Tillage erosion: A review of controlling factors and implications for soil quality

Progress in Physical Geography

Volumn 30, Issue 4, 2006, Pages 443-466

  Van Oost, K ^a   Govers, G ^b   de Alba, S ^c   Quine, T A ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF EXETER   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF LEUVEN   (Belgium)

^c UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID   (Spain)

Author keywords

137Cs; Soil erosion; Soil quality; Tillage erosion

Indexed keywords

EROSION RATE; NUTRIENT CYCLING; SOIL EROSION; SOIL NUTRIENT; SOIL PROPERTY; SOIL QUALITY; TILLAGE;

EID: 33748358773     PISSN: 03091333     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1191/0309133306pp487ra     Document Type: Review

References (103)

1. Aase, J.K. and Pikul, J.L. 1995: Terrace formation in cropping strips protected by tall wheatgrass barriers. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 50, 110-12.
2. Bakker, M.M., Govers, G., Kosmas, C., Vanacker, V., Van Oost, K. and Rounsevell, M. 2005: Soil erosion as a driver of land-use change. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 105, 467-81.
3. Basher, L.R. and Ross, C.W. 2002: Soil erosion rates under intensive vegetable production on clay loam, strongly structured soils at Pukekohe, New Zealand. Australian Journal of Soil Research 40, 947-61.
4. Bernard, C. and Laverdiere, M.R. 1992: Spatial Redistribution of Cs-137 and soil-erosion on Orleans Island, Quebec. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 72, 543-54.
5. Boardman, J. 1998: An average soil erosion rate for Europe: myth or reality? Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 53, 46-50.
6. Cao, Y.Z., Coote, D.R., Rees, H.W., Wang, C. and Chow, T.L. 1994: Effects of intensive potato production on soil quality and yield at a benchmark site in New-Brunswick. Soil and Tillage Research 29, 23-34.
7. Czyzyk, W. 1955: Przemieszczanie gleby no zboczu pod dzialaniem orki (Redepositioning of soil on slopes as a results of plowing). Polish Agricultural Annual 71-F-1, 73-86.
8. da Silva, J.M., Soares, J.M.C.N. and Karlen, D.L. 2004: Implement and soil condition effects on tillage-induced erosion. Soil and Tillage Research 78, 207-16.
9. da Silva, J.R.M. and Alexandre, C. 2004: Soil carbonation processes as evidence of tillage-induced erosion. Soil and Tillage Research 78, 217-24.
10. Dabney, S.M., Liu, Z., Lane, M., Douglas, J., Zhu, J. and Flanagan, D.C. 1999: Landscape benching from tillage erosion between grass hedges. Soil and Tillage Research 51, 219-31.
11. Daniels, R.B., Gilliam, J.W., Cassel, D.K. and Nelson, L.A. 1985: Soil-erosion class and landscape position in the North-Carolina Piedmont. Soil Science Society of America Journal 49, 991-95.
12. de Alba, S. 2001: Modelling the effects of complex topography and patterns of tillage on soil translocation by tillage with mouldboard plough. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 56, 335-45.
13. de Alba, S. 2003: Simulating long-term soil redistribution generated by different patterns of mouldboard ploughing in landscapes of complex topography. Soil and Tillage Research 71, 71-86.
14. de Alba, S., Lindstrom, M., Schumacher, T.E. and Malo, D.D. 2004: Soil landscape evolution due to soil redistribution by tillage: a new conceptual model of soil catena evolution in agricultural landscapes. Catena 58, 77-100.
15. Dejong, E., Begg, C.B.M. and Kachanoski, R.G. 1983: Estimates of soil-erosion and deposition for some Saskatchewan soils. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 63, 607-17.
16. Dejong, E., Wang, C. and Rees, H.W. 1986: Soil redistribution on 3 cultivated New-Brunswick hillslopes calculated from Cs-137 measurements, solum data and the USLE. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 66, 721-30.
17. Dercon, G., Deckers, J., Govers, G., Poesen, J., Sanchez, H., Vanegas, R., Ramirez, M. and Loaiza, G. 2003: Spatial variability in soil properties on slow-forming terraces in the Andes region of Ecuador. Soil and Tillage Research 72, 31-41.
18. Govers, G., Lobb, D.A. and Quine, T.A. 1999: Preface - tillage erosion and translocation: emergence of a new paradigm in soil erosion research. Soil and Tillage Research 51, 167-74.
