TERON Project at Department of Geography University of Exeter

The European Community Specific Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration in the Field of Agriculture and Fisheries (Including Agro-industry, Food Technologies, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development (1994-1998)

Project leader: Dr. T. A. Quine

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oAcknowledgement:
Most of the information is either copied or compiled from the research proposal for the TERON project. But, this is not an official homepage for the TERON project.

oProject Title:
Tillage Erosion : Current State, Future Trends and Prevention

oWhy tillage erosion
Experiment data, field monitoring and theoretical modelling show that up- and downslope tillage can cause a significant net downslope movement of soil on slopes, namely tillage erosion. Under conditions of mechanised agriculture, tillage erosion is a very important process contributing enormously to soil degradation. Though its indirect effect on soil erosion by water has long been recognised, its direct downhill movement of soil by tillage implements has largely been neglected.

oProject Objectives:
  1. To assess the intensity of tillage erosion across a number of representative agricultural sites in Europe under present-day agronomic conditions as well its effects on soil quality.
  2. To predict future effects of tillage erosion on soil quality using basic information derived from experiments on the erosional effects of various tillage implements.
  3. To develop the necessary tools and guidelines to allow extension services within the EU to asses the impact of tillage erosion on the agricultural land and to devise land management schemes minimising tillage erosion

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oSpecific Tasks:
  1. Development of a common methodology for the description of soil quality
  2. Selection of field sites for the study
  3. Description of field sites and present-day soil quality assessment
  4. Sampling and analysis of caesium-137 inventories for the sites
  5. Refinement and extension of existing modelling technology
  6. Quantification of tillage erosion rates and assessment of the effect of tillage erosion on soil quality
  7. Development of methodology to carry out tillage erosion experiments
  8. Tillage erosion experiments under controlled conditions and real-life conditions
  9. Development and testing of a deterministic tillage erosion model
  10. Simulation of effects of future tillage erosion on soil quality through scenario analysis
  11. Development of a GIS-based decision support tool allowing the expert user to locate the areas susceptible to tillage erosion and predict its effect on soil quality
  12. Distribution of information on the effects of tillage erosion to the agricultural extension services, farmers organisations, and responsible government departments in the EU

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oPartnership
LEG: Laboratory for Experimental Geomorphology Catholic University Leuven (Belgium), principal researchers include G. Govers (Prof), W. Van Muysen
ERRG: Environmental Radionuclide Research Group , University of Exeter (England), principal researchers include T. A. Quine (Dr), Y. Zhang
DIAS-DSS: Danish Institute ofAgricultural Science , (Denmark), principal researchers include E. Sibbesen (Dr), G. Heckrath
AUA: Laboratory of Soil and agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural University of Athens (Greece), principal researchers include C. Kosmas(A. Prof), N. Yassoglou (Prof), N. Danalatos (Dr).
FIR: CNR Soil Genesis,Classification and Cartography Research Centre (Italy), principal researchers include D. Torri (Dr), P. Bazzoffi.
COR: Department of Agronomy, University of Cordoba (Spain), principal researchers include J. V. Giraldez (Prof), A. Laguna (A. Prof), M. P. Gonzalez
EVO: Rural Engineering Department, University of Evora (Portugal), principal researchers include A. F. Ferreira (Prof), J. Rafael de Silva and J. M. C. N. Soares

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oRelevant links
Soil Quality Institute of USDA Natural Resources Research Council. A list of Soil quality related sites can be found
Soil Erosion and Residue Management Hybrid Selection
National Soil Tilth Laboratory (NSTL), ARS of U.S.
Soil erosion prediction and its intergration with GIS. More links related to GIS, erosion and deposition modelling, caesium-technique can be found here
Soil & Tillage Research (Homepage of an international Journal)
International Society of Soil Science (ISSS)
Soil Science Society of America
Australian Journal of Soil Research
Science of Soil - Soil Science on the Web
Michael J. Lindstrom's homepage where a list of publications with abstracts
Pictorial description and discussion of tillage erosion in Tomlin's book entitled Productivity of Agricultural Soils. A similar discussion on tillage erosion can also be found in the book- The Health of Our Soils
SWEEP(Soil and Water Environmental Enhancement Program) in Canada has examined the effects of tillage on many aspects of soil complex

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