Wind erosion in agricultural soils is dependent, in part, on the aerodynamic roughness length (z0) produced by tillage ridges. Although previous studies have related z0 to ridge characteristics (ridge height (RH) and spacing (RS)), these relationships have not been tested for tillage ridges observed in the North African agricultural fields. In these regions, due to climate and soil conditions, ...

Crop growth models can be useful tools in evaluating the impacts of di€erent tillage systems on the growth and ®nal yield of crops. A tillage model was incorporated into CROPGRO-Soybean and tested for conditions in Ames, IA, USA. Predictions of changes in surface residue, bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, runo€ curve number, and surface albedo were consistent with expected behaviors of thes...

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)...

Biological indicators based on abundances of soil organisms are powerful tools for inferring functional and diversity changes in soils affected by agricultural perturbations. Field plots, combining organic and conventional practices with no tillage, conservation tillage and standard tillage maintained different nematode assemblages and soil food webs. Soil food web indices based on nematode ass...

In dryland cropping systems, optimal yields require that nutrient supply matches the soil’s yield potential supported by available moisture. Conservation tillage systems that leave at least 30 percent of the soil surface covered by residue dramatically increase moisture retained in the soil compared to crop-fallow systems. This enables producers to plant two, three, or four consecutive crops, o...

Weeds pose a major threat to world agriculture by reducing detrimentally crop yield and quality. However, at the same time, weeds are major interacting components of the agroecosystems. Abundance and diversity of weeds vary significantly among the several communities. In order to evaluate each community’s structure and the interactions among them, several population indices are used as key tool...

During decades, in semiarid rainfed Aragon, intensive soil tillage and low crop residue input have led to the loss of soil structure and soil degradation. Conservation tillage and cropping intensification can improve soil structure in these areas. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of three different tillage systems (traditional tillage, reduced tillage and no-tillage) u...

of Research Findings Alternative tillage and cropping systems are sought for reducing dust emissions and improving air quality in the Pacific Northwest dryland cropping region. The purpose of this study was to modifiy the conventional rodweeder that would facilitate the armouring of the soil surface with straw and large aggregates otherwise buried below the soil surface. Several modifications w...