PREFACE

This Module in Soil and Water Conservation Engineering was prepared

to provide the students the needed learning and technical knowledge on how
to address the issue of soil degradation and water shortage during crop
production. This module adopted the suggested topics of CHED
Memorandum Order 94 series of 2017- Policies, Standard and Guidelines
for the Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
(BSABE) program. Furthermore the authors followed and adopted the
standards in planning and designing of rainwater harvesting structure in PNS
PAES- Volume XI, the only standard being accepted and used in the country
when it comes to agricultural designs and testings. In this way the students
will be equipped with enough knowledge and skills in soil and water
conservation engineering.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Republic of the Philippines
PAMPANGA STATE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
Magalang, Pampanga

COLLEGE OF RESOURCE ENGINEERING AUTOMATION AND MECHANIZATION

Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) Course Design/Syllabus in AE 15 (SWCE)

First Semester, SY 2020-2021

University Vision: To be the Premier Science and Agroecological University.

Universtiy Mission: Mainstream science and practice of agroecological and industrial technologies through distinctive instruction,
research, extension, and entrepreneurship for people and nature.
Core Values: People Centeredness (relevance, social responsibility, peace and order)
System Thinking (environment, resource conservation, globalization)
Accountability (excellence, commitment, discipline, dedication)
Unity (solidarity, teamwork, hardwork, harmony under the Almighty).
College: College of Resource Engineering Automation and Mechanization
College Goal: CREAM aims to provide professional and technical education in engineering, computer studies and allied fields, produce globally
competent and versatile individuals, and to promote research and development, extension and training, and production in these
areas.
Program Educational Objectives and Relationship to Institution Mission
Mission
Program Educational Objectives
Instruction Research Extension Entrepreneurship
1. Provide Leadership in planning, implementing, and monitoring ABE projects
 
and programs
2. Occupy supervisory positions in private and public organizations; locally and
   
internationally;
3. Own and/or manage ABE-based enterprises; 
 4. Pursue advance studies in ABE education and emerging related fields; and  
5. Occupy responsible positions in ABE education 

COURSE SYLLABUS
1. Course Code: AE 15
2. Course Title: Soil and Water Conservation Engineering
3. Pre-Requisite: Hydrology
4. Co-Requisite: None
5. Credit: 3 units
6. Semester Offered: 1st Semester
7. Number of Hours: 5 hour a week (2 hrs lec, 3 hr lab)
8. Course Description: The course deals with the planning, design, construction and maintenance of water conservation systems,
soil erosion control systems

9. Program Outcomes and Relationship to Program Educational Objectives

Program Educational Objectives
Program Outcomes (POs)
1 2 3 4 5
a. Apply knowledge of mathematics and science to solve complex engineering
√ √ √ √ √
problems;
b. Design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data; √ √ √ √ √
c. Design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic
√ √ √ √ √
constraints, in accordance with standards;
d. Function in multidisciplinary and multi-cultural teams; √ √ √ √ √
e. Identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems; √ √ √ √ √
f. Apply professional and ethical responsibility; √ √ √ √ √
g. Communicate effectively engineering activities with the engineering community and
√ √ √ √ √
with society at large;
h. Relate the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental and
√ √ √ √ √
societal context;
i. Recognize the need for, and engage in life √ √ √ √ √
j. Relate to contemporary issues √ √ √ √ √
k. Use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering
√ √ √ √ √
practice
l. Apply engineering and management principles as a member and leader of a team,
√ √ √ √ √
and to manage projects in a multidisciplinary environment
m. Recognize at least one specialized field of engineering √ √ √ √ √

10. Course Outcomes (COs) and Relationship to Program Outcomes (POs)

Program Outcomes Code

a b c d e f g h i j k l m
Program Outcomes (PO) addressed by the course I I I I I I
Program Outcomes addressed by the Course Outcomes: Program Outcomes Code
After completing this course, the student must be able to
a b c d e f g h i j k l m
perform the following COs:
 CO 1:

Recognize the impact of soil and water conservation to I I

agricultural production

CO 2:
Use different rainfall measuring device to record and measure I I
rainfall data

CO 3:
Estimate crop evapotranspiration and measure the infiltration I I I
and soil hydraulic conductivity

CO 4:
Perform streamflow measurement using different methods I I

CO 5:
Solve problems involving runoff, construct flow duration I
curve, and measure runoff yield
CO 6:
Construct various types of hydrographs and know its I
application in forecasting

