Influence of erosion of sod-podzolic soils on the productivity of agricultural crops (results of long-term field experiments)

Abstract

Grain crops reduce yields on sod-podzolic slightly washed soils by an average of 5–7 % compared to non-eroded soils, on medium- and heavily washed soils by 10–11 and 18–20 %, respectively. The yield deficiencies of rapes on weakly and mediumwashed soils are the same as for grain crops, and on strongly washed soils on average 26 %, in some years up to 30 %. Leguminous crops react most significantly to soil erosion. Their productivity on weakly, medium and strongly washed soils is 10–30 % and up to 40 % lower than on non-eroded soils. On sod-podzolic soils on loess-like loams, the effect of soil erosion on crop yield is less pronounced than on sod-podzolic soils on moraine loams. On the slopes of the northern expositions, the yield of agricultural crops on washed-out soils in relation to unwashed soils decreases more significantly than on the slopes of the southern expositions. The differences are on average 4–5 %.