19. Govers, G., Quine, T.A., Desmet, P.J.J. and Walling, D.E. 1996: The relative contribution of soil tillage and overland flow erosion to soil redistribution on agricultural land. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 21, 929-46.
20. Govers, G., Quine, T.A. and Walling, D.E. 1993: The effect of water erosion and tillage movement on hillslope profile development: a comparison of field observations and model results. In Wicherek S., editor, Farm land erosion in temperate plains environments and hills, Amsterdam: Elsevier, 285-300.
21. Govers, G., Vandaele, K., Desmet, P., Poesen, J. and Bunte, K. 1994: The role of tillage in soil redistribution on hillslopes. European Journal of Soil Science 45, 469-78.
22. Guiresse, M. and Revel, J.C. 1995: Erosion due to cultivation of calcareous clay soils on hillsides in southwest France 2. Effect of ploughing down the steepest slope. Soil and Tillage Research 35, 157-66.
23. Heckrath, G., Djurhuus, J., Quine, T.A., Van Oost, K., Govers, G. and Zhang, Y. 2005: Tillage erosion and its effect on soil properties and crop yield in Denmark. Journal of Environmental Quality 34, 312-24.
24. Heckrath, G., Halekoh, U., Djurhuus, J. and Govers, G. 2006: The effect of tillage direction on soil redistribution by mouldboard ploughing on complex slopes. Soil and Tillage Research, in press.
25. Kachanoski, R.G., Rolston, D.E. and de Jong, E. 1985: Spatial variability of a cultivated soil as affected by past and present microtopography. Soil Science Society of America Journal 49, 1082-87.
26. Kermis, L.H. 1978: A theoretical approach to high-speed plough design. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research 23, 343-68.
27. Khachatryan, K.A. 1985: Operation of soil-working implements in hilly regions. Russian Translation Series no. 37. Rotterdam: Balkema.
28. Kiburys, B. 1989: Divozemio mechanine erozija (Mechanical soil erosion). Vilnius: Mokslas.
29. Kimaro, D.N., Deckers, J.A., Poesen, J., Kilasara, M. and Msanya, B.M. 2005: Short and medium term assessment of tillage erosion in the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. Soil and Tillage Research 81, 97-108.
30. Kosmas, C., Gerontidis, S., Marathianou, M., Detsis, B., Zafiriou, T., Muysen, W.N., Govers, G., Quine, T. and Vanoost, K. 2001: The effects of tillage displaced soil on soil properties and wheat biomass. Soil and Tillage Research 58, 31-44.
31. Lal, R. 2001: Soil degradation by erosion. Land Degradation and Development 12, 519-39.
32. Lewis, L.A. and Nyamulinda, V. 1996: The critical role of human activities in land degradation in Rwanda. Land Degradation and Development 7, 47-55.
33. Li, Y. and Lindstrom, M.J. 2001: Evaluating soil quality-soil redistribution relationship on terraces and steep hillslope. Soil Science Society of America Journal 65, 1500-08.
34. Li, Y., Tian, G., Lindstrom, M.J. and Bork, H.R. 2004: Variation of surface soil quality parameters by intensive donkey-drawn tillage on steep slope. Soil Science Society of America Journal 68, 907-13.
35. Lindstrom, M.J., Lobb, D.A. and Schumacher, T.E. 2001: Tillage erosion: an overview. Annals of Arid Zone 40, 337-49.
36. Lindstrom, M.J., Nelson, W.W. and Schumacher, T.E. 1992: Quantifying tillage erosion rates due to moldboard plowing. Soil and Tillage Research 24, 243-55.
37. Lobb, D.A. and Kachanoski, R.G. 1999: Modelling tillage erosion in the topographically complex landscapes of southwestern Ontario, Canada. Soil and Tillage Research 51, 261-77.
38. Lobb, D.A., Kachanoski, R.G. and Miller, M.H. 1995: Tillage translocation and tillage erosion on shoulder slope landscape positions measured using Cs-137 as a tracer. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 75, 211-18.
39. Lobb, D.A., Kachanoski, R. G. and Miller, M.H. 1999: Tillage translocation and tillage erosion in the complex upland landscapes of southwestern Ontario, Canada. Soil and Tillage Research 51, 189-209.
40. Lobotka, V. 1955: Terasové Polia na Slovensku (Terraced fields in Slovakia). Pol'nohospodùarstvo 2, 539-49.
41. Marshall, E.J.P. and Brain, P. 1999: The horizontal movement of seeds in arable soils by different cultivation methods. Journal of Applied Ecology 36, 443-54.
42. Marshall, E.J.P. and Hopkins, A. 1990: Plant species composition and dispersal in agricultural land. In Bunce, R.G.H. and Howard, D.C. editors, Species dispersal in agricultural habitats, London: Belhaven Press, 98-116.
