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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #115458

Title: FERRIHYDRITE INFLUENCE ON SOIL AGGREGATE STABILITY: EFFECT ON DUSTINESS

Author
item Zobeck, Teddy
item Upchurch, Dan
item Rhoton, Fred

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Meetings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/7/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Ferrihydrite is an iron-rich substance found in natural waters and may be useful as a soil amendment to promote aggregation, improve soil tilth, and reduce wind and water erosion. Three replications of five sieved soils, a silt loam and silty clay from Mississippi(pH 5.2) and two very fine sandy loams and a loamy sand from Texas (pH 6.6-7.8_ were amended with four levels of ferrihydrite (iron): 0,672, 6720 and 67200 drying cycles to simulate weathering: 0, 3, 6 and 9 cycles. Analysis of variance detected significant treatment effects (P<0.001) for soils and iron levels and significant interactions for the weathering cycles with soils and dust. The control (0 iron) produced the most dust for the silty clay loam soil. Usually, the control produced the same as or slightly less dust that the soil with the highest iron level. The soils with the two lowest levels of iron always produced the lowest level of dust, from 33 to 58% of the control dust level. The weathering cycles produced significant effects by iron level (P<0.05) for only the Texas soils. These result suggest ferrihydrite modifies soil dustiness bu the effects are strongly dependant on soil properties.