Effects of wheat stubble on runoff, infiltration, and erosion of farmland on the Loess Plateau, China, subjected to simulated rainfall

Abstract

Abstract. Soil and water losses in agriculture are major environmental problems worldwide, especially on the Loess Plateau, China. Summer fallow management may help to control soil erosion and conserve water. This study investigated the effects of wheat stubble on runoff, infiltration, and soil loss in laboratory plots under simulated rainfall. The treatments comprised wheat stubble cover (WS) and traditional plowing (TP) in runoff plots (4.0 m × 1.0 m) with three slope gradients (5, 10, and 15°) under simulated rainfall at 80 mm h−1 for 1 h. The runoff volume from WS plots was significantly less than that from TP. The runoff reduction with WS ranged from 91.92 to 92.83 % compared with TP. The runoff rates varied with the runoff volume in the same manner. The infiltration amount was higher with WS (94.8–96.2 % of rainwater infiltrated) than TP (35.4–57.1 %). The sediment concentration was significantly lower with WS than TP. Compared with TP (304.31–731.23 g m−2), the sediment losses were reduced dramatically in WS (2.41–3.78 g m−2) and the sediment loss slightly increased with slope; however, it was greatly increased as slope increased in TP. These results revealed that the stubble cover was the main factor reducing runoff and sediment losses and improving infiltration and that stubble showed a great potential to control erosion and conserve soil and water resources during the summer fallow period in the Loess Plateau region.

Innovative Pro-Smallholder Farmers’ Permanent Mulch for Better Soil Quality and Food Security Under Conservation Agriculture

“…Figure 2 indicates that no-till practice enables the soil to significantly absorb more water volumes since it has a better infiltration rate compare with the soil under CT practices. These results are congruent with the findings by Wang et al [34] who investigated the effects of wheat stubble and traditional ploughing on runoff, infiltration, and soil loss in laboratory plots under rainfall simulation using clay loam soil in Yanglin, China. The treatments in this experiment comprised of wheat stubble cover and traditional ploughing using 80 mm ha −1 rainfall intensity for 1 h at three slope gradients (5 • , 10 • , and 15 • ).…”

The relative contributions of slope gradient and vegetation cover on erosion characteristics of riparian slopes along the lower Yellow River, China

“…Irrational production and management practices (For example, tillage practices, sand digging and engineering construction) destroy the riparian zone of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, resulting in soil loss increased greatly with increased slope gradient. The results are supported by Wang et al (2017a) that the soil loss with wheat stubble cover slightly increased with increased slope gradient, and also supported by Wang et al (2017b) that the capacity of tillage practices to reduce runoff and sediment decreased with increased slope. Therefore, the soil conservation measures of the riparian zone of the lower reaches of the Yellow River should be realize coordination between ecological protection and economic development.…”

Influence of Gully Land Consolidation on Phreatic Water Transformation in the Loess Hilly and Gully Region

“…The annual mean temperature is 8.8 °C in the region, with the mean lowest temperature of −6.9 °C and the mean highest temperature of 22.6 °C. The mean annual precipitation is about 500 mm, with 70% falling from July to September [39,40]. The undisturbed gully (UG) in this region comprises a loess layer, a weathered fissure layer, and a bedrock layer from top to bottom.…”

“…Meanwhile, all curves have a characteristic: the PWC decreases quickly when the soil thickness exceeds 0.4 m, and the average decrease rate per meter of 0.4-0.5 m is 139.3 times that of 0.1-0.4 m. Moreover, the rate of the decrease per meter of GLC with loess thickness of 0.1-0.4 m is 3.87 times that of UG. It also shows that the accumulated runoff caused by GLC further inhibits the phreatic water transformation [40]. The area with thick soil cover and heavy rain is prone to disasters caused by more surface runoff accumulation and the tardy phreatic water transformation, especially in the Loess Plateau, where the loess has low water permeability and is easy to form the physical crust to impede the infiltration process.…”