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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #113258
Title: ERODIBILITY OF SELECTED SOILS OF MEXICO

Author
item Potter, Kenneth
item VELAZQUEZ-GARCIA, J - INIFAP-CENAPROS
item Torbert, Henry - Allen

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2000
Publication Date: 6/10/2000
Citation: Potter, K.N., Velazquez-Garcia, J., Torbert, H.A. Erodibility of selected soils of Mexico. Agronomy Abstracts. 2000. p. 328.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: More than half of Mexico's soil and water resources are considered moderately to severely degraded, a great deal by erosion and sedimentation. Characterization of soil susceptibility to erosion may be hampered by difficulty in obtaining reliable water supplies. We tested an alternative method to determine soil erodibility coefficients for concentrated water flow that had not been applied to agricultural soils. The submerged jet method of determining soil erodibility coefficients was tested on six soils of varying texture and predominant clay mineralogy near the end of the corn (Zea maize) growing season. The resulting Jet Index values segregated soils of similar texture and mineralogy. Management effects, such as moldboard plow and no-till were identified in three of the six locations. The results of these tests, along with the relative ease of use and minimum labor and water requirements, show that the submerged jet device is a useful tool to determine soil erodibility coefficients of agricultural soils.