Soil Redistribution Affected by Tillage in Lower Austrias Farmland

Tillage erosion measurements were conducted in Lower Austrias rolling farmland during the last three years at various slope gradients. Translocation of soil was measured by measuring the movement of aluminum tracers in response to single passes by two tillage implements (moldboard plough, chisel plough). Tillage depth and speed were kept as constant as possible but were varying up to 30 % due to tillage direction and changes in soil conditions. Linear regression equations expressing mean soil displacement as a function of slope gradients were developed and served to calculate tillage erosion coefficients (k - values). The k-value is defining the erosive capability of one tillage implement for one specific region and implies agrienvironmental conditions as well as tillage specific components. Resulting k-values were of the same magnitude for up/downward and contour tillage for each tillage implement but for chisel plough they were only 38 % of those for moldboard plough. The mean soil translocation of all experiments was 0.133 m upwards and 0.325 m downwards for moldboard plough and for chisel plough 0.137 m and 0.238 m, respectively.