Comparison of methods used to calculate tillage translocation using plot-tracers

Abstract

Tillage translocation is measured in the studies of soil dispersion and soil erosion. 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.