Assessment of tillage translocation and tillage erosion by hoeing on the steep land in hilly areas of Sichuan, China

作者：Zhang JH^*; Lobb DA; Li Y; Liu GC

来源：Soil and Tillage Research, 2004, 75(2): 99-107.

DOI：10.1016/j.still.2003.08.003

• tillage erosion
• tillage translocation
• hoeing tillage
• steep hillslope

Most of the tillage erosion studies have focused on the effect of tractor-plough tillage on soil translocation and soil loss. Only recently, have a few studies contributed to the understanding of tillage erosion by manual tillage. Furthermore, little is known about the impact of tillage erosion in hilly areas of the humid sub-tropics. This study on tillage erosion by hoeing was conducted on a purple soil (Regosols) of the steep land, in Jianyang County, Sichuan Province, southwestern China (30degrees24';N and 104degrees35';E) using the physical tracer method.
The effects of hoeing tillage on soil translocation on hillslopes are quite evident. The tillage transport coefficients were 26-38 kg m(-1) per tillage pass and 121-175 kg m(-1) per tillage pass respectively for k(3)- and k(4)-values. Given that there was a typical downslope parcel length of 15 m and two times of tillage per year in this area, the tillage erosion rates on the 4-43% hillslopes reached 48-151 Mg ha(-1) per year. The downslope soil translocation is closely related to slope gradient. Lateral soil translocation by such tillage is also obvious though it is lower than downslope soil translocation. Strong downslope translocation accounts for thin soil layers and the exposure of parent materials/rocks at the ridge tops and on convexities in the hilly areas. Deterioration in soil quality and therefore reduction in plant productivity due to tillage-induced erosion would be evident at the ridge tops and convex shoulders.

• 出版日期2004-2
• 单位中国农业科学院; 中国科学院、水利部成都山地灾害与环境研究所