Reducing runoff and soil loss using corn stalk juice at plot scale

Soil erosion control is the most essential principle for the sound utilization of soil and water. Application of soil amendments is considered as an appropriate and new strategy for soil erosion control. Despite the application of different amendments used for soil and water conservation, effects of corn stalk juice to control erosion and reduce runoff have not been considered yet. Corn stalk juice is a byproduct differentially utilized for green biomass, for example, as an energy source or a natural fiber material. The present study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the application of corn stalk juice on the runoff and erosion control of Crosby-Miami complex Alfisol packed in small-sized plots with three replicates. The study was performed under laboratory conditions using rainfall simulation and four small plots with 5% slope. Experiments were then set up as one control and six different treated plots (named as T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6) with two volumes of 0.4, 0.8 L and three concentrations of 25%, 50%, 75% and subjected to simulated rainfall, respectively. The results showed that the corn stalk juice had positive effects on runoff and erosion control. The effects of the high volume and concentration of corn stalk juice on runoff and erosion were both better than those of the low ones. The high corn stalk juice concentration was more effective on runoff and erosion reduction compared with the low corn stalk juice concentration under the same corn stalk juice volume, and vice versa. Runoff reduction benefit was 32%, 35%, 39%, 56%, 63% and 76%, respectively, for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 treatments. Erosion reduction benefit was 38%, 42%, 65%, 77%, 89% and 96%, respectively, for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 treatments. The effect of corn stalk juice on erosion was more obvious than that on runoff when the corn stalk juice concentrations and volumes both were the same. The present study provides insight into the development of corn stalk juice as a useful soil amendment.