43. Martini, Z. 2005: Badania przemieszezen gleby przy orce na zboezach (Studies on soil movement during the plowing of slopes). Polish Agricultural Annual 66-C-2, 97-123.
44. McRae, T., Smith, C.A.S. and Gregorich, L.J. 2000: Environmental sustainability of Canadian agriculture: report of the Agri-Environmental Indicator Project. Ottawa: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
45. Mech, S.J. and Free, G.A. 1942: Movement of soil during tillage operations. Agricultural Engineering 23, 379-82.
46. Miller, M.P., Singer, M.J. and Nielsen, D.R. 1988: Spatial variability of wheat yield and soil properties on complex hills. Soil Science Society of America Journal 52, 1133-41.
47. Montgomery, J.A., Busacca, A.J., Frazier, B.E. and Mccool, D.K. 1997: Evaluating soil movement using Cesium-137 and the revised universal soil loss equation. Soil Science Society of America Journal 61, 571-79.
48. Montgomery, J.A., Mccool, D.K., Busacca, A.J. and Frazier, B.E. 1999: Quantifying tillage translocation and deposition rates due to moldboard plowing in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest, USA. Soil and Tillage Research 51, 175-87.
49. Moulin, A.P., Anderson, D.A. and Mellinger, M. 1994: Spatial variability of wheat yield, soil properties and erosion in hummocky terrain. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 74, 219-28.
50. Nyssen, J., Haile, M., Poesen, J., Deckers, J. and Moeyersons, J. 2001: Removal of rock fragments and its effect on soil loss and crop yield, Tigray. Ethiopia. Soil Use and Management 17, 179-87.
51. Nyssen, J., Poesen, J., Haile, M., Moeyersons, J. and Deckers, J. 2000: Tillage erosion on slopes with soil conservation structures in the Ethiopian highlands. Soil and Tillage Research 57, 115-27.
52. Papendick, R.I. and Miller, D.E. 1977: Conservation tillage in the Pacific Northwest. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 32, 49-56.
53. Petersen, D. 1960: Movement of soil uphill and downhill by a moldboard plow operating on the contour on various slopes. Unpublished Msc thesis; University of Minnesota, USA.
54. Poesen, J., van Wesemael, B., Govers, G., Martinez-Fernandez, J., Desmet, P., Vandaele, K., Quine, T. and Degraer, G. 1997: Patterns of rock fragment cover generated by tillage erosion. Geomorphology 18, 183-97.
55. Quine, T.A. 1999: Use of caesium-137 data for validation of spatially distributed erosion models: the implications of tillage erosion. Catena 37, 415-30.
56. Quine, T.A. and Walling, D.E. 1991: Rates of soil-erosion on arable fields in Britain - quantitative data from cesium-137 measurements. Soil Use and Management 7, 169-76.
57. Quine, T.A. and Zhang, Y. 2002: An investigation of spatial variation in soil erosion, soil properties, and crop production within an agricultural field in Devon, United Kingdom. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 57, 55-65.
58. Quine, T.A. and Zhang, Y. 2004a: Re-defining tillage erosion: quantifying intensity-direction relationships for complex terrain. I. Derivation of an adirectional soil transport coefficient. Soil Use and Management 20, 114-23.
59. Quine, T.A. and Zhang, Y. 2004b: Re-defining tillage erosion: quantifying intensity-direction relationships for complex terrain. I. Derivation of an adirectional soil transport coefficient. Soil Use and Management 20, 114-23.
60. Quine, T.A. and Zhang, Y. 2004c: Re-defining tillage erosion: quantifying intensity-direction relationships for complex terrain. 2. Revised mouldboard erosion model. Soil Use and Management 20, 124-32.
61. Quine, T.A., Basher, L.R. and Nicholas, A.P. 2003: Tillage erosion intensity in the South Canterbury Downlands, New Zealand. Australian Journal of Soil Research 41, 789-807.
62. Quine, T.A., Desmet, P., Govers, G., Vandaele, K. and Walling, D. 1994: A comparison of the roles of tillage and water erosion in landform development and sediment export on agricultural land, near Leuven, Belgium. In Olive, L.J., Loughvan, R.J. and Kesby, J.A., editors, Proceedings of the IAHS Symposium on Variability in Stream Erosion and Sediment Transport, Canberra, December 1994, IAHS Publication 224, 77-86.
