soil erosion control and management

Crop residue and residue harvesting

By
Sulaiman Mohamed
Introduction
Erosion occurs when soil is transported from one location by
wind and water and moved to a new location, such as lakes and
rivers. 
Soil erosion is a natural process that usually occurs slowly
enough that new soil can be made to replace it. 
Accelerated erosion is caused by human impact on land use such
as over grazing and poor farming practices. 
Erosion decreases soil fertility and this causes a decrease in crop
production.  It takes 20 to 1200 years to form one inch of topsoil. 
The process of erosion can be sped up depending on how fast the
water is flowing over the land, the amount of vegetation on a
slope also effects the amount of erosion.
Hoe do we control and manage?
There are many ways in handling soil erosion
including the use of crop residue and residue
harvesting management.
Leaving crop residue on the soil surface year around,
before and after planting, provides soil surface
protection at critical times to protect the soil against
wind and water erosion.
Adding soil surface cover increases water infiltration,
reducing soil drying and maintains more moisture for
crop utilization.
Cont…
Crop residue plays a significant part in improving soil
carbon in addition to the root systems that stabilize the
soil and reduce losses. Crop residues also form small
dams that help retain runoff water reduces the capacity
of water to transport dislodged soil particles from the
field, reducing the erosion rate even more.
Cont…
Moisture is conserved as more time is available for
water to infiltrate the soil and evaporation is reduced
by the cover on the soil surface.
Water that is not allowed to leave the field can soak in
and become available for crop use.
Crop residue also acts as a mulch, reducing moisture
losses through evaporation. However, reducing
evaporative losses can be a disadvantage on wet soils
and may delay spring field operations.
Cont..
To provide effective protection, the soil should have
30% to 50% of its surface covered by residues. An
uncultivated field will have residue covers of 80 -
90%, eliminating the risk of erosion.
The even distribution of crop residue is especially
important for the efficient operation of no-till drills.
Limitation and drawback
Residue can provide good weed seed environment and
may block herbicide movement to the soil.
Moist soils may interfere with herbicide incorporation
and low temperatures beneath residue may delay
planting and seed germination.
Excessive residue can clog implements or otherwise
hamper tillage and planting operations.
Cont…
Cont..
Conclusion
As the conclusion, crop residue and residue harvesting
can be used as a medium to manage and controlling
soil erosion that may occur in the cultivation area.
Good management techniques can minimize many of
the disadvantages associated with residue
management. Crop and tillage system rotations can
help reduce the problems associated with weeds,
insects and diseases. Depending on the residue level,
chopping or shredding can minimize potential
clogging problems.