Tillage translocation and tillage erosion in cereal-based production in Manitoba, Canada

Abstract

Tillage erosion is a potential contributor to the total soil erosion occurring within cultivated fields. No study has been carried out on tillage erosion associated with cereal-based production systems, which are the predominant form of crop production in the Canadian Prairies. Previous tillage translocation studies have focused on primary tillage implements (i.e. mouldboard and chisel ploughs), with slope gradient normally assumed to be the only factor that affects tillage translocation. Currently, there is a lack of information available with regards to the effect of secondary tillage and seeding implements and of slope curvature toward total tillage translocation and erosion. In this study, 77 plots were established within a field site in southern Manitoba, Canada to examine tillage translocation caused by four tillage implements: air-seeder, spring-tooth-harrow, light-cultivator and deep-tiller. Together, these four implements create a typical conventional tillage sequence for cereal-based production in Canadian Prairies. We determined that secondary tillage implements could be as erosive as primary tillage implements. In addition, the erosivity of the air-seeder was comparable to that of the deep-tiller, the primary tillage implement, when seeding was conducted shortly after the light-cultivator. In the majority of cases, tillage translocation could be explained by slope gradient alone, confirming that slope gradient is the main factor driving tillage translocation. However, slope curvature also significantly affected tillage translocation and should be used for future modeling.