Project Number: 3602-12220-004-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Mar 29, 2001
End Date: Mar 28, 2006

Objective:
The objectives of the research are to develop better technologies and strategies to both reduce and assess soil erosion by water, and to develop data and information necessary to inform national policy on soil conservation both in the present and under global changes.

Approach:
Laboratory and field experiments using plots, small watersheds, and rainfall simulators will be conducted. Erosion models and statistical techniques will be used to analyze the data. New, economical soil erosion control technologies will be tested. Crop management systems will be developed that utilize cover crops to permit continued high production levels while reducing the off-site movement of soil and agrochemicals. Approaches will be established for understanding soil organic matter dynamics and the resulting influences on a soil's ability to resist erosive forces. We will quantify soil erodibility as affected by changes in surface condition and management. Potential changes in soil erosion rates due to changing climatic drivers, as well as the impacts of erosion changes on agricultural produciton will be evaluated. A decision support aid will be developed for farmers and land managers to determine the best strategies for ameliorating eroded or crusted soils. Knowledge will be obtained that leads to a better understanding of soil loss tolerance (T).

Project Team

Stott, Diane Smith, Douglas Warnemuende, Elizabeth Huang, Chi Hua Norton, Lloyd - Darrell

Project Annual Reports

FY 2003   FY 2002   FY 2001