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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Crop Science Research Laboratory » Genetics and Sustainable Agriculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303016
Title: Validation of SWEEP for contrasting agricultural land use types in the Tarim Basin

Author
item PI, HUAWEI - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item Feng, Gary
item Sharratt, Brenton
item LI, XINHU - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item ZHENG, ZEHAO - Chinese Academy Of Sciences

Submitted to: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/29/2014
Publication Date: 9/1/2014
Citation: Pi, H., Feng, G.G., Sharratt, B.S., Li, X., Zheng, Z. 2014. Validation of SWEEP for contrasting agricultural land use types in the Tarim Basin. Soil Science. 179:433-445.

Interpretive Summary: This study simulated soil loss across two land use types during six high wind events in the Tarim Basin. Our results represent significant progress in testing the Single-event Wind Erosion Evaluation Program (SWEEP). The SWEEP failed to simulate any difference in soil loss for contrasting agricultural land use types. In fact, the model simulated no erosion for all high wind events in which we observed erosion in the cotton field and red date orchard. The simulated u* was consistently lower than u*t of the loessial soils, thus the reason for no simulated erosion at the cotton field and red date orchard sites. Although the SWEEP was developed for regions where high wind events generate significant soil loss, the performance of SWEEP in simulating small amounts of erosion in this study may be improved by better estimating u*t of the loessial soils in the Tarim Basin.

Technical Abstract: In order to aid in identifying land management practices with the potential to control soil erosion, models such as the Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) have been developed to assess soil erosion. The objective of this study was to test the performance of the WEPS erosion submodel (the Single-event Wind Erosion Evaluation Program or SWEEP) under contrasting agricultural land use types in the region. Wind erosion of a loamy sand was measured and simulated in a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) field and red date (Ziziphus jujuba L.) orchard during the spring of 2012 and 2013. The SWEEP failed to simulate differences in soil loss for contrasting agricultural land use types, although measured soil loss was typically smaller than that considered to be of consequence (>1000 kg ha-1) in the original design of the SWEEP. In fact, the model simulated no erosion for all six high wind events in which we observed erosion in the cotton field and red date orchard. Failure to simulate erosion was due to the simulated u* being consistently lower than u*t for the loessial soil at the cotton field and red date orchard.