Effect of Cover Crop Hairy Vetch on Prevention of Soil Erosion and Reduction of Nitrogen Fertilization in Sloped Upland

Abstract

Cultivation of winter cover crops and its soil utilization for summer main crops in slope upland is very important at the respects of diminution of soil erosion and non-point pollution source. The effects of cover crop, hairy vetch as no-tillage or conventional tillage on prevention of soil erosion and reduction of chemical nitrogen fertilization were investigated in the slope upland with whiter clover living mulch (partial tillage) in Suwon for three years and with rye (conventional tillage) in Hongcheon for two years, respectively. In Suwon, amounts of soil lost by rainfall runoff decreased as much as 90% by hairy vetch-no tillage (HV-NT), white clover-partial tillage (WF-PT) together with the decrease of rainfall runoff compared to winter fallow with conventional tillage (WF-CT). In addition, amounts of weed also decreased as much as 80-90% by HV-NT and WF-PT. Corn yield decreased much at the plot of WF-PT mainly due to competition for soil water and nutrients between clover and corn at the early corn growth stage. On the contrary, corn yield increased by HV-NT compared to WF-CT regardless of weed control. In Hongcheon, amounts of soil eroded during winter season before corn seeding were reduced as much as 95% by cultivation of hairy vetch and rye compared to winter fallow. Amount of soil eroded during waxy corn growing season was reduced as much as 98% by HV-NT compared to WF-CT. Also, soil incorporation of hairy vetch and rye as green manure with conventional tillage at corn seeding time could reduce soil erosion as much as 70% compared to no soil cover with conventional tillage. Ear yields of waxy corn were increased 10% higher at hairy vetch green manure (HV-CT) without nitrogen fertilizer, 20% higher at HV-NT with standard nitrogen fertilizer, respectively than WF-CT. But ear yields of waxy corn were decreased by rye green manure (R-CT) and HV-NT at the condition of no nitrogen fertilizer. It was concluded that hairy vetch was better as winter cover crop to reduce both soil erosion and chemical nitrogen fertilizer simultaneously in slope upland than other cover crops.