Integrated runoff and soil loss monitoring unit for small agricultural watersheds

Pathak, P and Chandrasekhar, K and Wani, S P and Sudi, R and Budama, N (2016) Integrated runoff and soil loss monitoring unit for small agricultural watersheds. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 128. pp. 50-57. ISSN 01681699

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Abstract

Runoff and sediment flow behaviors from small agricultural watersheds on Alfisols and Vertic Inceptisols, and their implications for the design of a runoff and soil loss monitoring unit are discussed. It was observed that a small segment of runoff hydrograph near peak discharge rate usually accounted for 65–85 percent of total storm soil loss. The runoff and sediment flow behavior recorded on the small agricultural watersheds indicated the need for an integrated digital runoff and soil loss monitoring unit (IDRSMU) to achieve higher accuracy and cost effectiveness. The design, development and testing of an IDRSMU to measure both the runoff and soil loss from small agricultural watersheds is presented. Under the field conditions its accuracy and efficiency for monitoring soil loss from small agricultural watersheds was observed good. Use of this integrated unit, makes the estimation of soil loss easy, rapid and accurate. The designed unit does smart runoff sampling by linking the runoff sampling intervals to the sediment load. This significantly reduces number of samples that needs to be collected, thereby reducing the operational cost, without compromising with the accuracy in estimating soil loss from small agricultural watersheds.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Research Program : Asia
CRP:	CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Sediment flow behavior, Digital runoff recorder, Low cost sediment sampler, Efficient runoff sampling, Agricultural watershed, Small agricultural watersheds
Subjects:	Others > Agriculture Others > Soil Others > Soil Science Others > Watershed Management
Depositing User:	Mr Ramesh K
Date Deposited:	09 Nov 2016 09:47
Last Modified:	13 Feb 2017 06:20
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/9767
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2016.08.011
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement:	The authors are thankful to Dr. K.L. Sahrawat, and Dr. Piara Singh, Consultant, ICRISAT, for their comments and suggestions on the paper. We also acknowledge the contribution of Mr. L.J. Naidu, Senior Scientific Associate, ICRISAT Development Center, ICRISAT, in collecting the data from the experiments.
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