TY - JOUR T1 - Comparison of methods used to calculate tillage translocation using plot-tracers JF - Journal of Soil and Water Conservation SP - 321 LP - 328 VL - 56 IS - 4 AU - D.A. Lobb AU - T.A. Quine AU - G Govers AU - G.J. Heckrath Y1 - 2001/10/01 UR - http://www.jswconline.org/content/56/4/321.abstract N2 - Tillage translocation is measured in the studies of soil dispersion and soil crosion. The translocation of soil by tillage is normally measured with a tracer. Using plots, a volume of soil is labelled and then tilled. There are two methods of calculating translocation using plot-tracers. For the more common method, translocation is calculated directly from the distributions of tracer before and after tillage (Distribution-Curve Method). For the less common method, a summation curve is generated from the distribution of tracer after tillage by employing convolution, and translocation is calculated from this curve (Summation-Curve Method). In this paper, the two methods are described and compared using hypothetical and experimental data. Both methods provide accurate measures of gross translocation. The Summation-Curve Method provides a measure of error associated with gross translocation and a more thorough characterization of the dispersion of translocated soil; therefore, it was considered to be the superior of the two methods. ER -