Small grain cover crops and wheel traffic effects on infiltration, runoff, and erosion

ABSTRACT:

Oat and rye cover crops have the potential to reduce erosion when following soybean crops in Iowa. Oat and rye cover crops were overseeded into no-till soybeans in August of 1995, 1996 and 1997 on a sloping site. Infiltration, runoff, and interrill erosion were measured in April of 1996, 1997, and 1998 using an oscillating sprinkler bead rainfall simulator that applied water at approximately 125 mm hr⁻¹. Rill erosion was measured by making flow additions to the upslope end of plots. All measurements were made concurrently on tracked and untracked interrows. Cover crops had no effect on infiltration and erosion in 1996 In 1997, both oat and rye cover crops reduced interrill erosion, but in 1998 only rye increased infiltration and reduced interrill erosion and runoff Untracked interrows had less interrill erosion and runoff, and more infiltration than tracked interrows. In 1997 and 1998, both oat and rye cover crops reduced rill erosion, but wheel traffic had no measurable effect on rill erosion.