Estimation and Comparison of Soil Erosion in Conservation and Conventional Agricultural Systems (Case study: Soybean Agricultural Lands in Gorgan County)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

2 Golestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center

3 Department of Watershed Management, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

Abstract

Golestan province has the first rank in Iran in terms of soybean production and area. Most of these areas are located in Gorgan County. Recently, conservation agricultural system is developing in this county. Considering the importance of erosion in soil loss and fertility decline, estimating the amount of soil erosion in agricultural lands is important. The current study carried out in Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, during 2016-2017. Soybean field were selected from four main directions based on five agricultural service centers. In order to 38 conventional fields and 10 conservation fields were evaluated based on Universal Soil Lose Equation (USLE). The maps of USLE parameters were produced by interpolation methods in ArcMap 10.3. According to the results, the average amounts of erosion were estimated as of 55.024 kg ha-1 per year in the conservation fields and 131.31 kg ha-1 per year in the conventional fields. The results showed that there was a significant difference between these two agricultural systems in Gorgan based on T test in the 99% probability level. Also, soil erosion map showed that the eastern part of the county had the most erosion amounts. The reasons of these results were the high rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility and the lack of soil surface coverage from plant residue. Generally, soil erosion was reduced with the implementation of conservation agriculture system, maintaining the plant residue in soil surface and reducing soil tillage. Thus, the effects of erosion can be significantly reduced in fields using conservation of soil as an ecosystem service.

Keywords

References

Ahmadi H. 1999. Applied Geomorphology. 3th Ed, Tehran University Press. 714 p. (In Persian)
Asadi M.E., and Sadeghi S. 2017. Healthy soils with conservation agriculture systems. Nowrouzi Press, 135p. (In Persian)
Auerswald K., Kainz M., and Fiener P. 2003. Soil erosion potential of organic versus conventional farming evaluated by USLE modelling of cropping statistics for agricultural districts in Bavaria. Soil Use and Management, 19(4): 305-311.
Desmet P.J.J., and Govers G. 1996. A GIS procedure for automatically calculating the USLE LS factor on topographically complex landscape units. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 51:427-433.
Esmaeelnejhad L., Ramezanpour H., and Seyedmohammadi J. 2016. Various erosional forms in Marly lands with different physical properties and clay mineral variations in southern Guilan province. Watershed Engineering and Management, 7(4): 523-535. (In Persian)
Fiener P., and Auerswald K. 2003. Concept and effects of a multi-purpose grassed waterway. Soil Use and Management, 19(1): 65-72.
Gobin A., Jones R., Kirkby M., and Kosmas C. 2003. Assessment and reporting on soil erosion, background and workshop report. European Environmental Agency, Printed in Denmark, 100p.
Honarbakhsh A., and Hayavi F. 2018. Laboratory study of splash erosion in different soil tissues using rain simulation. Quantitative Geomorphology Studies. 7 (2): 1-18. (In Persian)
Kazemi H. 2016. Application of geographic information system (GIS) in crop sciences. Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Press, 266p. (In Persian)
Kiani F., Behtarinejhad B., Najafinejhad A., and Kaboli R. 2017. Evaluation the erosion and sediment in different land uses of Tamer watershed, Golestan Province using SWAT model. Water and Soil, 31(5): 1383-1395. (In Persian)
Klute A., and Dinauer R.C. 1986. Physical and mineralogical methods. Planning. 8: 79.
Lal R. 2014. Soil conservation and ecosystem services. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 2: 36-47.
Lal R., Reicosky D., and Hanson J. 2007. Evolution of the plow over 10,000 years and the rationale for no-till farming. Soil and Tillage Research, 93(1): 1-12.
Lu D., Li G., Valladares G.S. and Batistella M. 2004. Mapping soil erosion risk in Rondonia, Brazilian Amazonia: Using RUSLE, remote sensing and GIS. Land Degradation and Development, 15(5): 499-512.
Magdoff F., Harold V.E. 2009. Building soils for better crops.3th Ed. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), Burlington. 310p.
Nearing M.A. 1998. Why soil erosion models over-predict small soil losses and under-predict large soil losses. Catena, 32(1): 15–22.
Nearing M.A., Lane L.J., Alberts E.E., and Laflen J.M. 1990. Prediction technology for soil erosion by water: Status and research needs. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 54(6): 1702-1711.
Nikkami D., and Mahdian M.H. 2015. Rainfall erosivity mapping in Iran. Watershed Engineering and Management, 6(4): 364-376. (In Persian)
Perezgrovas R.R., and Cheesman S. 2014. Conservation agriculture as an alternative for soil erosion control and crop production in steep-slopes regions cultivated by small-scale farmers in Motozintla, Mexico. World Journal of Agricultural Research, 2(6): 18-24.
Prasuhn V. 2012. On-farm effects of tillage and crops on soil erosion measured over 10 years in Switzerland. Soil and Tillage Research, 120: 137-146.
Qazanshahi J. 2005. Soil and Plant Analysis. Aeeizh Press, 272p. (In Persian)
Refahi H. 2001. Water Erosion and Its Control. 2th Ed, Tehran University Press, 671 p. (In Persian).
Renard K.G., and Freimund J.R. 1994. Using monthly precipitation data to estimate the R-factor in the revised USLE. Hydrology, 157:1-4. 287-306.
Salehi M.H., Esfandiarpour Brojeni A., Mohajer R., and Bagheri Bodaghabadi M. 2014. Water and Soil Conservation. Payam Noor University Press, 210p. (In Persian)
Stewart B.A., Woolhiser D.A., Wischmeier W.H., Caro J.H., and Frere M.H. 1975. Control of water pollution from cropland. Washington Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Publishing, 326p.
Troeh F., and Thompson L. 1993. Soils and Fertility. 5th Ed. Oxford University Press, New York, 462p.
Ugur Ozcan A., Erpul G., Basaran M., and Erdogan E.H. 2008. Use of USLE/GIS technology integrated with geostatistics to assess soil erosion risk in different land uses of Indagi Mountain Pass-C¸ ankiri, Turkey. Environmental Geology, 53: 1731-1741.
Van Pelt R.S., Hushmurodov S.X., Baumhardt R.L., Chappell A., Nearing M.A., Polyakov V.O., and Strack J.E. 2017. The reduction of partitioned wind and water erosion by conservation agriculture. Catena, 148: 160-167.
Walkley A. and Black I.A. 1934. An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science, 37(1): 29-38.
Wang G., Gertner G., Fang S., and Anderson A.B. 2003. Mapping multiple variables for predicting soil loss by geostatistical methods with TM images and a slope map. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 69(8): 889-898.
Webster R., and Oliver M.A. 2000. Geostatistics for Environmental Scientists. Wiley Press, 271p.
Wischmeier W.H., and Smith D.D. 1978. Predicting rainfall erosion losses- a guide to conservation planning. US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Handbook 537, USDA Washington DC.
Applied Soil Research
Volume 9, Issue 2
September 2021
Pages 61-72

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 06 April 2020
  • Revise Date: 20 September 2020
  • Accept Date: 04 November 2020

Share

How to cite

Statistics