The erodibility of some soil series In the pineapple-producing coastal area of the eastern Cape

A rotating-boom rainfall simulator was used to measure soil losses from eight soil series falling within five morphologically dissimilar soil forms, i.e. Bonheim, Glenrosa, Kroonstad, Mayo and Oakleaf. The data obtained were used to calculate the soil erodibility factor (K) contained in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (U.S.L.E.) of the United States Department of Agriculture. The results indicate that the lowest mean value was obtained from the Mayo and the highest from the Kroonstad series. The mean soil series erodibilities calculated from measured soil losses are weakly correlated with the subjectively determined, basic erodibility indices of the Soil Loss Estimator for southern Africa (SLEMSA) and are unrelated to the K values calculated from the U.S.L.E. nomograph. The applicability of both these indices under eastern Cape conditions is thus uncertain.