Using%20RUSLE2%20and%20the%20SCI%20in%20the%20Conservation%20Security%20Program

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Using RUSLE2 and the SCI in the Conservation
Security Program

• Dave Lightle
• Agronomist
• National Soil Survey Center
• Lincoln, Nebraska

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Get Ready Ahead of Signup and Work Smart

• We cannot do specific field by field analysis
  with the limited TA we have.
• We cannot run analysis on a lot of fields to help
  the producer decide what to offer.
• Require the producer to have what he needs and to
  know what fields he is offering so one visit and
  one interview will do it.

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Analyze the Watershed

• Identify several natural types of landscapes and
  develop treatment groups i.e.,
• Flat bottomland
• Nearly level uplands
• Gently sloping uplands
• Moderately sloping uplands
• Steeply sloping uplands

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Look at several soil properties such as

• Slope ranges
• Soil Erodibility factor
• Soil Loss tolerance
• Yield potential
• Soil Texture
• Etc.

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Decide on the typical treatment groupings for
example

• Flat bottomland and Nearly level uplands
• Gently sloping with Kf 0.20 to 0.28
• Gently sloping with Kf 0.32 to 0.43
• Moderately sloping uplands w/ Kf 0.2 to 0.28
• Moderately sloping uplands w/Kf 0.32 to 0.43
• Steeply sloping uplands w/Kf 0.32 to 0.43

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Build and save the most common local cropping and
tillage systems as local management files
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Check management files for errors, for example

• Trying to grow two crops at the same time. (The
  last one in rules)
• Adding manure or compost operations but
  neglecting to choose residue type or failing to
  enter amount of dry basis material or to adjust
  for 0.5 effectiveness of liquid and slurry
  materials.
• Entering field cultivators or harrows soon after
  planting that, in effect, kill the crop before
  it grows thus contributing no biomass.

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Other common errors

• Entering incorrect yields, especially with cover
  crops.
• Choosing the wrong planter, seeder or drill.
• Choosing the wrong harvest machine.
• Neglecting to check operation dates to insure
  they match the length of the rotation

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Create and save RUSLE2 runs using the RUSLE2
Worksheet and utilize as template runs for each
common treatment group

• This presets the following items in the heading
  to eliminate redundant key strokes and
  duplication
• Climate station
• Indicator soil
• Representative slope
• Each line represents a common management system
  combining
• Crop rotation
• Tillage system
• Supporting practices

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At the producer interview

• Producer provides information about rotation and
  tillage system used, and etc.
• Producer indicates which fields are being
  offered.
• We locate the fields and review the maps and
  identify which treatment groups are involved.
• We group fields into management units having
  similar conditions.

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W.L.
5. Crop
2. Crop
F.S.
W.L.
4. Crop
1, Crop
6. Crop
W.L.
7. Crop
8. Crop
w.L.
3. Crop
9. Crop
10. Crop
11. Crop
13. Crop
14. Crop
W. L.
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At the producer interview

• Use Dominant Critical soil selection approach
• In this case, fields 3, 5, and 9 are in the
  Gently sloping group and all others are in the
  moderately sloping group or steeply sloping group.

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Dominant Critical Area Determination

• Fields rarely are comprised of a single soil map
  unit with uniform topography. To insure that the
  treatment system is adequate for the significant
  parts of the field or conservation management
  unit, the "dominant critical area" needs to be
  identified.
• The dominant critical area is used to represent
  the entire field or Conservation Management Unit
  CMU for the purpose of managing that field or
  CMU.
• The erosion estimate, Soil Conditioning Index and
  STIR values and decisions are based on this
  "dominant critical area".

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Dominant Critical Area
This dominant critical area is nether the average
of the site or landscape characteristics of the
field, nor the worst case scenario, unless it is
significantly large enough on which to base the
management of the field.
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271C3
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Dominant Critical Area

• It is improper to base determinations on the
  largest common (dominant by extent) landscape in
  cases where it is the flattest and least erosive
  or has the highest SCI. 
• If one chose this landscape, the more sloping
  areas will be over rated (under treated). 
• Additionally, basing the determination on
  weighted average slope in the field is improper
  since it also over rates more limiting areas. 

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271C3
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Dominant Critical Area

• Some fields may have small insignificant areas of
  10 or less of the field or less than a couple of
  acres that is much steeper and more erosive or
  have other resource issues.
• Such areas are critical but not dominant and it
  would be improper to base the eligibility
  determination for this area and apply it to the
  whole field. This would significantly under rate
  the field and would be impractical to the
  producer if we used this in Conservation
  Planning.

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Dominant Critical Area

• In Conservation Planning, opportunities may exist
  to split out this area as a different
  conservation management unit and develop it as a
  wildlife area or recreation area with permanent
  cover or to apply additional supporting practices
  to the cropping and tillage practices planned for
  the critical significant area. (An enhancement
  opportunity)

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At the producer interview

• We select the closest matching management system
  and supporting practice(s) for the landscape
  group(s) in which the land falls and use the SCI
  and STIR values directly.
• (Optional for limited special cases or uncommon
  systems)
• We boot RUSLE2 and load the worksheets for the
  treatment groups on the farm in question.
• We tweak any necessary information
• select different crop
• adjust yield
• fine tune management
• Fine tune practices
• Run, save, and print

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