Computation of anti-erosion effects of vineyards based on field erosion measurement :case study from Vráble viticultural district (Sovakia)

Abstract

This paper describes the evaluation of the anti-erosion effect of vineyards, represented by the universal soil loss equation (usle), cover- management factor (c factor), and support practice factor (P factor). the calculations are based on measured soil loss data. The erosion and deposition rates were evaluated from aboveground vineyard poles as their exposure lengths change between the year of vineyard plantation and the year of measurement. The lengths increased on the erosion areas, because the soil had been washed away. On the deposition areas the poles had been covered by soil, so the exposed lengths for aboveground poles decreased. The measurements were taken in Horný ohaj vineyards, which belong to the vráble viticultural district. The calculations were based on a comparison between the measured erosion, and the erosion modelled with usle model. The cover management factor was evaluated for ploughed vineyard. Different c factor values were substituted to the usle until the root mean squared error between measured and modelled data was minimal. The support practice factor for hoed and rotavatored vineyard was calculated simultaneously. The cover-management factor was determined to 0.692. The support practice factor for ploughed vineyard is 1.000, for hoed vineyard is 0.586, and for rotavatored vineyard is 0.719.