Engineering Commons^™

Subsoiling, Contouring, And Tillage Effects On Erosion And Runoff, Paul J. Jasa, Elbert C. Dickey

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

A study to evaluate the effectiveness of subsoiling on reducing soil erosion and water runoff from continuous com production was conducted. A rotating boom rainfall simulator was used on replicated treatments having either preplant in-row subsoiling or postplant between-row subsoiling used in both tilled and untilled surface conditions. Tilled and untilled treatments without subsoiling were used as checks. These six treatments were used up-and-downhill and on the contour.

Subsoiling reduced the rate of water runoff but did not significantly reduce the soil erosion rate after equilibrium had been reached between water application and runoff rates. Surface condition and farming direction …

Enhancing Soil Conservation Practice Adoption With Targeted Educational Programs, Elbert C. Dickey, David P. Shelton, Paul J. Jasa

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Two independent, but closely related, grant funded educational programs were developed and implemented to reduce soil erosion in selected areas of eastern Nebraska. Traditional extension programming methods as well as other more non-traditional approaches were used extensively to enhance soil conservation practice adoption. In one program, encompassing 220 000 ha (540,000 acre) of cropland, annual soil erosion was reduced by 2.3 million t (2.5 million ton) and annual fuel savings of 1.5 million L (390,000 gal) were achieved through a reduction in the number of tillage operations. In the second project, more than 93 000 m (305,000 ft) of terraces …