Tracking Wind Deposits on Fluvisols in a Citrus Orchard in Southeast Spain: a Test in Real Time

Abstract

We used wind-transported particle collectors of our own inhouse design to monitor the sediment flow in a citrus orchard in Southeast Spain. These collectors, which can differentiate sediment collected by direction of origin, are very efficient, economical, and easy to manufacture from thermoplastic filaments with an industrial 3D printer. Data were acquired from six vaned masts, each with four collectors at different heights, and on one of those masts, the collectors included load cells with one end attached to the collector floor and the other end to each oriented compartment in the collectors. The load cell values were interpreted in real time by a microcontroller and amplifier. The remote monitoring system was developed with an internet of things (IoT) platform. The results showed clear predominance of winds from the Northeast after dark, and from the South during the middle of the day. After analyzing the sediment transport rates and their balance, we found that those being deposited in the citrus orchard from the Northeast had a higher carbonate content (mainly calcite), which had an aggregating and therefore stabilizing effect against wind erosion of the soil. Furthermore, significant amounts of highly adhesive phyllosilicates were captured by the upper traps, which also contributed to reducing soil wind erodibility because of their adhesiveness. However, the sediments from the South with much more total transported mass were not deposited in the study zone, but leeward of it and contained a large amount of quartz, promoting abrasion and increasing wind erodibility of the soil.