Effect Of Rice Straw Mulch on Surface Runoff and Soil Loss in Agricultural Land Under Simulated Rainfall

Abstract

Installation of mulch on agricultural land, besides reducing weed growth, can also protect the soil surface from rain and erosion. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of rice straw mulch in reducing surface runoff and soil loss before entering the river. The experimental soil materials were similar to those in Sumber Brantas village, Bumiaji Sub-District, Batu. Runoff modelling utilized the Armfield S12 Rainfall Simulator - Advanced Environmental Hydrology System, with rainfall of 1 and 1.7 l/min. Land with rice straw mulch was compared to land without mulch. The land slope was adjusted to study area conditions, with mild (9%) and steep (15%) slopes. The three-Way ANOVA method was utilized for statistical analysis. In all the experimental runs, it was found that straw mulch effectively reduced the sediment yields that could enter the river area by more than 50%. The results of ANOVA analysis on sediment yield also showed that the significance value of the interactions between slope, rain intensity, and mulch usage was 0 (p<0.05). These results show that the difference in variations in these three factors determines the sediment yield that occurs. In the future, comparing straw mulch with other materials to cover agricultural land should be conducted.

Assessment of Mulch Material Effect on Surface Runoff, Soil Loss, and Water Quality in an Agricultural Region

“…For this study, the utilized daily annual maximum rainfall data were from 2008-2020 and taken from the nearest rain station, the Junggo rain station in Bumiaji Sub-District, Batu. The maximum rainfall was 105 mm (1.96 l/minute), while the minimum rainfall was 64 mm (1.2 l/minute) (Haribowo, Asmaranto, Kusuma, & Amrina, 2021). Due to the limitations of the rainfall simulator, there was a decrease of rainfall intensity in the model by 13%.…”

“…Meanwhile, the modeling was carried out at the Hydrology Laboratory of the Department of Water Resources Engineering in Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia. Rainfall modeling utilized Armfield's S12 Advanced Environmental Hydrology System Rainfall Simulator tool (Armfield, 2021;Haribowo, Asmaranto, Kusuma, & Amrina, 2021;Yao, 2020) (Fig. 1).…”

“…Straw mulch effectively reduces the possibility of erosion with consideration of the amount of sediment yield that occurs (Amrina, Haribowo, & Yuliani, 2020;Haribowo, Asmaranto, Kusuma, & Amrina, 2021). The usage of straw as mulch has its own advantages compare plastic mulch, because organic materias are needed to maintain soil fertility by protecting and improving the function of microorganisms in the soil, thereby being able to improve nutrient availability in soil and effectivity of fertilization, thus increasing plant production (Lucas-Borja et al, 2019;Yang et al, 2021).…”

Improvement of crop and soil management practices through mulching for enhancement of soil fertility and environmental sustainability: A review

“…Retaining soil moisture causes the soil particles to stick together and maintain their close packing. When soil runoff gets reduced, soil erosion is prevented (Haribowo et al 2021). Due to nutrient cycling, the process of mulching the soil probably improves the soil's nutrient status.…”

“…Studies conducted by Tiquia et al (2002) demonstrated that mulching enhanced the SOM and P content of the soil. Thus, mulching increases soil nutrient content by preventing nutrient loss (Haribowo et al 2021). Farmers can produce high-quality food in big quantities because of this technology.…”