EFFECT OF NONERODIBLE AGGREGATES AND WHEAT STUBBLE ON INITIATION OF SOIL DRIFTING

Abstract

The wind velocity required to initiate movement of soil with varying amounts of standing wheat stubble and varying proportions of erodible and nonerodible soil aggregates was determined in a wind tunnel. The relationship between these variables was calculated as log_eI = 6.0438 + 0.0001774 S + 0.02332 C where I is the initiating velocity in cm/sec as measured at a height of 30.5 cm above the soil surface, S is the amount of standing wheat stubble (approximately 15 cm tall) in kg/ha, and C is the percentage of soil aggregates greater than 1 mm in diameter in a soil sample.The wind velocity required to initiate erosion is proposed as an index of erodibility of farm fields.