Work of soil and risks of agricultural erosion: Case of the itinerary technical cereal on tray of Mostaganem-Northwest Algeria

Abstract

With a semi-arid Mediterranean climate and viticulture vocation, the tray of Mostaganem (North-West of Algeria) has become a region of great crops. Subject to increase mechanization and inappropriate tillage practices, farm lands are exposed to erosion that seriously weighs the physical and socio-economic contexts. An itinerary technique (cereal) is chosen to study along the slope, surface and deep structural changes of soil, humidity and the fine particles (<2 μm). Thus, consideration of the surface shows a strong soil erodibility partly linked to the action of implements and a rain erosivity accentuated by lack of vegetation in the rainy season.Culural profiles observations show the small depth of tillage affecting mostly superior horizon. Average horizon, wet, rich in fine particles and barely reached by tools impedes any move to lower horizon which is very compact without variability. With this kind of technical itinerary, fine elements losses estimated to (3 t/ha/year) result closely from the characteristics of the physical environment but also the conditions of its exploitation. In case of more important spatial-temporal unit’s extrapolation, the consequences will be even more harmful if improvement actions are not undertaken.

Keywords

• Erosivity, erodability, structural state, technical itinerary, cereal, tray of Mostaganem, tillage

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