Tensile and erosive strength of soil macro-aggregates from soils under different management system

• Main Authors: Urbanek Emilia, Horn Rainer, Smucker Alwin J.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sciendo 2014-12-01
• Series: Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics
• Subjects: tensile strength; erosive strength; exterior/interior aggregate region; aggregate; concentric layers; dry aggregate stability; reduced tillage
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2014-0034

Reduced soil tillage practices are claimed to improve soil health, fertility and productivity through improved soil structure and higher soil organic matter contents. This study compares soil structure stability of soil aggregates under three different tillage practices: conventional, reduced and no tillage. The erosive strength of soil aggregates has been determined using the abrasion technique with the soil aggregate erosion chambers (SAE). During abrasion soil aggregates have been separated into the exterior, transitional and interior regions. The forces needed to remove the material from the aggregate were calculated as erosive strength and compared with the tensile strength of the aggregates derived from crushing tests. The relationship between aggregate strength and other soil properties such as organic carbon and hydrophobic groups’ content has also been identified.