Transport of Sand-Sized Sediment Along Crop-Row Furrows

Abstract

ABSTRACT THE capacity of runoff to transport sand-sized sedi-ment along crop row furrows was evaluated in the laboratory using four sand size groups averaging 77,151, 302, and 603 jum for furrow gradients of 0.2, 1.0, 2.5, and 5..0 percent at flow rates of about 26, 39, 52, and 65 kg/min with and without intense simulated rainfall. Fur-row gradient greatly affected sediment transport capac-ity, which was 10 to 100 times as great at 1 percent as at 0.2 percent slope and generally more than a 1,000 times as great at 5 percent as at 0.2 percent slope. Flow rate also affected sediment transport, although not so greatly as gradient. Transport increased as particle size de-creased, but the effect of rainfall on sediment transport capacity was minor.