Simulating the Effects of Erosion on Corn Productivity

Soil erosion effects on corn ( Zea mays L.) production are sparsely documented for the Corn Belt. Simulation of these effects would help identify important information gaps for the region and elsewhere and help in the understanding of basic soil‐plant processes and interactions that occur. The N Tillage Residue Management model was tested on nine field sites across the north‐central USA. The 119 site‐years of data simulated 78% ( R 2 of 0.78) of observed corn yield variability for a wide range of eroded soils. Slightly better predictions were made ( R 2 values of 0.82 and 0.80) for loess‐derived soils and soils in the eastern (wetter) study areas, respectively. Till‐derived soils and soils in the western (drier) areas had R 2 values of 0.75 and 0.77, respectively. Crop yield predictions were most responsive to soil physical properties.