Antecedent water content effects on runoff and sediment yields from two Coastal Plain Ultisols☆
Highlights
► Quantified water content effects on runoff and soil loss from 2 soils and 3 tillages. ► Water contents created with post pesticide application irrigations for incorporation. ► Prewetting decreased runoff 8–60% and decreased soil loss at least 59%. ► Compared to conventional till, conservation till decreased runoff and soil loss 2.6-fold.
Introduction
Coastal Plain soils in Georgia have traditionally been intensively cropped under conventional tillage practices, have relatively sandy surfaces, tend to be drought-prone, and are susceptible to compaction and runoff, sediment, and chemical losses. Rainfall in the Coastal Plain region (∼1250 mm yr−1) tends to have short duration-high intensity, runoff producing storms followed by extended drought periods during the crop growing season. Thus, crop production at times requires supplemental irrigation to prevent yield limiting water stress.
Conservation tillage (strip tillage, ST) adoption in Georgia has increased because ST systems enhance infiltration, and reduce runoff, sediment, and supplemental irrigation amounts/costs (Potter et al., 2008, Truman and Nuti, 2010). Conservation tillage also accumulates residue and increases organic carbon at the soil surface, which helps dissipate raindrop impact energy, reduces evaporation, and retains more water near the soil surface.
Two factors that influence runoff, sediment, and chemical losses from Coastal Plain soils are rainfall intensity characteristics of runoff producing storms, and antecedent water content of the near surface soil at the time these intense storms begin. Rainfall intensity affects processes controlling infiltration, runoff, soil detachment, and sediment and chemical transport (Leonard, 1990, Truman and Bradford, 1993, Truman et al., 1998). Natural rainfall is variable, spatially and temporally (Flanagan et al., 1988, Bosch et al., 1999, Frauenfeld and Truman, 2004). The frequency of severe rainfall events has increased throughout the U.S., including the Southeast, mainly in the form of increased intensity of extreme rainfall events (Karl and Knight, 1998, Groisman et al., 2001, Nearing et al., 2005, Todd et al., 2006). Changes in rainfall intensity within a storm affect how rainfall is partitioned into infiltration and runoff and subsequent sediment and chemical transport (Flanagan et al., 1988, Romkens et al., 2001, Frauenfeld and Truman, 2004, Nearing et al., 2005, Truman et al., 2007, Franklin et al., 2007, Potter et al., 2008).
Antecedent water content (AWC) of the near surface soil is a dynamic variable that influences detachment and transport processes controlling rainfall partitioning and sediment delivery, yet opposing AWC effects have been reported (Farres, 1987, Kemper et al., 1987, Bradford et al., 1990, Govers, 1991, Truman and Bradford, 1993, Reichert and Norton, 1994, Meyles et al., 2003, Castillo et al., 2003, Seeger et al., 2004, Lado et al., 2004, Hawke et al., 2006, Wei et al., 2007). For example, studies have shown that increased AWC significantly decreased aggregate stability and infiltration; and increased runoff, soil detachment, and sediment delivery (Al-Durrah and Bradford, 1981, Francis and Cruse, 1983, Luk, 1985, Froese et al., 1999, Wangemann et al., 2000). Le Bissonnais et al. (1995) found that seal formation and subsequent runoff was delayed, resulting in less total runoff and erosion from air-dried plots compared to field moist plots. Conversely, studies have shown that increased AWC significantly decreased soil detachment, runoff, and sediment delivery (Truman and Bradford, 1990, Le Bissonnais and Singer, 1992, Rejman et al., 2001, Lado et al., 2004). Vermang et al. (2009) reported no runoff from the 0.19 m3 m−3 AWC treatment; the most runoff from the 0.12 m3 m−3 AWC treatment; and intermediate runoff amounts from the 0.04 m3 m−3 AWC (air-dry) treatment. Soil loss behaved differently as the most soil loss occurred from the 0.04 m3 m−3 AWC treatment; intermediate soil loss amounts occurred from the 0.12 m3 m−3 AWC treatment; and no soil loss occurred from the 0.19 m3 m−3 AWC treatment.
Mixed pesticide loss results have also been reported due to AWC changes resulting from post-application irrigation incorporation (Evans et al., 1998, Liu and O’Connell, 2002, Smith et al., 2002, Potter et al., 2008, Lewan et al., 2009). Irrigation (4–18 mm) for incorporation applied <24 h after simazine, atrazine, and metolachlor application reduced their runoff loss from simulated rainfall (Liu and O’Connell, 2002, Smith et al., 2002, Potter et al., 2008). Conversely, Smith et al. (2002) showed that watering in atrazine increased its runoff from simulated rainfall 8 and 15 days after treatment. Evans et al. (1998) attributed increased diazinon runoff after irrigation for incorporation to increased AWC due to the irrigation. Changes in AWC thus can increase or decrease rainfall partitioning into infiltration and runoff (timing, amount), sediment, and chemical losses, depending on soil characteristics, wetting method and rate, and chemical/contaminant properties.
Producers in Georgia incorporate applied herbicides with irrigation, especially in conservation tillage, to limit runoff losses and increase weed control. This management practice increases AWC and could increase runoff, sediment, and chemical losses if an intense, runoff producing rainfall event occurred close to the time of incorporation. Our objective was to quantify AWC effects on runoff and sediment losses from two loamy sands managed under conventional- (CT), strip- (ST), and/or no-till (NT) systems. Differences in AWC were created with and without post pesticide application irrigations for incorporation.
Section snippets
Experimental sites and treatments
Field site 1 was located near Tifton, GA (N 31°26′, W 83°35′) on a Tifton loamy sand (Typic Kandiudult; 82% sand, 7% clay; ; 2% slope), which represents over 762,000 farmable ha in the Coastal Plain region of Georgia. Site 1 has been managed under CT and ST systems in a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)–peanut (Arachis hypogea) rotation since 1998 (Potter et al., 2008, Truman and Nuti, 2010). CT consisted of fall disking, winter rye (Secale cerale) cover, followed by spring disking and
Runoff
Increased antecedent water content (AWC) decreased infiltration and increased runoff (R) among tillage treatments (Table 2). Adding ∼12 mm of water (CT + PW, ST + PW plots) for herbicide incorporation increased AWCs of the 0–2 and 2–15 cm soil depths by 3–9-fold and 23–117% compared to existing soil conditions when rainfall was simulated (CT + FM, ST + FM plots). For site 1 (Iv pattern), CT + PW and ST + PW plots had 60 and 42% more R than CT + FM and ST + FM plots. As for tillage, CT + FM plots had 2.6-fold more R
Summary and conclusions
When evaluating the effects of two antecedent water contents (AWC), field moist (FM) and pre-wet (PW), on runoff (R) and sediment (E) losses from two Coastal Plain loamy sands, we found that adding ∼12 mm of water as herbicide incorporation increased AWCs of the 0–2 (3–9-fold) and 2–15 (23–117%) cm soil depths of the PW plots compared to existing field moist soil conditions. Increase in AWC increased R (as much as 60%) and maximum R rates (as much as 62%), and decreased E (at least 59%) and
Acknowledgements
The USDA-Agricultural Research Service and the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station supported this work. USDA employees Ricky Fletcher, Coby Smith, Margie Whittle, Lorine Lewis, Jess Bolton, Bobby Hagler, Corey Collins, Bryant Luke, and Clay Lott provided expert assistance.
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