wind erosion

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control of wind erosion -objectives: Reduce the wind velocity at the soil surface. This is done with windbreaks, crop residues, cover crops, surface roughness, and wind strip cropping. Trap soil particles. This is accomplished by ridging or roughening the soil surface to trap moving soil particles. Increase size of soil aggregates. This is accomplished by using crop rotations that include grasses and legumes, by growing high-residue crops and returning crop residues to the soil, and by emergency tillage, which creates clods on the soil surface. Increasing the size of aggregates means that it takes a stronger wind to move the soil.

Wind Erosion Control : 

Wind Erosion Control Wind Erosion Control by Crop and Pasture Management The most common crop production systems in Alberta are: rotations that include summerfallow; continuous cropping; irrigated cropping; and forage production. Wind erosion is a threat to soils in all four cropping systems and in pastures. You can reduce wind erosion and maintain production by maintaining a protective plant cover for the soil.

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Protecting continuously cropped fields Wind erosion in continuous cropping systems usually results from tillage practices that have buried most or all of the residues from the previous crop. Reducing or eliminating tillage will maintain a residue cover for erosion control with the added benefit of soil moisture conservation. If you decide to till, use a low tillage speed, use implements that bury less residue, and avoid tilling eroded knolls.

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In reduced and zero tillage systems, crop residues must be spread evenly

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Protecting irrigated fields On irrigated fields, residue management often involves burial of the heavy crop residues produced by high-yielding crops (e.g. soft wheat). This can leave these fields very susceptible to wind erosion. As with the other crop production systems, the best way to control wind erosion on irrigated land is to maintain a crop residue cover by reducing or eliminating tillage. If possible, chop and evenly spread crop residues using the combine. Planting forages or grass on these corners will protect them from wind erosion.

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Protecting summerfallow fields Tilling summerfallow fields dries out the surface soil and leaves it prone to erosion. Bare fields are especially at risk of wind erosion in late winter and spring at the end of the fallow period, and immediately after seeding of the next crop. The best way to conserve soil moisture and prevent wind erosion is to leave as much crop residue cover as possible during the fallow period. At the same time, crop residues reduce wind speed at the soil surface, and standing stubble anchors the soil.

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shelterbelt shelterbelt is a barrier of trees or shrubs. The term “field shelterbelt” is used to distinguish between rows of trees or shrubs on agricultural fields from those planted in other ways: around farmyards or livestock facilities (farmstead shelterbelts), on marginal lands to change land use or in block plantings to provide woodlots or wildlife habitat.

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Field shelterbelts can provide extra protection against wind erosion no matter what cropping system is used. They are especially important in dry years when low crop yields result in insufficient residue cover. Field shelterbelts reduce the wind velocity for distances up to 30 times the height of the trees. They also trap snow, increasing soil moisture for increased crop yields. This yield increase helps to offset yield losses associated with taking land out of crop production for the shelterbelt plantings.

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Benefits Properly placed field shelterbelts provide agronomic and other benefits. reduced soil erosion by wind increased moisture for crop growth due to two factors: snow trapping reduced moisture loss through evaporation potential for increased crop yields reduced wind damage to crops

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Emergency Control Measures Increasing surface roughness A rougher surface reduces wind speed at the soil surface so the wind is less able to move soil particles. Ripping clay soils: Ripping clay soil using spikes will usually bring up non-erodible clods to create a rough surface. If the clods are likely to break down quickly, then the distance between passes should be about 5 m (15 feet). This way, the procedure can be repeated later on the untreated strip if necessary.

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Ripping is an emergency measure to reduce wind erosion on clay soil.

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field windbreaks, or hedgerow plantings, consist of a row or rows of trees, shrubs or other plants located along crop field borders or within the field itself. Coniferous trees or a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees can be used, along with one or two rows of shrubs. Benefits of field windbreaks are to reduce wind erosion, protect young crops and control blowing snow by acting as a snow fence. Windbreaks also conserve energy used for heating and cooling, improve crop yields, serve as a sound barrier and provide food for wildlife. They protect livestock, wildlife, houses and farm buildings. The trees and shrubs slow wind on the downwind side of the windbreak for a distance of 10 times the height of the trees.