Woburn Erosion Reference Experiment
- Experiment Code: W/RN/20
- Experiment Site: Woburn
- Objectives: To assess the effects of minimal tillage and contour cultivation on soil erosion, surface runoff, soil loss and crop yield on a sandy soil at Woburn, England
- Date Start: 1988
- Date End: 1998
- Key Contacts: Margaret Glendining, (Data Manager), 0000-0002-6466-4629 , Andrew Gregory, (Principal Investigator), 0000-0001-7123-0784 ,
Description
- Eight plots situated on a slope of about 5 degrees, (7-13%), each separated by a grass bank. The eroded soil and runoff were collected in tanks at the end of each plot after recent erosion. Four plots were cultivated and drilled parallel to the contour, and four up and down the slope. All plots grew the same crops each year, in a rotation typical of the sand soil of Bedfordshire. Four plots received standard cultivation and four minimal tillage.
Funding
- The e-RA database, including the published datasets generated from it, is part of the Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments - National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (RLTE-NBRI) , which also includes the Long-Term Experiments, the Sample Archive and Rothamsted's environmental monitoring activities including the weather stations and its role in the UK Environmental Change Network.
- The RLTE-NBRI is supported by the Lawes Agricultural Trust and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Grants BBS/E/C/00005189 (2012-2017); BBS/E/C/000J0300 (2017-2022); BBS/E/RH/23NB0007 (2023-2028)).
Keywords
- crop yield, long term experiments, minimum tillage, rothamsted research, runoff, soil erosion, soil organic carbon, tillage erosion, trace elements
Datasets available
| Title (hover for a longer description) | Year of Publication | Identifier | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
Crop yield data - Annual | |||
| Woburn Erosion Reference Experiment crop yields. | 2024 | https://doi.org/10.23637/wrn20-yield-01 |
01 |
Soil data | |||
| Woburn Erosion Reference Experiment soil erosion and surface runoff data | 2024 | https://doi.org/10.23637/wrn20-sed-01 |
01 |
| Woburn Erosion Reference Experiment plot soil total C and N | 2024 | https://doi.org/10.23637/wrn20-soil-01 |
01 |
- List all eRA datasets
- Additional data is available through e-RAdata. Please register for access
Site: Woburn Erosion Reference Experiment - Woburn
- Experiment Site: Woburn
- Description: Arable field, subject to periodic erosion since at least 1950 (Catt, 1996). Field site managed as an experimental farm since 1875. The two blocks had slightly different cropping histories before the experiment began (see Quinton et al, 2006, Table 2).
- Management: Conventional management for non-treatment factors.
- Visit Permitted?: No
- Visiting Arrangments: None
- Slope: 5
- Geolocation: 52.012222, -0.591111
Soil
- Type: Arenosol
Derived from Lower Greensand, ranging in texture from loamy sand to sandy loam, corresponding to the Cottenham and Lowlands series, defined by Claydon and Hollis (1984). In the US Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff 1999) these correspond to Lamellic Ustipsamment and Udic Haplustept respectively. Classified as Lamellic Arenosol and Fluvic Cambisol in the FAO system (FAO, 1998). Texture from Catt et al, 1998.
- Soil Properties
| Variable | Value | Reference Year | Is Estimated | Is Baseline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand content | 85 (%) | NO | YES | |
| Silt content | 5 (%) | NO | YES | |
| Clay content | 10 (%) | NO | YES |
Experiment Design
Use the arrows to navigate between periods
Description
- 2x2 factorial, two blocks. Two directions of cultivation (cultivated and drilled parallel to the contour v up and down the slope). Two types of cultivation (standard cultivation, residue removed v minimal tillage, residues retained). The two blocks had slightly different cropping histories before the experiment began. Standard cultivation was by moldboard plough to approximately 25cm depth. Minimal tillage was by shallow tines or discs to 10cm depth.
