Effectiveness of Polyacrylamide in Reducing Runoff and Soil Loss under Consecutive Rainfall Storms

Birhanu Kebede, Atsushi Tsunekawa, Nigussie Haregeweyn, Amrakh I. Mamedov, Mitsuru Tsubo, Ayele Almaw Fenta, Derege Tsegaye Meshesha, Tsugiyuki Masunaga, Enyew Adgo, Getu Abebe and Mulatu Liyew Berihun
Additional contact information
Birhanu Kebede: The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, 4-101 Koyama-Minami, Tottori 680-8553, Japan
Atsushi Tsunekawa: Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Nigussie Haregeweyn: International Platform for Dry Land Research and Education, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Amrakh I. Mamedov: Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Mitsuru Tsubo: Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Ayele Almaw Fenta: Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Derege Tsegaye Meshesha: College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 1289, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Tsugiyuki Masunaga: Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Shimane Matsue 690-0823, Japan
Enyew Adgo: College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 1289, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Getu Abebe: The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, 4-101 Koyama-Minami, Tottori 680-8553, Japan
Mulatu Liyew Berihun: The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, 4-101 Koyama-Minami, Tottori 680-8553, Japan

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: The use of anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) as a soil conditioner could help prevent soil loss by water. In this study, we determined the effective granular PAM rate that best reduces runoff and soil loss from Oxisols. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the selected PAM rate was tested by applying it in a mixture with gypsum (G) or lime (L). The study was conducted in two phases: (i) Dry PAM rates of 0 (C), 20 kg ha −1 (P20), 40 kg ha −1 (P40), and 60 kg ha −1 (P60) were applied onto soil surface and run for six consecutive rainfall storms of 70 mm h −1 intensity for 1 h duration, and the effective PAM rate was selected; and (ii) G (4 t ha −1 ) or L (2 t ha −1 ) were applied alone or mixed with the selected PAM rate. The P20 was found to be effective in reducing runoff in the beginning while P40 and P60 were more effective starting from the third storm through the end of the consecutive storms, but with no statistically significant difference between P40 and P60. Hence, P40 was selected as the most suitable rate for the given test soil and rainfall pattern. On the other hand, the mixed application of P40 with G or L increased infiltration rate (IR) in the first two storms through improving soil solution viscosity. However, effectiveness of the mixtures had diminished by various degrees as rain progressed, as compared to P40 alone, which could be attributed to the rate and properties of G and L. In conclusion, the variation in effectiveness of PAM rates in reducing runoff with storm duration could indicate that the effective rates shall be selected based on the climatic region in that lower rates for the short rains or higher rates for elongated rains. Moreover, combined application of PAM with L could offer a good option to both fairly reduce soil erosion and improve land productivity especially in acidic soils like Oxisols, which requires further field verification.

Keywords: polyacrylamide; gypsum; lime; runoff; soil loss; dryland (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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