Planting Wheel Traffic Effects on Interrow Runoff and Infiltration
1980
Lindstrom, M. J. | Voorhees, W. B.
Simulated rainfall trials were conducted in wheel-tracked and nonwheel-tracked interrows for three row crop tillage systems (fall moldboard plow with spring disk and harrow, fall chisel with spring disk, and no till) at three locations in the northwestern Corn Belt to determine the effect of wheel traffic from the planting operation on interrow runoff and infiltration. Roughness and total porosity differences were noted between the tillage systems and wheel-track variable. Simulated rainfall was applied with a sprinkling-type infiltrometer at a rate of 12.7 cm/hour simultaneously to wheel-tracked and non-wheel-tracked interrows. Differences in energy, reported as rainfall erosion index (EI), to initiate runoff between tillage systems were observed, but these differences were not uniform between locations. In general, the tilled systems required a higher EI to initiate runoff than the no-till system. In paired comparisons, the nonwheel-tracked interrow required a higher EI to initiate runoff and had a higher infiltration rate during runoff than did the wheel-tracked interrow at all locations on all tillage systems. Results from this study suggested that the frequency of interrow traffic must be considered in the design of tillage systems for water conservation and erosion control.
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