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Soil and water losses due to conventional agricultural management are high and nonsustainable in several Croatian croplands. A rainfall simulation experiment was conducted at 60 mm h–1 over 30 min on 10 paired plots (0.785 m2), bare and straw covered. The experiment was carried out in maize cultivation (Blagorodovac, Croatia) established on Pseudogley on slopes. Measurements were conducted during April (bare soil, after seeding - VE), May (five leaves stage – V3) and June (intensive vegetative growth - V7) making 60 rainfall simulations in total. Straw reduced soil and water losses importantly. The highest water, sediment loss, and sediment concentrations were identified in tillage plots in the V3 stage. An addition of 2 t ha-1 straw cover (200 g m–2) resulted in delayed ponding (for 7%, 63% and 50% at VE, V3 and V7 stage, respectively) and runoff generation (for 37%, 32% and 18% at VE, V3 and V7 stage, respectively). Compared to the straw mulched plot, tillage and bare soil increase water losses by 349%. Maize development reduced the differences between bare and straw mulched plots. In V3 and V7 stages bare plots increase water losses for 92% and 95%, respectively. The straw mulch reduced raindrop kinetic energy and sediment detachment from 9, 6 and 5 magnitude orders at VE, V3 and V7 stages. Overall, the straw mulch was revealed to be a highly efficient nature-based solution for soil conservation and maize cultivation protection. |
