March 2021 - 33

PLANT & SOIL HEALTH
No-till reduces erosion in vulnerable areas
By Marianne Stein
University of Illinois
Soil erosion is a major challenge in
agricultural production. It affects soil
quality and carries nutrient sediments
that pollute waterways. While soil
erosion is a naturally occurring
process, agricultural activities such as
conventional tilling exacerbate it.
Farmers implementing no-till
practices can significantly reduce soil
erosion rates, a new University of Illinois
(U of I) study shows.
Completely shifting to no-till would
reduce soil loss and sediment yield by
more than 70%, said Sanghyun Lee,
doctoral student in the Department of
Agricultural and Biological Engineering
at U of I and lead author on the study,
published in Journal of Environmental
Management.
But even a partial change in tilling
practices could have significant results,
he added.
" If we focus on the most vulnerable
area in terms of soil erosion, then
only 40% no-till shows almost the
same reduction as 100% no-till
implementation, " Lee said.
The study used physical data and
computer modeling to estimate
No-till agricultural practices in vulnerable areas can significantly reduce soil erosion. Photo: University of Illinois
soil erosion in the Drummer Creek
watershed, which is part of the Upper
Sangamon River watershed in Central
Illinois. The area's main crops are
corn and soybeans, and tillage is a
predominant agricultural practice.
" The rate of soil erosion is increased
and accelerated by unsustainable
agricultural production. One of the main
reasons is conventional tillage in the
field, " Lee said. " Our model provides a
tool to estimate the impacts of tilling on
soil erosion across the watershed. "
Lee and co-authors Maria Chu, Jorge
Guzman, and Alejandra Botero-Acosta
developed the modeling framework,
coupling a hydrological model with
the Water Erosion Prediction Project
(WEPP) to examine the impacts of
no-till practice in the watershed. The
WEPP model provided the sediment
sources from the agricultural fields
under different tillage practices and the
hydrologic model simulated sediment
transport across the watershed.
The researchers included historical
data on climate, soil properties,
sediment sample data, and other relevant
measures, then used the coupled model
to predict how different management
practices affect soil erosion rates.
" Farmers may prefer tilling because
wet climate conditions cause compacted
soil, " Lee said. " However, soil erosion
removes topsoil, which contains lots of
nutrients, and this may reduce yield in
the long term. Soil erosion also affects
water quality, both locally over time and
at a distance.
" Therefore, farmers need to weigh the
benefits of tilling with the consequences
of soil erosion and choose the best
management strategies. "
The modeling framework can help
identify the most vulnerable areas, so
producers can implement sustainable
management practices where it matters
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March 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2021