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RECORD NUMBER: 36 OF 82

Main Title Effects of Trends in Tillage Practices on Erosion and Carbon Content of Soils in the U.S. Corn Belt.
Author Lee, J. J. ; Phillips, D. L. ; Liu, R. ;
CORP Author Corvallis Environmental Research Lab., OR. ;Oregon State Univ., Corvallis. Dept. of Civil Engineering.
Publisher c1993
Year Published 1993
Report Number EPA/600/J-93/494;
Stock Number PB94-130051
Additional Subjects Soil conservation ; Tillage ; Soil erosion ; Carbon ; Soil management ; Trends ; Alternatives ; Air pollution abatement ; Natural emissions ; Carbon dioxide ; Corn plants ; Farm crops ; Scenarios ; Reprints ; Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator Model
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Status
NTIS  PB94-130051 Some EPA libraries have a fiche copy filed under the call number shown. 07/26/2022
Collation 15p
Abstract
Soil is an important reservoir for carbon (C), representing perhaps twice the amount of C in the atmosphere and close to three times the amount in vegetation. When soils are converted to agricultural production using conventional tillage practices which stir and mix the soil, they typically lose a significant portion of organic C, especially in the first few decades of cultivation. Thus, conventionally cultivated soils have acted as net sources for atmospheric CO2. The Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) model was used to simulate soil erosion and soil C content at 100 randomly selected sites in the US corn belt. Four management scenarios were run for 100 years: (1) current mix of tillage practices maintained; (2) current trend of conversion to mulch-till and no-till maintained; (3) trend to increased no-till, (4) trend to increased no-till with addition of winter wheat cover crop. As expected, the three alternative scenarios resulted in substantial decreases in soil erosion compared to the current mix of tillage practices.