9.3 Soil conservation practices and management

Soil conservation practices are crucial for protecting our land from erosion and degradation. These methods, like contour farming and terracing, work with nature to slow water flow and keep soil in place. They're not just good for the earth—they help farmers too.

Conservation tillage and vegetation cover take things further. By disturbing the soil less and keeping plants on the ground, we improve soil health and structure. These practices don't just fight erosion; they boost biodiversity, store carbon, and save farmers time and money.

Soil Conservation Practices and Management

Soil conservation practices

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Top images from around the web for Soil conservation practices

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  Preventing and managing erosion | Environment, land and water | Queensland Government View original

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  Conservation Practices for Farmland – Soil and Water Conservation: An Annotated Bibliography View original

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  Conservation Practices for Farmland – Soil and Water Conservation: An Annotated Bibliography View original

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  Preventing and managing erosion | Environment, land and water | Queensland Government View original

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  Conservation Practices for Farmland – Soil and Water Conservation: An Annotated Bibliography View original

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• Contour farming
  • Plowing and planting across slope following land contours creates ridges slowing water flow and reducing erosion
  • Most effective on slopes between 2-10% (rolling hills)
• Strip cropping
  • Alternating strips of erosion-resistant crops (alfalfa) with erosion-susceptible crops (corn) reduces runoff velocity and increases water infiltration
  • Types include contour strip cropping, field strip cropping, buffer strip cropping
• Terracing
  • Constructing level platforms on hillsides reduces slope length and steepness
  • Types encompass bench terraces, channel terraces, ridge terraces
  • Effective on slopes greater than 10% (steep hillsides)

Conservation tillage methods

• Conservation tillage principles
  • Minimizing soil disturbance and maintaining crop residue on soil surface reduces tillage intensity and frequency
  • Preserves soil structure and organic matter
• No-till farming
  • Planting directly into undisturbed soil and residue improves soil structure, increases organic matter, and reduces erosion
  • Challenges include potential increase in herbicide use and slower soil warming
• Reduced tillage
  • Limited soil disturbance compared to conventional tillage balances benefits of no-till with some soil preparation
  • Types include strip-till, ridge-till, mulch-till
• Benefits of conservation tillage
  • Increased water infiltration and retention reduces soil compaction and lowers fuel and labor costs
  • Improves soil biodiversity and carbon sequestration

Vegetation cover for erosion reduction

• Cover crops
  • Planted between main crop seasons or in fallow periods protect soil, cycle nutrients, and suppress weeds
  • Types include legumes (clover), grasses (rye), brassicas (radish)
• Permanent vegetation
  • Long-term plant cover in erosion-prone areas provides continuous soil stabilization
  • Examples include grass waterways, riparian buffers, windbreaks
• Erosion reduction mechanisms
  • Plant canopy intercepts raindrops while increased surface roughness slows runoff
  • Root systems enhance soil structure and improve organic matter content and soil aggregation
• Additional benefits of vegetation cover
  • Increases biodiversity, sequesters carbon, and improves water quality in nearby water bodies (lakes, rivers)

Effectiveness of conservation practices

• Factors influencing practice effectiveness
  • Slope steepness and length, soil type and texture, climate and rainfall patterns, and land use intensity determine best practices
• Cropland scenarios
  • Gentle slopes benefit from contour farming and strip cropping
  • Steep slopes require terracing and permanent vegetation
  • Large fields utilize wind breaks and cover crops
• Pasture and rangeland scenarios
  • Rotational grazing maintains vegetation cover
  • Riparian buffers protect water bodies
  • Brush management benefits arid landscapes
• Urban and suburban landscapes
  • Rain gardens manage stormwater while permeable pavements increase infiltration
  • Green roofs reduce runoff in densely built areas
• Evaluation methods
  • Soil loss equations (USLE, RUSLE) predict erosion rates
  • Remote sensing and GIS analysis map landscape changes
  • Long-term field studies monitor practice effectiveness
  • Cost-benefit analysis assesses implementation and maintenance feasibility