Influence of organic fertilizers on soil erosion parameters in maize crop

Abstract

Every year, large amounts of agricultural land are threatened by water erosion. Fields with sloping land are particularly at risk. The impact of water erosion on soil and fine soil particles is very serious. Water erosion is a natural process and cannot be stopped. It can only be reduced or slowed down. To reduce the impact of water erosion, erosion control measures are used to protect the soil surface and fine soil particles. The most risk crops from the view of water erosion are wide-row crops. The aim of this research was to assess the effect of organic fertilizers on soil erosion parameters in maize crop. To achieve the results, a field experiment focusing on three organic fertilizers (manure, digestate, compost), was established on a sloping plot with an average slope of 5.29°. Each fertilizer was represented in two variants at different rates. Two variants were added as a control. One with maize cover without fertilizer application and the second without vegetation. Surface runoff and erosive wash were measured using the micro-parcel runoff method. Based on the results from the measurements, a positive effect of organic fertilizers on water erosion mitigation can be demonstrated, primarily reducing erosive wash and surface runoff. Both are associated with improved soil infiltration. It is therefore possible to consider the use of infiltration strips with extreme doses of organic fertiliser on erosion-prone areas of land. Furthermore, there was no confirmation of the expected reduction in soil water infiltration for the option where digestate was applied.