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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Morris, Minnesota » Soil Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #215841
Title: Modeling tillage-induced redistribution of soil mass and its constituents within different landscapes

Author
item LI, SHENG - UNIV. OF MANITOBA
item LOBB, DAVID - UNIV. OF MANITOBA
item Lindstrom, Michael
item Schneider, Sharon
item FARENHORST, ANNEMIEKE - UNIV. OF MANITOBA

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/8/2007
Publication Date: 11/8/2007
Citation: Li, S., Lobb, D., Lindstrom, M.J., Papiernik, S.K., Farenhorst, A. 2007. Modeling tillage-induced redistribution of soil mass and its constituents within different landscapes [abstract][CD-ROM]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting. Nov. 4-8, 2007, New Orleans, LA.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Tillage is a driving force of soil movement in cultivated fields. Soil constituents, together with the mass of soil, are redistributed over landscapes by tillage. The pattern of tillage-induced soil constituent redistribution is determined not only by the pattern of tillage-induced soil mass redistribution but also by the extent of translocation and by transfers between the till-layer and the subsoil layer. In this study, we used a convoluting procedure and developed a model (TillTM) to simulate the tillage translocation process and demonstrate tillage-induced soil mass and soil organic carbon (OC) (as an example of soil constituents) redistributions across four hypothetical landscapes subjected to different tillage patterns and over different temporal scales. The model was validated against field data collected at a site near Cyrus, Minnesota, USA. We determined that local-tillage-erosion rate is dependent mainly on topography and that the effects of tillage pattern and temporal scale on tillage erosion are relatively minor. The redistribution of OC content in the till-layer is determined mainly by the number, location and size of soil loss positions in the landscape, as well as the soil loss rates on these positions. Net loss of OC content occurs in the till-layer and this loss increases over time in all four hypothetical landscapes. In contrast, increase of OC content in the sub-layer occurs at soil accumulation positions. The application of the TillTM on the Cyrus site demonstrated that using the model, the pattern of OC and inorganic carbon (IC) redistribution over time can be estimated adequately.