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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #328404
Title: Soil characteristics and associated wind erosion potential altered by oilseeds in wheat-based cropping systems

Author
item Sharratt, Brenton
item SCHILLINGER, WILLIAM - Washington State University

Submitted to: WSU Dryland Field Day Abstracts
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2016
Publication Date: 6/16/2016
Citation: Sharratt, B.S., Schillinger, W. 2016. Soil characteristics and associated wind erosion potential altered by oilseeds in wheat-based cropping systems. WSU Dryland Field Day Abstracts. p. 26.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Oilseeds are integral to the production of biofuels and diversifying rainfed cropping systems in the Pacific Northwest. However, there is evidence to suggest greater potential for wind erosion when growing oilseeds in wheat-based rotations when tillage is used during fallow. Little is known concerning the impact of growing oilseeds on soil surface characteristics that affect erosion. Soil characteristics were examined during the fallow phase of three crop rotations: (i) winter wheat-summer fallow (WW-SF), (ii) winter wheat-camelina-summer fallow (WW-C-SF), and (iii) winter wheat-safflower-summer fallow (WW-SAF-SF) at Lind and Ritzville, Washington. Crop residue biomass and soil water content, roughness, surface strength, and aggregate size distribution were measured immediately after planting winter wheat. Camelina and safflower did not affect random roughness, penetration resistance, geometric mean diameter, or the erodible fraction. Flat residue biomass and cover, however, tended to be greater in the WW-SF rotation. The Revised Wind Erosion Equation suggested that sediment transport could be from 57 to 212% greater for the WW-C-SF or WW-SAF-SF than the WW-SF rotation due to differences in crop residue characteristics after sowing wheat. These results indicate that crop residue must be carefully managed to minimize the occurrence and intensity of wind erosion from dryland oilseed cropping systems when tillage is used during summer fallow. Specifically, no-tillage may be required to manage crop residue during the fallow phase of a wheat-oilseed-fallow rotation for controlling wind erosion. A newly-published detailed report of this study is available at: Sharratt, B.S. and W.F. Schillinger. 2016. Soil Characteristics and Wind Erosion Potential of Wheat-Oilseed-Fallow Cropping Systems. Soil Science Society of America Journal doi:10.2136/sssaj2015.12.0427.