63. Quine, T.A., Govers, G., Poesen, J., Walling, D., van Wesemael, B. and Martinez-Fernandez, J. 1999a: Fine-earth translocation by tillage in stony soils in the Guadalentin, south-east Spain: an investigation using caesium-134. Soil and Tillage Research 51, 279-301.
64. Quine, T.A., Govers, G., Walling, D.E., Zhang, X.B., Desmet, P.J.J., Zhang, Y.S. and Vandaele, K. 1997: Erosion processes and landform evolution on agricultural land - new perspectives from caesium-137 measurements and topographic-based erosion modelling. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 22, 799-816.
65. Quine, T.A., Walling, D.E., Chakela, Q.K., Mandiringana, O.T. and Zhang, X. 1999b: Rates and patterns of tillage and water erosion on terraces and contour strips: evidence from caesium-137 measurements. Catena 36, 115-42.
66. Quine, T.A., Walling, D.E. and Govers, G. 1996: Simulation of radiocaesium redistribution on cultivated hillslopes using a mass-balance model: an aid to process interpretation and erosion rate estimation. In Anderson, M.G. and Brooks, S.M., editor, Advances in hillslope processes, Chichester: Wiley, 561-88.
67. Quine, T.A., Walling, D.E. and Zhang, X. 1999c: Tillage erosion, water erosion and soil quality on cultivated terraces near Xifeng in the Loess Plateau, China. Land Degradation and Development 10, 251-74.
68. Reaves, C.A. and Schafer, R.L. 1975: Force versus width of cut for moldboard bottoms. Transactions of the Asae 18, 852-54.
69. Revel, J.C. and Guiresse, M. 1995: Erosion due to cultivation of calcareous clay soils on the hillsides of south west France. 1. Effect of former farming practices. Soil and Tillage Research 35, 147-55.
70. Reynolds, P.J. 1988: Sherd movement in the ploughzone - physical data base into computer simulation. In Rahtz, S.P.Q., editor, Computer applications and quantitative methods in archaeology, Oxford: British Archaeological Report, International Series, 201-19.
71. Rymshaw, E., Walter, M.F. and Van Wambeke, A. 1997: Processes of soil movement on steep cultivated hill slopes in the Venezuelan Andes. Soil and Tillage Research 44, 265-72.
72. Schoorl, J.M., Boix Fayos, C., de Meijere, R.J., van der Graaf, E.R. and Veldkamp, A. 2004: The Cs-137 technique applied to steep Mediterranean slopes (Part II): landscape evolution and model calibration. Catena 57, 35-54.
73. Schuller, P., Ellies, A., Castillo, A. and Salazar, I. 2003: Use of Cs-137 to estimate tillage- and water-induced soil redistribution rates on agricultural land under different use and management in central-south Chile. Soil and Tillage Research 69, 69-83.
74. Schumacher, T.E., Lindstrom, M.J., Schumacher, J.A. and Lemme, G.D. 1999: Modeling spatial variation in productivity due to tillage and water erosion. Soil and Tillage Research 51, 331-39.
75. Sibbesen, E. 1986: Soil movement in long-term field experiments. Plant and Soil 91, 73-85.
76. Sibbesen, E. Andersen, C.E. 1985: Soil movement in long-term field experiments as a result of cultivation II. How to estimate the two dimensional movement of substances accumulating in the soil. Experimental Agriculture 21, 109-17.
77. Sibbesen, E., Andersen, C.E., Andersen, S. and Flensted-Jensen, M. 1985: Soil movement in long-term field experiments as a result of cultivation I. A model for approximating soil movement in one horizontal dimension by repeated tillage. Experimental Agriculture 21, 101-107.
78. Sibbesen, E., Skjoth, F. and Rubaek, G.H. 2000: Tillage caused dispersion of phosphorus and soil in four 16-year old field experiments. Soil and Tillage Research 54, 91-100.
79. Soileau, J.M., Hajek, B.F. and Touchton, J.T. 1990: Soil-erosion and deposition evidence in a small watershed using fallout cesium-137. Soil Science Society of America Journal 54, 1712-19.
80. St Gerontidis, D.V., Kosmas, C., Detsis, B., Marathianou, M., Zafirious, T. and Tsara, M. 2001: The effect of moldboard plow on tillage erosion along a hillslope. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 56, 147-52.
81. Staricka, J.A., Allmaras, R.R. and Nelson, W.W. 1991: Spatial variation in crop residue incorporated by tillage. Soil Science Society of America Journal 55, 1668-74.
82. Staricka, J.A., Burford, P.M., Allmaras, R.R. and Nelson, W.W. 1990: Tracing the vertical distribution of simulated shattered seeds as related to tillage. Agronomy Journal 82, 1131-34.