Design
- Period: 1988 - 1998
- Number of Plots: 8
- Number of Replicates: 2
- Number of Harvests per Year: 1
Crops
| Crop | Years Grown |
|---|---|
| Spring Barley | |
| Potatoes | |
| Winter Wheat | |
| Winter Barley | |
| Sugar Beet | |
| Fodder Beet | |
| Fallow |
Factors
Factors are the interventions or treatments which vary across the experiment.
| Level Name | Factor Name | Amount | Years | Frequency | Method | Chemical Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U: Up and Down the Slope | Tillage Process | 1988 - 1998 | Annual | ||||
| A: Across the Slope | Tillage Process | 1988 - 1998 | Annual | ||||
| M: Minimum Tillage, Cereal Straw and Potato and Beet Tops Retained, Partially Incorporated, Cultivated to 10cm Deep. | Tillage Process | 1988 - 1998 | Annual | ||||
| S: Standard Practice, Cereal Straw Baled and Removed, Potato and Beet Tops Raked and Removed. Mouldboard Ploughed . | Tillage Process | 1988 - 1998 | Annual |
Measurements
| Variable | Unit | Collection Frequency |
Material | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yield Trait | t/ha | Annual | AllCrops | |
| Water Flow from Plot | Water and soil flowing from each plot were chanelled to a collecting trough and through a pipe to two 2000litre storage tanks were they were stored until sampled. The amounts of runoff and soil loss from each plot were measured as soon after each runoff event as practically possible and usually within 48 hours. | |||
| Soil Loss from Each Plot | kg/ha | Water and soil flowing from each plot were chanelled to a collecting trough and through a pipe to two 2000litre storage tanks were they were stored until sampled. The amounts of runoff and soil loss from each plot were measured as soon after each runoff event as practically possible and usually within 48 hours. | ||
| Total Soil Phosphorous | kgP/ha | Total P in sediment sampled determined by ICP after aqua regia digest. | ||
| Mrp | Molybdate reactive P (MRP) in drainwater and runoff was determined following the method of Murphy and Riley (1962) following filtration using an Alpkem segmented flow colorimetic analyser. | |||
| Total Soil Nitrogen | kgN/ha | total nitrogen lost in sediment | ||
| Total Soil Potassium | kgK/ha | Soil | total potassium lost in sediment | |
| Soil Total Carbon | % | Soil | changes in soil carbon content in soil and soil carbon lost in sediment |
License
These media (images and videos) are
available under a Creative Commons
Attribution Licence (4.0) with attribution to Rothamsted Research.
Images
Key References
2007
- - Quinton, J. N. and Catt, J. A. (2007) "Enrichment of heavy metals in sediment resulting from soil erosion on agricultural fields", Environmental Science and Technology, 41, 3495–3500 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/es062147h
2006
- - Quinton, J. N., Catt, J. A., Wood, G. A. and Steer, J. (2006) "Soil carbon losses by water erosion: Experimentation and modeling at field and national scales in the UK", Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 112, 87–102 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2005.07.005
2004
- - Quinton, J. N. and Catt, J. A. (2004) "The effects of minimal tillage and contour cultivation on surface runoff, soil loss and crop yield in the long-term Woburn Erosion Reference Experiment on sandy soil at Woburn, England", Soil Use and Management, 20, 343–349 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-2743.2004.tb00379.x
2001
- - Quinton, J. N., Catt, J. A. and Hess, T. M. (2001) "The selective removal of phosphorus from soil: Is event size important?", Journal of Environmental Quality, 30, 538–545 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2001.302538x
1998
- - Catt, J. A., Howse, K. R., Farina, R., Brockie, D., Todd, A., Chambers, B. J., Hodgkinson, R., Harris, G. L. and Quinton, J. N. (1998) "Phosphorus losses from arable land in England", Soil Use and Management, 14, 168–174 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-2743.1998.tb00636.x
1994
- - Catt, J. A., Quinton, J. N., Rickson, R. J. and Styles, P. (1994) "Nutrient losses and crop yields in the Woburn Erosion Reference Experiment", Conserving soil resources: European Perspective (R.J. Rickson - CABI Int, Wallingford, UK), 94–104
