MICRO-SCALE SOIL-WATER PROCESSES

Surface flow and soil erosion are natural processes affected by changes in agricultural land use and management. Increases in surface runoff have been related to altered agricultural practices and management interventions. The most contradictory crop management principle in the sustainable/conservation agriculture is soil disturbance in general, and no-till practice in particular. Many studies have shown that this practice yield higher soil organic carbon content, thus, it preserves soil structure, porosity, and water holding capacity. At the same time, the agriculture management technique based on tillage targets sustainable production by various means, including reducing runoff and optimizing the associated infiltration and soil-water redistribution processes. Those techniques are based on studies that reported significant porosity reduction and surface compaction in no-till farming.