Impact of crop residue and cover crop management on soil hydraulic properties

Abstract

As the world population is increasing in a world threatened by global warming, the uncertainty on our abilities to provide enough resources is growing. Among these concerns, water is a major element. Therefore, new farming methods, more respectful of our primary resources and of the durability or our soils are emerging. This study focuses on the effects of the type of tillage, crop residue management and the date of plowing on the hydraulic properties of the soil. Therefore, the water content has been studied from 2014 to 2016 after eight different treatments split on three fields. The tests showed that incorporating the crop residues was the most important factor improving the water storage capacity thanks to an increase of the organic matter. To a lesser extent, a reduced tillage has also a positive effect on the water storage. However, it has a significant positive effect compared to other treatments on the water retention capacity after a rain event. That might be explained by the smaller size of the soil pores, often caused by such treatment. The timing of tillage has no significant impact on the storage capacity or on the water retention of the soil. Conclusions could thus be drawn for the three studied factors. However, to increase the understanding on the treatment’s impact, a similar study should be conducted in a few years, when the soil modifications will be more pronounced.