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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #59597
Title: FIELD RESULTS USING POLYMERS TO MANAGE FURROW EROSION AND INFILTRATION

Author
item LENTZ, RODRICK - UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
item Sojka, Robert

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/10/1993
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Furrow-irrigation-induced soil erosion is a serious threat to sustainable agriculture globally. Recent field studies have demonstrated that small concentrations of polymers dissolved in irrigation water can appreciably reduce soil loss from irrigated furrows and increase intake. This paper summarizes polymer-related field studies conducted at the USDA-ARS Research Center at Kimberly, ID, on highly erodible silt loam soils. Slopes were 1-2% and inflows ranged from 15 to 23 L min-1. High molecular weight polyacrylamides (PAM) can differ in charge type and/or density. High charge-density anionic PAM was most effective for controlling furrow sediment losses while low-charge density cationic PAM was least effective. Efficacy of PAM treatments varied depending on PAM concentration in irrigation water, duration of furrow exposure, and inflow rate. Application of 5-10 g m-3 PAM in irrigation inflows during furrow advance (initial 1-2 hr of the irrigation) reduced sediment loss by 80-98% and increased intake by 12- 40%.