| authors: | Stanley, C. |
| title: | Runoff Characteristics of Row Cropped Vegetable Production on Flatwoods Soils as Affected by Bed Covering |
| year: | 2000 |
| source: | SWFWMD Project Rpt. B-43 |
| URL: | Please log in to access the document. |
| abstract: | A field study area was developed and used to determine the effect of mulch cover on surface runoff quantities. This same area was used to measure runoff from all specific row cover treatments. There was no crop grown since the main goal was a comparative study among the treatment combinations and it would be impossible to separate out the effect of crop developmental stage and its impact on the results. Figure 1 a illustrates the setup. The percentage of coverage treatments will be: 1) 100% of beds (44% of gross area); 2) 50% of beds (22% of gross area); and 3) 0% (0% of gross area). Three separate runoff determination runs were made for each treatment during the study all started with the same initial water table level. Overhead sprinklers will be used for controlled application (-0.4 inches/hI') of simulated rainfall to the study area. Runoff amounts and rates were measured from all in-field ditches used for drainage. In addition, the study area had water table level observation well installed to monitor water table level changes as a result of the applied water. While direct use of the numerical values obtained from this methodology to commercial field situations may not be applicable, the relative differences between treatments within the study were determined to be of great value to determine if the presence of plastic indeed has an effect on increasing surface runoff. Because the initial position of the naturally present water table may impact surface runoff characteristics, two different initial water table levels ( 18 inches, and -24 inches) were used in combination with the plastic mulch treatment to detennine which may have the most effect on amounts and rate of runoff. |
| keywords: | Vegetable crops, Flatwoods soil, bed covering, sprinklers, irrigation |
