Simulated erosion and fertilizer effects on winter wheat cropping Intermountain dryland area

Massee, T.W. (1990) Simulated erosion and fertilizer effects on winter wheat cropping Intermountain dryland area. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 54:1720-1725.

PDF 724.pdf Download (497kB)

Abstract

Topsoil loss from erosion in the intermountain dry-farming area
reduces crop yields. This study tested the hypothesis that the effects
of erosion on water storage and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield
could be partially alleviated by applying appropriate fertilizers. Two
sites were used, one on Rexburg silt loam, a coarse-silty, mixed,
frigid Calcic Haploxeroll, and the other on Newdale silt loam, a
coarse-silty, mixed frigid Calciorthidic Haploxeroll. Topsoil-depth
treatments were + 15, 0, —15, or —30 cm changes relative to the
original surface. After making the soil depth changes, 54 kg P ha-1
were incorporated on one half of each topsoil depth plot and the
other half received no P. These P or no P plots were split for applications
of 0, 34 or 68 kg N ha-1. Phosphorus had no effect on
wheat yield. Without fertilizer N, yields on —15 and —30-cm plots
were reduced 46 and 55%, respectively, but increased 69% from the
addition of 15 cm of topsoil, compared with the 0-cm plot. Removing
15 and 30 cm of topsoil also reduced the upper limit of N-fertilized
production to 80 and 65%, respectively, of production on undisturbed
N-fertilized plots. Three kilograms fertilizer N ha-1 each crop year
offset each centimeter of soil removed, but only to the new lower
production limit. All plots had similar amounts of stored, available
soil water in the spring, but a large fraction of this water remained
unused at harvest on plots with 15 and 30 cm of topsoil removed
because the low-yielding wheat did not use as much water. Profile
water differences at harvest were no longer apparent by the next
spring, following winter recharge. Unused water at harvest, which
partially filled the soil profile, reduced winter infiltration and contributed
to subsequent runoff from precipitation on those plots. Adding
N fertilizer was only a partial solution to topsoil deficiencies.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	0724
Subjects:	Dryland crops > Small grain Soil > Amendments > Fertilizer Soil > Erosion Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:53
Last Modified:	14 Dec 2016 19:19
Item ID:	543
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/543