In ridge crops, rain is both a blessing and a curse. The aim must be to prevent erosion and allow the water to seep away slowly. One solution: transverse dams.
In potato cultivation , protection against erosion and water retention on the field are two sides of the same coin and present a particular challenge. Due to the intensive tillage and ridge formation, the soil is very susceptible to erosion over a long period of time . Transverse levees and/or landscaping can help slow the rate of water runoff and allow it to drain into place.
The construction of transverse dams with and without sowing also offers those farms the opportunity to successfully protect themselves from erosion that only take over areas from other farmers for one year. This is, so to speak, protection against erosion “on demand”. Transverse dams are an option that can be implemented at any time. We have summarized the other means by which you can avoid erosion in these 7 tips against erosion .
Transverse dams without sowing
The transverse dam method without sowing is available from various manufacturers. It can be combined with the All-in-one system or with the hilling/milling operation. The transverse dams form a system of many small dams that allow the water to seep away. Since very few surfaces are completely flat, the water always runs together in deeper areas on large strokes. It is missing elsewhere and leads to wet areas in the loft that are difficult to drive on after the rain. Late blight can also spread here.
On loamy soils with a slight incline, the transverse dam method for ridging/tilling can be sufficient. Silty, sandy soils, on the other hand, begin to “run” even on low slopes. If the transverse dams are pulled as soon as they are laid, the extended protection against erosion takes effect right from the start and achieves the necessary water retention.
Effective protection against erosion: green transverse dams
Transverse dams that are greened with the help of seedlings achieve the most effective protection against erosion. In our experience, winter barley is particularly suitable for this. It tillers vigorously and tolerates herbicides well. Tests with oats and spring barley showed compatibility problems and did not offer sufficient protection against erosion. Winter barley has another advantage due to the lack of bolting.
The winter barley is sown continuously between the ridges in front of the transverse ridge former at a rate of 40 to 50 kg/ha. He pulls the soil together with the seed and thereby forms the dams. With this method, the seed is mainly concentrated in the transverse dams and is placed at different depths. As a result, it runs with a time delay.
If winter barley that has already emerged is damaged by standard herbicide treatment, the delayed emergence of barley plants can compensate for the loss. Already the development of the roots and the associated microbial revitalization of the soil holds the soil crumbs together and stabilizes the ridges. If the development is too luxuriant, the winter barley can be removed in the spraying sequence as soon as it is hand-high with a herbicide. This is sufficient to ensure adequate protection against erosion until the potatoes close in rows.
So far, there have only been self-made solutions for the technical implementation. According to information from All-in-one GmbH, series-ready additional equipment with a transverse ridge former and APV spreader will be available on the market from 2024.
=================================================================
Furrow diking -other options:
GRIMME TerraProtect Pro
Logan Yield Pro – Water Dammer Diker
Machines to combat erosion (demo)
Potato Diking machine.(Dammer) S N 173.2 Dammer Diker and Furrow Diker
Furrow diking in corn
=======================================================================
Transverse dams are less suitable for organic farming
Transverse dams are less suitable for organic farming. The following operations such as hilling and weeding would destroy the transverse dams that had been created. However, the erosion problem in organic farming is often greater than in conventional farming. The Bioland farmers and sisters Lucia and Marlene Gruber show here how erosion control with catch crops can work in organic farming.
Sowing grain between the ridges helps to stabilize the furrows in organic farming and to reduce the speed of runoff. The corn roots hold the soil firmly. If you pull a well tilled crop out of the ground, you will see how the active roots are covered with soil. The root exudates stick the soil particles together and make them more resistant to rain
Erosion minimization solutions – soil health (part-1)
Soil erosion during irrigation – ag measures to minimize 2
Battling soil erosion on sloping cropland with narrow, vegetative strips (part-3)
