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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Morris, Minnesota » Soil Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #74334
Title: TILLAGE EFFECTS ON WATER RUNOFF AND SOIL EROSION AFTER SOD

Author
item Lindstrom, Michael
item SCHUMACHER, T - SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVER
item COGO, N - SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVER
item BLECHA, M - SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVER

Submitted to: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/11/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Soils that have been cultivated for many years will experience an improvement in soil structural properties when put into sod. These improvements allows water to move rapidly into and through the soil profile and reduces the possibility of soil erosion. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a program where cultivated soils were put into sod for ten years. This study was conducted to determine what effect tillage systems will have on water movement into the soil and on soil erosion after sod has been returned to crop production. Rainfall simulation trials were conducted on plots that had been sod for six years. Treatments applied ranged from moldboard plowing of the sod to chemically killing the sod and establishment of no-till crop production. Four years of intensive tillage resulted in much water runoff and soil erosion and was characteristic of the pre-sod condition. No-till crop production did not have any water runoff or soil erosion. These results show that beneficial soil properties related to water runoff and soil erosion developed during sod will rapidly disappear with tillage, but can be maintained with no-till crop production. These results will serve as a basis when guidelines are developed for sustainable conservation management of soils that were in CRP.

Technical Abstract: Cultivated soils that have been put into sod experience an improvement in soil structural properties. This study was conducted to determine the effect of tillage systems on maintaining the infiltration characteristics of sod and the effect of water runoff and soil erosion. An alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) - smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) sod established in 1984 was converted back to cropland beginning in the spring of 1990. Tillage treatments established were moldboard plowed, chisel plowed, and no-till. Additional no-till treatments were established in 1991, 1992, and 1993. A grass sod treatment was also maintained for comparison. After planting in 1993, rainfall simulation runs with rainfall application rates of 63.5 mm hr**-1 were conducted on selected treatments. Results from the simulated rainfall measurements showed that the moldboard and chisel treatments were susceptible to water runoff and soil erosion. No water runoff or soil erosion was measured on any of the no-till treatments or the grass sod. These results show that beneficially soil characteristics related to water runoff and soil erosion developed during sod will rapidly disappear with tillage, but can be maintained with no-till.