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Soil and Water Losses and Infiltraton Rates on Ida Silt Loam as Influenced by Cropping Systems, Tillage Practices and Rainfall Characteristics¹

ABSTRACT

Soil and water losses from a coarse loess soil in western Iowa have been measured since 1948 on a series of 10.5- by 72.6-foot plots on 12% land slope. In a 2-year rotation of corn-oats with sweet clover catch-crop, corn planted up-and-down slope averaged about 25 tons of soil loss per acre per year over the period 1948 through 1957. Contouring reduced the annual loss to 10 tons per acre, and listing on the contour reduced it to 5 tons per acre. Average annual soil loss from corn contour listed in a cornoats-meadow-meadow rotation was 1 ton per acre. Effectiveness of contour surface planting decreased as storm erosivity increased and for the most erosive storm soil loss exceeded that from up-and-down-hill planting. Prior to the final cultivation effectiveness of contour listing did not decrease as storm erosivity increased. The effect of cultivation practices on aggregate stability and infiltration rate is discussed.

¹ Joint contribution of Eastern Soil & Water Management Branch, ARS, USDA, the Iowa Agr. and Home Econ. Exp. Sta. and the Purdue Agr. Exp. Sta. Journal Paper No. J-3753 of the Iowa Agr. and Home Econ. Exp. Sta., Ames. Project No. 1064. Presented before Div. VI Soil Science Society of America, Nov. 17, 1959, at Cincinnati, Ohio. The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of Dale Winger in caring for these plots over the years.

² Soil Scientist, USDA, ARS, Soil & Water Conservation Research Division and Associate Professor, Agronomy Department, Iowa Agr. and Home Econ. Exp. Station; and Analytical Statistician, ARS, Soil & Water Conservation Research Division, respectively.

Received for publication November 28, 1959. Accepted for publication May 10, 1960.