Effect of Crop Cultures on the Infiltration of Water Into a Chestnut Soil
1965
Fernández, Benjamín | Wilkinson, G. E.
Two crop cultures, one consisting of 2 years of corn following a rotation of small grains and corn, the other of 7 years of continuous crested wheatgrass, were selected for a study of the infiltration of water into Morton loam, a Chestnut soil in the Northern Great Plains. Infiltration rates were measured with the Purdue sprinkling infiltrometer in June and August. The equilibrium infiltration rates during the wet run averaged 0.4 inch/hr for corn which was significantly lower than the 1.0-inch/hr for crested wheatgrass. The effect of dates was not significant. The average aggregate stability index of the surface 8 cm of soil was also significantly lower for the corn. However, the lower aggregate stability under corn had little effect on the absorption of water during the first 30 min. The antecedent moisture level of the soil had its greatest influence on infiltration during the first 30 min. The probability of receiving rains with intensities greater than the infiltration rates is high enough to make Morton loam susceptible to soil erosion under a corn culture.
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