as non-tillage that can improve the nutrient provisioning and cycling within the field [44], while water purification and regulation are improved through the reduction in erosion [45]. Several of the measures are developed to reduce and slow down surface runoff and to increase infiltration.…”

Rill erosion on an oxisol influenced by a thin compacted layer

“…Generally, the tillage depth of the instruments varied from <5 cm to ~40 cm (van Oost et al, 2006;Bertolino et al, 2010). The plowing depth can reach down to 50 cm in some cases (Blanco & Lal, 2010).…”

“…In agricultural soils, the following types of soil erosion have been investigated: interril erosion, rill erosion, tillage erosion, bioerosion, and harvest erosion (Evans, 1998;Bryan, 2000;Ruysschaert et al, 2004;Stroosnijder, 2005;van Oost et al, 2006;Knapen et al, 2007).…”