Relationship between runoff and soil losses with rainfall characteristics and long-term soil management practices in a hilly vineyard (Piedmont, NW Italy)

AbstractRunoff and soil losses caused by natural rainfall events were monitored over a 10-year observation period in three experimental vineyard plots located in Alto Monferrato, a vine-growing area in Piedmont (NW Italy). The plots are characterized by a slope of about 15% and a soil classified as Typic Ustorthents, fine-loamy, mixed, calcareous, mesic. Each of them was managed with a different inter-row soil management practice: conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT) and controlled grass cover (GC), respectively. The rainfall characteristics, runoff discharge and concentration of soil in the water were measured. More than 150 rainfall events producing runoff and 63 erosive events were recorded. The data set was elaborated to investigate the relationships between runoff and soil losses with rainfall amount, duration and intensity, and to evaluate the effects of soil management methods. The amounts of water and soil that ran off the vineyard in the study period varied according to the season, rai...