A computer model now under development will reveal the long-term impact of using grass hedges to stop soil movement from erosion and tillage. Five years of studies by ARS scientists have shown that grass hedges, planted along field contours, help keep soil on fields. That's good news for nearby streams and waterways that otherwise might become clogged with the runaway soil. The cropped areas above the hedges eventually form natural level bench terraces, reducing future runoff and erosion. The new model will help farmers and land planners design grass hedge systems and will predict topographic changes to fields over half a century of farming using grass hedges.
National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, MS
Seth Dabney, (601) 232-2975

Last Updated: January 28, 1997
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