Reducing erosion from surface irrigation by furrow spacing and plant position

Erosion is a serious problem in many furrow-irrigated fields. Erosion abatement can be costly or inconvenient. Plant placement, row spacing, and choice of trafficked or non-trafficked furrow have not been thoroughly exploited for furrow erosion control. It was hypothesized that reducing furrow spacing and plant distance to the furrow would reduce erosion for equal amounts of water applied. A study in 1986 and 1987 observed the effect of narrow rows or twin rows with plants in close proximity to the furrow on infiltration, sediment loss, and yields in three crops grown under conventional tillage on a Portneuf silt loam (coarse-silty, mixed, mesic Durixerollic Calciorthids) with 1% slope. Yields of twin-row dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) significantly increased in both years (P < 0.05), whereas yield of sugarbeet or corn (Beta vulgaris L., or Zea Mays L.) were not affected significantly by any planting pattern. Sediment loss, runoff, and the ratio of sediment loss to infiltration were greatly reduced by twin-row configurations, and somewhat reduced, although less consistently, by narrow single-row configurations. The results point the way to a low-cost, low-maintenance method of reducing furrow erosion

Erosion and infiltration of furrow irrigated potato fields as affected by zone subsoiling

Soil compaction is a problem in many potato fields of the Pacific Northwest. It was hypothesized that zone subsoiling could increase infiltration, potato (Solanum tuberosum L, cv Russet Burbank) yield, or quality and decrease bed bulk density, runoff, and sediment loss of furrow irrigated fields, while maintaining trafficability and irrigability of furrows. A two year field study was established in Fall 1988 near Kimberly, Idaho, on a Portneuf silt loam soil (coarse-silty, mixed mesic Durixerollic Calciorthids). In the Fall of each year plots were in wheat stubble (1988) or bean stover (1989) the previous season, and were either disked (10-12 cm), chiselled (25-30cm), or moldboard plowed (20-25cm) in the Fall. Fall tillage plots were split in Spring, half of each plot receiving in-row zone subsoiling after planting. The overall effect of zone subsoiling on infiltration in 1989 was small as a result of variation of its effect in the different fall tillage treatments. In 1990 zone subsoiling increased infiltration an average of 10% in all fall tillage treatments. Sediment loss by treatments were generally related to runoff, decreasing with zone subsoiling. Zone subsoiling was generally more effective at reducing erosion than at increasing infiltration as indicated by 2-3 fold decreases in the ratio of sediment loss to water infiltrated with zone subsoiling. The relative effectiveness of zone subsoiling at increasing infiltration and reducing sediment loss was greater in 1990 when the study was conducted on a field with a greater slope than in 1989 and at higher water application rates than in 1989. Yield of #1 tubers was increased 3.8 t ha-l and quality was improved by zone subsoiling in 1989. Overall yield was not significantly increased (P = 0.05), but showed a favorable trend. Yield data were not available for 1990 at this writing, but early season growth analysis indicate a positive response to subsoiling. Zone subsoiling would require extra attention on the part of the irrigator early in the season to insure uniform irrigation but offers the potential to conserve both soil and water while raising quality and possibly yield in Russet Burbank potatoes

Reducing erosion from surface irrigation by furrow spacing and plant position

Erosion is a serious problem in many furrow-irrigated fields. Erosion abatement can be costly or inconvenient. Plant placement, row spacing, and choice of trafficked or non-trafficked furrow have not been thoroughly exploited for furrow erosion control. It was hypothesized that reducing furrow spacing and plant distance to the furrow would reduce erosion for equal amounts of water applied. A study in 1986 and 1987 observed the effect of narrow rows or twin rows with plants in close proximity to the furrow on infiltration, sediment loss, and yields in three crops grown under conventional tillage on a Portneuf silt loam (coarse-silty, mixed, mesic Durixerollic Calciorthids) with 1% slope. Yields of twin-row dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) significantly increased in both years (P < 0.05), whereas yield of sugarbeet or corn (Beta vulgaris L., or Zea Mays L.) were not affected significantly by any planting pattern. Sediment loss, runoff, and the ratio of sediment loss to infiltration were greatly reduced by twin-row configurations, and somewhat reduced, although less consistently, by narrow single-row configurations. The results point the way to a low-cost, low-maintenance method of reducing furrow erosion

Erosion and infiltration of furrow irrigated potato fields as affected by zone subsoiling

Soil compaction is a problem in many potato fields of the Pacific Northwest. It was hypothesized that zone subsoiling could increase infiltration, potato (Solanum tuberosum L, cv Russet Burbank) yield, or quality and decrease bed bulk density, runoff, and sediment loss of furrow irrigated fields, while maintaining trafficability and irrigability of furrows. A two year field study was established in Fall 1988 near Kimberly, Idaho, on a Portneuf silt loam soil (coarse-silty, mixed mesic Durixerollic Calciorthids). In the Fall of each year plots were in wheat stubble (1988) or bean stover (1989) the previous season, and were either disked (10-12 cm), chiselled (25-30cm), or moldboard plowed (20-25cm) in the Fall. Fall tillage plots were split in Spring, half of each plot receiving in-row zone subsoiling after planting. The overall effect of zone subsoiling on infiltration in 1989 was small as a result of variation of its effect in the different fall tillage treatments. In 1990 zone subsoiling increased infiltration an average of 10% in all fall tillage treatments. Sediment loss by treatments were generally related to runoff, decreasing with zone subsoiling. Zone subsoiling was generally more effective at reducing erosion than at increasing infiltration as indicated by 2-3 fold decreases in the ratio of sediment loss to water infiltrated with zone subsoiling. The relative effectiveness of zone subsoiling at increasing infiltration and reducing sediment loss was greater in 1990 when the study was conducted on a field with a greater slope than in 1989 and at higher water application rates than in 1989. Yield of #1 tubers was increased 3.8 t ha-l and quality was improved by zone subsoiling in 1989. Overall yield was not significantly increased (P = 0.05), but showed a favorable trend. Yield data were not available for 1990 at this writing, but early season growth analysis indicate a positive response to subsoiling. Zone subsoiling would require extra attention on the part of the irrigator early in the season to insure uniform irrigation but offers the potential to conserve both soil and water while raising quality and possibly yield in Russet Burbank potatoes