Rainsplash As a Mechanism for Soil Contamination of Plant Surfaces

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We characterized the physical transport of sail, and therefore contaminants attached to the soil, onto vegetative surfaces due to rainsplash. Soil accumulation by tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) was investigated as a function of soil particle size, rainstorm characteristics, foliage height, surface area and canopy cover of the plants. No soil particles greater than 105 μm in diameter were detected on the plants. Most of the soil was splashed no higher than 40 cm above the ground surface. Linear relationships were observed for concentrations of < 53 μm soil on vegetation and certain rainfall characteristics. Data from this study, as well as ancillary calculations, provide evidence that a significant fraction of surficial contamination of foliage may be attributed to the rainsplash mechanism.

This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit: