Effectiveness of rock wall terraces on soil conservation and crop performance in a southern Honduras steepland farming system /

0. 1). Nitrogen content was significantly greater on the

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sierra, Hector Enrique, 1959-
Format: Thesis eBook
Language:English
Published: [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified] ; 1996.
Subjects:
Online Access:Link to OAKTrust copy
Description
Summary:0. 1). Nitrogen content was significantly greater on the
70% greater in terraced field. Within each terrace, the crop
compare soil physical and chemical properties between sites.
compared with the unterraced field. Sorghum grain yield was
conservation and crop production was studied on a steepland
difference in soil texture between terraced and unterraced
different between terraced and unterraced fields. The results
erosion and maintain crop yield in steep land areas of
farm in southern Honduras during the 1995 growing season.
fields may explain in part the lower biomass and grain yield.
increments from 0 to 75 cm. These samples were analyzed to
land. However, total runoff from unterraced sites exceeded
matter was significantly greater on the terraced sites (P <
of the chemical soil analysis indicated that soil organic
of the soil physical analysis indicated that terraced fields
random locations within the unterraced field. At every
retaining newly eroded material. Indeed, erosion from the
Runoff plots were installed on the terraced (35% slope) and
sample location soil samples were taken in 15 cm depth
sediment yield and runoff. The upslope portion of the 1 m
sites. This study shows that the use of rock walls combined
sodium, sulfur and pH were generally not statistically
Soil was collected at I m intervals between rock walls and at
southern Honduras.
Standing crop of maize and sorghum were also measured along
Standing crop yield on terraced sites was 59% greater
tall rock walls had completely filled in with sediment over
tended to have lower bulk density. There was no consistent
terraced sites had significantly greater standing crop.
terraced sites. The low nitrogen content in unterraced
terraces was not significantly different from unterraced
The effect that rock wall terraces have on soil and water
The levels of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium,
the previous decade, thus they were no longer useful for
The research compared a site with 10 year old rock terraces
total runoff from the terraced field by about 87 mm.
transacts between terraced and on unteffaced land. The
unterraced (50% slope) sites to determine differences in
where the most soil deposition had taken place. The results
with an adjacent portion of the field that had no terraces.
with minimum tillage and mulch residue, can control soil
yields were highest in areas immediately above the rock wall
Item Description:"Major subject: Rangeland Ecology and Management".
Vita.
Physical Description:xiii, 80 leaves : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm.
Also available online.
Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references: pages 75-79.