Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #362528
Research Project: Enhancing Production and Ecosystem Services of Horticultural and Agricultural Systems in the Southeastern United States

Location: Soil Dynamics Research

Title: Influence of soil wetting and drying cycles on soil detachment

Author
item WANG, JIAN - Northwest A&f University
item Watts, Dexter
item MENG, QINQIAN - Ningxia Axcademy Of Agriculture And Forestry Sciences
item MA, FAN - Ningxia Axcademy Of Agriculture And Forestry Sciences
item ZHANG, QINGFENG - Northwest A&f University
item ZHANG, PENGHUI - Shaanxi Provincial Land Construction Group Xi’An
item Way, Thomas - Tom

Submitted to: AgriEngineering
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/2022
Publication Date: 6/16/2022
Citation: Wang, J., Watts, D.B., Meng, Q., Ma, F., Zhang, Q., Zhang, P., Way, T.R. 2022. Influence of soil wetting and drying cycles on soil detachment. AgriEngineering. 4:533-543. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering4020036.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering4020036

Interpretive Summary: Agricultural soils undergo periods of wetting followed by drying throughout the course of a growing season. These periods of wetting and drying are believed to influence the rate of soil erosion. Thus, a study was conducted under laboratory conditions to evaluate the influence of soil wetting and drying on soil loss of a disturbed soil (sieved to simulate tillage). Soil loss was greatest following disturbance. As the number of wetting followed by drying cycles increased, soil bulk density also increased. The rate of soil loss decreased with increasing numbers of wetting and drying. Results from this study were used in a modified Richards Growth Response model. The model was able to provide a good estimate of predicting soil loss as a result of soil wetting and drying. Information from this study is expected to be useful for improving soil management decisions for reducing soil erosion.

Technical Abstract: Agricultural soils undergo periods of saturation followed by desiccation throughout the course of a growing season. It is believed that these periods of wetting and drying influence soil structure and may affect the rate of soil detachment. Thus, a series of experiments was conducted to investigate the influence a disturbed soil (soil sieved to simulate tillage) subjected to various wetting and drying cycles, has on soil bulk density and the resistance to soil detachment with runoff. Seven treatments consisting of wetting and drying cycles ranging from 0 to 6 cycles were evaluated under laboratory conditions using an experimental flume apparatus. A Richards growth model proposed for predicting the influence of wetting and drying on soil detachment was also evaluated. Results showed that soil bulk density increased as the number of wetting and drying cycles increased. Soil detachment rate decreased as the number of wetting and drying cycles increased. Also, initial soil detachment (occurring as soon as runoff began) rates were high for 1 to 3 wetting and drying cycles, while the rate of initial detachment decreased after the third cycle. In addition, the proposed S-Shaped Richards growth model was a good predictor for estimating soil detachment of soils experiencing various wetting and drying cycles. Findings from this study suggest that more attention should be given to the influence soil wetting and drying has on the prediction of soil detachment. Information from this study is expected to be useful for improving soil management strategies for reducing soil erosion.