Land management impacts on soil properties and initial soil erosion processes in olives and vegetable crops

• Published in: Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics Vol. 68; no. 4; pp. 328 - 337
• Main Authors: Bogunovic, Igor, Telak, Leon Josip, Pereira, Paulo, Filipovic, Vilim, Filipovic, Lana, Percin, Aleksandra, Durdevic, Boris, Birkás, Márta, Dekemati, Igor, Comino, Jesus Rodrigo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bratislava Sciendo 01.12.2020; De Gruyter Poland
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agriculture land management; Bulk density; Conservation; Crops; Erosion processes; Land management; Mediterranean; Nitrogen; Nutrient loss; Oleaceae; Olives; Orchards; Organic matter; Organic soils; Phosphorus; Phosphorus pentoxide; Plant cover; Ponding; Principal components analysis; Rain; Rainfall; Rainfall simulation; Rainfall simulators; Runoff; Soil analysis; Soil erosion; Soil loss; Soil management; Soil nutrients; Soil organic matter; Soil properties; Tillage; Vegetables; Vegetation cover
• ISSN: 0042-790X; 1338-4333; 0042-790X
• DOI: 10.2478/johh-2020-0033

This research aims to assess the impacts of soil use management on runoff, soil losses, and their main soil controls in vegetable cropland (CROP), tilled olives (OT), and grass-covered olive orchards (OGC) on Leptosol in Croatia. Soil analysis and rainfall simulation experiments were conducted to quantify runoff (Run), soil, and nutrient losses. Bulk density (BD) was significantly higher at OT plots, in addition to the CROP plots. Water-stable aggregates (WSA), mean weight diameter (MWD), and soil organic matter (OM) were significantly higher in OGC plots compared to the other land uses. Run and soil loss (SL) were significantly higher in CROP and OT plots compared to the OGC plots. The CROP plots showed soil management that can be considered as unsustainable with 52, 68- and 146-times higher losses of phosphorus (P loss), nitrogen (N loss), and carbon (C loss) compared to the OGC plots. The principal component analysis showed that MWD was associated with vegetation cover (VC), water-holding capacity (WHC), WSA, OM, total nitrogen (TN), time to ponding (TP), and time to runoff (TR). These variables were negatively related to P2O5, Run, SL, and P, N, and C loss. Results indicate the need for the adoption of conservation strategies in croplands and olive orchards.