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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Contents Vol 62(1)

WEPP interrill erodibility for clay soils in the crop lands of Northern NSW and Southern Queensland, Australia

Silburn D. Mark https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6119-6292 A B * and Bronwyn Bosomworth https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6444-2842 C D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Queensland Department of Science and Environment, PO Box 318, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

B Centre for Agricultural Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

C Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Rockhampton, Qld 4700, Australia.

D School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Qld 4111, Australia.

* Correspondence to: mark.silburn@des.qld.gov.au

Handling Editor: Claudio Bini

Soil Research 62, SR23137 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR23137
Submitted: 11 July 2023  Accepted: 25 September 2023  Published: 13 October 2023

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) soil erosion model parameters are rare for cultivated cropping soils in Australia.

Aims

Measure WEPP interrill erodibility (Ki) for cropping soils.

Methods

Plots were 50% side-slopes of row-crop furrows. Rainfall was applied for 30 min at 107 mm h−1 under a rainfall simulator, then at higher and lower rainfall intensities for 10 or 6 min. Several of these rainfall sequences were performed with drying between (events). Runoff, sediment concentrations and sediment sizes in runoff and the soil surface after rain and sediment settling velocities were measured. Soils were well-aggregated Vertosols and a Dermosol: clay 31–69%, silt ~20%. Settling velocities and undispersed particle size distributions for rainfall wet soil are provided for a range of soils in Supplemental Data, for use by WEPP users.

Key results

Runoff during 30 min and 54 mm of rain was 28–44 mm or 50–86% rainfall. Soil losses were 26–61 t ha−1 and sediment concentrations 67–127 g L−1. Infiltration, runoff, sediment concentration and soil losses were sometimes different for soils and events. Gatton and Emerald soils had lower soil losses and Cecilvale, Mywybilla and Narrabri soils had higher soil losses.

Conclusions

Mean Ki for Emerald and Gatton soils were significantly lower, 2 960 000 and 3 209 600 kg.s m−4, respectively. Ki values were not significantly different for the Cecilvale, Narrabri and Mywybilla soils, 3 900 000 kg.s m−4.

Implications

WEPP Ki values were like values found for USA cropping on clay soils. Sizes in the soil surface and sediment, and settling velocity distributions, were similar between soils but sediment sizes were finer.

Keywords: cotton furrows, Dermosols, furrow sideslopes, sediment sizes, settling velocities, soil erosion, Vertosols, WEPP.

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