ABSTRACT:
The dust-mulch fallow phase of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in low-rainfall areas of the Columbia Plateau leaves the soil surface loose-structured and exposed to erosion during high winds common to the region, and is a major source of airborne particulate matter. The objective of this research is to evaluate no-till spring cropping as an alternative to traditional winter wheat/dust-mulch fallow in reducing wind erosion susceptibility. Surface residue cover, random roughness, and crop canopy coverage were measured during a 3-year transition period from winter wheat/fallow to no-till spring cereals. These measurements were applied to soil loss ratio models as indices of wind erosion susceptibility. No-till spring cereal rotations reduced erosion susceptibility compared with winter wheat/fallow by maintaining soil cover during spring and fall when erosion is high. Crop canopy cover reduced erosion susceptibility after fall seeding in winter wheat/fallow and after no-till spring seeding. This research indicates that no-till spring cropping would significantly reduce wind erosion in winter wheat/fallow areas.
Footnotes
Mark E. Thorne is an associate in research and Frank L. Young is a research agronomist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. William L. Pan is a soil scientist and J. Richard Aldredge is an agricultural statistician at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Rhonda Bafus is a research assistant at the Central Oregon Agricultural Research Center in Madras, Oregon.
- Copyright 2003 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
