Abstract
This Brief Report includes a single-finding that is reported with descriptions of an unexpected observation. Crop residue incorporation increases stable soil pores and soil water infiltration, consequently, reduces surface water runoff and soil erosion. However, to our knowledge, quantitative study for the relation between incorporated residue and infiltration rate has not been conducted. In this study, we examined the relationship between the quantity of crop residue of the prior crop and the water infiltration rate. We grew corn, rose grass, and okra in crop rotation under greenhouses and measured the water infiltration rate at the time of ridge making. A strong correlation was found between the quantity of applied residue and the soil water infiltration rate ( r = 0.953), although there were outliers in the case of no prior crop. By contrast, aboveground biomass of the prior crop showed a stronger correlation with water infiltration rate (r = 0.965), without outliers. Previous studies have revealed the logistical relation between plant root mass and soil erosion. Our data also show a positive relationship between resistance to erosion and root mass when assuming that aboveground biomass is proportional to the underground biomass. The result also showed that the effect of the prior crop root mass disappears within the next crop period. This suggests that maintaining a large root mass is crucial for reducing soil erosion.
Highlights
We added the reason for the rotation system
The water infiltration rate was measured on the ridge at similar soil moisture conditions, on the day incorporating the prior crop residue
There was a strong correlation between the incorporated residue dry weight and soil water infiltration rate (r = 0.953) in terms of nitrogen level treatment, even though initial corn residue showed outliers (Figure 1a)
Summary
Any further responses from the reviewers can be found at the end of the article Introduction This Brief Report includes a single-finding that is reported with descriptions of an unexpected observation. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) (Wischmeier & Smith, 1978), the standard for estimating erosion, shows that the risk of erosion is drastically reduced when a crop has covered soil surface. This emphasizes the importance of preventing erosion in the early stage of crop growth. There are two aspects to preventing erosion; the one is to fix soil, another is to increase the water infiltration rate. Technologies increasing the water infiltration rate are critical to prevent soil erosion in tillage systems. Though the data supported the relation, unexpectedly, the data suggested that the relation between the quantity of remaining underground root mass of the prior crop and the infiltration rate was stronger
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
