Effect of Crop Residue on Soil Loss from Continuous Row Cropping

Abstract

ABSTRACT A rainfall simulator was used to evaluate relative soil losses as affected by crop residue, for several com-binations of crop rotations, tillage systems, and canopy levels at two locations in Iowa. Derived mulch factor-crop residue relationships were apparently little affected by crop canopy, kind of residue, or crop rotations but were different for the two locations. The locational dif-ferences in mulch factor-crop residue relationships were apparently due to differences in slopes and(or) soils and could be explained on the basis of sediment transport, sedimentation theory, and size distributions of eroded material. The results of this study indicated that present soil ero-sion prediction methods for conservation tillage systems can be substantially improved by including the interac-tion effects of crop residue, soil, and slope.