Intercropping red clover with silage corn for soil erosion control

Abstract

A red clover intercrop was evaluated in terms of its ability to provide soil erosion protection and its effects on silage corn yields on a Conestoga loam soil at the Elora Research Station, Elora, Ontario. The soil and runoff losses from experimental plots of silage corn (corn system) and silage corn intercropped with red clover (corn/clover system) were compared using the Guelph Rainfall Simulator II. Measurements were made in November 1987 and October 1988, and in April, May, June of 1988 and 1989. Rainfall was applied for 10 min (15 min in June of 1988) on a 1-m 2 quadrat at an intensity of 16 cm h −1 . Soil loss was significantly (P < 0.05) lower from the corn/clover cropping system than the corn system for all months except June 1989. Runoff reduction with the corn/clover system ranged from 45 to 87%, with largest reductions occurring in June. Reduction of soil loss from the corn/clover system as compared to the corn system ranged from 46 to 78%. Silage corn yield data from 1984 to 1989 illustrated that, where no additional N was added, yields from the corn/clover system consistently exceeded yields from the corn system. Where N was added, continuous corn yields were only slightly greater than those from the corn/clover system. It is concluded that intercropping silage corn with red clover can provide soil erosion protection without significant effect on silage corn yields. Key words: Runoff, erosion, rainfall simulation, residue