Productivity losses from soil erosion on dry cropland in the intermountain area

T. W. Massee; H. O. Waggoner

ABSTRACT:

Soil erosion substantially reduces the productivity of deep, loessial soils on dry cropland in the intermountain region. The eroded areas usually coincide with steeper slopes where runoff is a problem. Reduced soil moisture limits crop growth, although the eroded soils also have fertility limitations. Where erosion was simulated by removing various amounts of topsoil from more level land, similar stored soil moisture readings were obtained on all plots. On those plots, however, added fertilizer did not fully replace lost topsoil for maintaining production. Also, poor soil profile moisture extraction by crops led to reduced infiltration and increased runoff during fallow. Erosion thus seems to be somewhat self-perpetuating, and there is no simple remedy once it has occurred.

Footnotes

T. W. Massee is a soil scientist and H. O. Waggoner is a biological research technician at the Snake River Conservation Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kimberly, Idaho 83341. This is a contribution from the Snake River Conservation Research Center, ARS, USDA, Kimberly, Idaho.
Copyright 1985 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society

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