@article{fdi:010053457,
  title = {{I}mpact of very low crop residues cover on wind erosion in the {S}ahel},
  author = {{A}bdourhamane {T}our{\'e}, {A}. and {R}ajot, {J}ean-{L}ouis and {G}arba, {Z}. and {M}articorena, {B}. and {P}etit, {C}. and {S}ebag, {D}avid},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}n the {S}ahel, with average annual precipitation in the order of 500 mm yr(-1), wind erosion occurs mainly on cultivated millet fields whose surfaces are only partially covered by crop residues. {T}he impact of these residues on wind erosion was not clearly established. {T}he objective of this study is thus to quantify the actual amount of crop residues in traditional {S}ahelian fields and to determine their impacts on wind erosion by reference to a bare surface throughout the seasonal cycle over several years. {A}t the beginning of the year during dry season, {S}ahelian farmers use to "clean" their fields, i.e. cut and lay flat on the soil surface any millet stalks still standing and yearly sprouts of shrubs. {A}fter this clearing, the crop residues cover ({CRC}) regularly decreases passing from 12% to less than 2% four months later. {O}n traditional cultivated plot, crop residues efficiently prevent soil losses by wind erosion during the dry season and considerably reduce erosion fluxes at the beginning of the rainy season. {H}owever, for {CRC} lower than 2%, wind velocities were sufficient to produce important erosion even during dry season. {A} minimal cover rate of about 2% (100 kg ha(-1)) thus appears as critical to reduce wind erosion. {T}his reduction is driven by the higher aerodynamic roughness length which increases the wind erosion threshold velocity. {I}f field clearing is made in {J}anuary, as currently done, the {CRC} just after clearing should be about 800 kg ha(-1) to maintain {CRC} above 2% at beginning of the rainy season when wind velocities are the highest and wind erosion the most intense. {O}ur results also demonstrate that during the second part of rainy season wind erosion is reduced, not so much due to vegetation development but rather to a decrease in the number and the intensity of high winds events.},
  keywords = {{N}iger ; {W}ind erosion ; {M}illet field ; {C}rop residues cover ; {A}erodynamic roughness length},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{C}atena},
  volume = {85},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {205--214},
  ISSN = {0341-8162},
  year = {2011},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.catena.2011.01.002},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010053457},
}