83. Thapa, B.B., Cassel, D.K. and Garrity, D.P. 1999a: Assessment of tillage erosion rates on steepland Oxisols in the humid tropics using granite rocks. Soil and Tillage Research 51, 233-43.
84. Thapa, B.B., Cassel, D.K. and Garrity, D.P. 1999b: Ridge tillage and contour natural grass barrier strips reduce tillage erosion. Soil and Tillage Research 51, 341-56.
85. Thapa, B.B., Cassel, D.K. and Garrity, D.P. 2001: Animal powered tillage translocated soil affects nutrient dynamics and soil properties at Claveria, Philippines. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 56, 14-21.
86. Tsara, M., Gerontidis, S., Marathianou, M. and Kosmas, C. 2001: The long-term effect of tillage on soil displacement of hilly areas used for growing wheat in Greece. Soil Use and Management 17, 113-20.
87. Turkelboom, F., Poesen, J., Ohler, I. and Ongprasert, S. 1999: Reassessment of tillage erosion rates by manual tillage on steep slopes in northern Thailand. Soil and Tillage Research 51, 245-59.
88. Turkelboom, F., Poesen, J., Ohler, I., Van Keer, K., Ongprasert, S. and Vlassak, K. 1997: Assessment of tillage erosion rates on steep slopes in northern Thailand. Catena 29, 29-44.
89. Van Muysen, W. and Govers, G. 2002: Soil displacement and tillage erosion during secondary tillage operations: the case of rotary harrow and seeding equipment. Soil and Tillage Research 65, 185-91.
90. Van Muysen, W., Govers, G., Bergkamp, G., Roxo, M. and Poesen, J. 1999: Measurement and modelling of the effects of initial soil conditions and slope gradient on soil translocation by tillage. Soil and Tillage Research 51, 303-16.
91. Van Muysen, W., Govers, G. and Van Oost, K. 2002: Identification of important factors in the process of tillage erosion: the case of mouldboard tillage. Soil and Tillage Research 65, 77-93.
92. Van Muysen, W., Govers, G., Van Oost, K. and Van Rompaey, A. 2000: The effect of tillage depth, tillage speed, and soil condition on chisel tillage erosivity. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 55, 355-64.
93. Van Muysen, W., Van Oost, K. and Govers, G. 2006: Soil translocation resulting from multiple passes of tillage under normal field operating conditions. Soil and Tillage Research, in press.
94. Van Oost, K., Govers, G. and Desmet, P. 2000a: Evaluating the effects of changes in landscape structure on soil erosion by water and tillage. Landscape Ecology 15, 577-89.
95. Van Oost, K., Govers, G. and Van Muysen, W. 2003a: A process-based conversion model for caesium-137 derived erosion rates on agricultural land: an integrated spatial approach. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 28, 187-207.
96. Van Oost, K., Govers, G., Van Muysen, W. and Quine, T.A. 2000b: Modeling translocation and dispersion of soil constituents by tillage on sloping land. Soil Science Society of America Journal 64, 1733-39.
97. Van Oost, K., Van Muysen, W., Govers, G., Heckrath, G., Quine, T.A. and Poesen, J. 2003b: Simulation of the redistribution of soil by tillage on complex topographies. European Journal of Soil Science 54, 63-76.
98. Verity, G.E. and Anderson, D.W. 1990: Soil-erosion effects on soil quality and yield. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 70, 471-84.
99. Weinblum, M. and Stekelmacher, S. 1963: Effects of tillage, implements, methods and slope on the downhill movement of soil on hillside terraces. Special Bulletin no. 52. Rehovot, Israel: Ministry of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Division.
100. Yorston, R.M., Gaffney, V.L. and Reynolds, P.J. 1990: Simulation of artefact movement due to cultivation. Journal of Archaeological Science 17, 67-83.
101. Zhang, J.H., Frielinghaus, M., Tian, G. and Lobb, D.A. 2004a: Ridge and contour tillage effects on soil erosion from steep hillstopes-in the Sichuan Basin, China. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 59, 277-84.
102. Zhang, J.H., Lobb, D.A., Li, Y. and Liu, G.C. 2004b: Assessment of tillage translocation and tillage erosion by hoeing on the steep land in hilly areas of Sichuan, China. Soil and Tillage Research 75, 99-107.
103. Zhang, X., Quine, T.A. and Walling, D.E. 1998: Soil erosion rates on sloping cultivated land on the Loess Plateau near Ansai, Shaanxi Province, China: an investigation using Cs-137 and rill measurements. Hydrological Processes 12, 171-89.