Quantify impact of wind erosion on organic matter content under management practices, Wadi el Raml, NWCZ, Egypt

Abstract EN

Wind soil erosion is one of the land degradation processes in North Western Coastal Zone (NWCZ) of Egypt.

It was assessed under condition of wheat crop grown on a sandy loam soil in Wadi El Raml in 2018/2019.

Three tillage treatments of no-tillage (NT), minimum tillage (MT) and conventional tillage (CT) were assessed with or without organic manuring (30 m³ ha^-1) combined with or without mulching (with rice straw covering 60% of soil surface).

The aim of the study was assessment the impact of wind erosion on wheat yield and soil organic matter content (SOM) under different tillage practices under rainfed agriculture at Wadi El Raml in NWCZ.

The highest bulk density was associated with NT.

Losses (kg m^-2 y^-1) of about 275, 221 and 173 were shown in the CT, MT and NT treatments, respectively.

The erodibility average values andloss of OM and TN were highest in the bare soil.

Soil loss materials for the bare soil was higher than for the cultivated soils, which gave their the highest loss of 275 kg m^-2y^-1with non-manured non-mulched CT and the lowest of 16 kg m^-2y^-1for the manured and mulched NT.

The highest wheat yield was obtained with manured and mulched CT.

The results of this study showed that the use of 30 m³ha^-1of organic manure and 60% of the coverage with rice straw in each cultivation type led to improving the soil content of organic matter and reducing soil loss by erosion by wind.

This study emphasized the benefits of conservation tillage, such as improving bulk density as a guide to soil quality, which keeps it from degradation, as happens with conventional tillage.

The study also recommended the use of conservation tillage in cultivated cereal crops for more than one season under rainfed conditions in Egypt to increase the content of soil organic matter, thus increasing crop productivity compared to the traditional tillage system to achieve sustainable agricultural production inNWCZ of Egypt.