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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 #166820
Title: EFFECTS OF POLYACRYLAMIDE, COVER CROPS, AND CROP RESIDUE MANAGEMENT ON WIND EROSION

Author
item Van Pelt, Robert - Scott
item Zobeck, Teddy

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/30/2004
Publication Date: 7/9/2004
Citation: Van Pelt, R.S., Zobeck, T.M. 2004. Effects of polyacrylamide, cover crops, and crop residue management on wind erosion. Proceedings 13th International Soil Conservation Organization Conference, July 2-9, 2004, Brisbane, Australia. 4 p.

Interpretive Summary: Wind erosion degrades soil, creates hazards to commerce, and imperils human and environmental health. Wind erosion may be mitigated by maintaining ground cover or by amending the soil with natural and artificial materials. We investigated several rates of surface applied polyacrylamide, several densities of winter small grain cover crops, late season in-furrow and frost killed sorghum-sudan plantings, and different sorghum stubble management strategies to quantify their respective effects on wind erosion as measured by single-level saltation samplers

Technical Abstract: Wind erosion results in reduced land productivity and environmental hazards. Wind erosion may be controlled through tillage, a surface cover of growing crops or crop residues, and by surface application of cementing agents. We investigated the effects of actively growing winter small grains and frost-killed summer forage grass seedlings at different densities, different post-harvest sorghum stubble management techniques, and different polyacrylamide (PAM) application rates and methods on in-field wind erosion in the Southern Great Plains of Texas, USA. We found cover cropping with winter small grains to reduce soil loss by 2 ' 3 orders of magnitude at all planting densities. Frost-killed summer forage grass seedlings initially reduced soil loss by 1 - 2 orders of magnitude at all densities, but the 3 kg/ha planting density lost effectiveness with time. Certain management systems of standing sorghum stubble also reduced soil loss. Surface application of PAM was not found to reduce in-field soil loss at any application rate