11. OBTL Course Content and Plan

Weeks Course Outcomes Topic/s Unit Learning Outcomes Teaching and Learning Activities Assessment
Tasks
At the end of the At the end of the unit, the Teaching Learning
course the student student must be able to: Activities Activities
must be able to:
 Unit 0: Vision, Mission,
1 Familiarize with the Core Values, and Memorize the University Lecture Reading/ Written exam
Vision, mission, Outcomes Vision, Mission, and core Audio Visual Group Oral Questioning
core values and values Presentation discussion
outcomes of the A. The University
university Vision, Mission,
Core Values and
Outcomes
Develop an attitude Recall the goals and
anchored on the objectives of CREAM
goals and
objectives of B. The College of
CREAM Resource
Engineering
Automation and
Gain awareness Mechanization Know and apply the ways to
and impact on Goals and AE mitigate climate change on
social and Objectives daily living
environmental
issues affecting the C. Climate change,
society causes and effect to
the environment, Understand the issues on
Ways to mitigate gender and development
climate change and gain sensitivity on
gender equality and
D. The concept of development
Gender and
development,
Issues on Gender
and Equality,
Impacts and effects
of GAD issues
1-2 Unit. The Importance of
Land and Water
Conservation Engineering
Recognize the Quiz 1
impact of soil and A. Land Conservation Discuss the impacts soil and Multi-Media
water conservation water conservation to Presentation Oral Questioning
to agricultural B. Water Conservation agricultural production
production Discussion
C. Hydrology and Name the hydrologic
Basic watershed parameters affecting soil Working through
concepts and water resources sample problem
Perform Lab Ex Lab Ex 1 Report
D. Sustainable Water Point out the applications of 1- The Role of
Resources hydrology in agricultural Agricultural
Development and engineering Engineers in Soil
Management and water
conservation

3-4 Unit II. Erosion

A. Water Erosion Explain the processes Multi-Media Farm Visit and Quiz 2
Estimate soil involve soil erosion Presentation Ocular Oral Questioning
erosion using B. Wind Erosion Lecture inspection to
different methods PSAU Farms
C. Mechanics of wind Categorize the forms of LabEx 2
and water borne erosion Report
erosion
Discuss the relationship of Perform Lab Ex
of rainfall and erosion to soil 2- Measuring
D. Measuring Soil Soil Erosion in
loss
Loss PSAU
 E. Soil Erosion Control Calculate soil loss problems
System (biological using Universal Soil Loss
and Mechanical) Equation

Plan and Design Mechanical

structures to address soil
degradation
5-7 Unit III. Water Resources
and Development

Develop a A. Sources of Water Account the various sources Multi-Media Assignment Quiz 3
sustainable water of water Presentation Actual
resources B. Water Resources Demonstration
development and Characterization Know the different methods Perform Lab Ex
management of water resources Working through 3- Inventory of Lab Ex 3
C. Water Resources characterization sample problem PSAU water Report
Development resources and
Propose water resources water
D. Waterway development plan management
maintenance plan
Enumerate the procedure in
establishment and
construction of waterways
Name the good practices in
maintaining a waterway.
A.
8 MIDTERM EXAMINATION
9-11 Unit IV. Rainfall
Harvesting
Perform streamflow B. Rainwater and Calculate rainwater and Perform Lab Ex Quiz 4
measurement using Multi-Media
Runoff runoff using rational method Presentation 4- Design of a Recitation
different methods management in gravity type
Small water Discuss the processes Discussion rainwater
Impounding System involve in designing small harvesterr Lab Ex 4 Report
water impounding system
C. Rainwater and
Runoff Enumerate the procedure in
management in planning and designing
Small Farm small farm reservoir
Reservoir
Design a gravity type
D. Rainwater rainwater harvester
Harvesting system

11-12 Unit V. Terracing

Solve problems A. Functions of Explain the importance and Perform Lab Ex Quiz 5
involving runoff, terraces Lecture/
benefits of terraces Discussion 5- Design of a Oral Questioning
construct flow Terrace System
duration curve, and B. Classifications of
measure runoff terraces Compute the design Lab Ex 5 Report
yield parameters in terrace
C. Terrace Design and construction
Construction

13-14 Unit VI. Water

Conservation Structures Lecture/
 Prepare plan and A. Small Farm Discuss the impact of Discussion/ Perform Lab Ex Quiz 6
design of water Reservoir (SFR) conservation structures Working through 6- Soil Erosion Assignment
conservation sample Model
structures B. Small Water Perform field assessment computations Lab Ex 6 Report
Impounding and design appropriate
Projects (SWIPs) conservation structures

Determine the parameters in

designing SFR and SWIP

16 FINAL EXAMINATION

III. Learning Resources

Equipment Required: Current meter, Sediment load Samplers, Recording Raingauge, AWS, Computer system with
application software, Laptop, DLP Projector, Whiteboard/whiteboard marker

IV. Learning References

SHWAB, et.al. 1990, Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, John Wiley and Sons, 4 th ed.
RICHEY, C.B. et. Al. Agricultural Engineering Handbook, McGRaw-Hill
DAVID, M.R.,1993, Handbook of Hydrology, ISBN: 9780071711777
JACOBSON, P., et. 1961. Agricultural Engineers Handbook. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., USA. 880 pp.
LINSLEY, R.K. et al.1992. Hydrology for Engineers. 3rd Ed. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York. 508pp
Internet-based references

V. Faculty
Course Requirements
A. Laboratory Exercises and computation should be hand written in LETTER SIZE bond paper. Use only black or blue ink pen.
The deadline for the laboratory reports will be one week after performing the exercise except for the computations that will
be done during laboratory hours.

B. Laboratory Exercises will be performed by groups however, reports should be submitted individually. For laboratory reports
include the members present during the exercise, date performed. And date submitted. Late submission is equivalent to
5% (of the perfect score) deduction per day and another 1% per page of not following instructions. Laboratory reports are
required to be submitted even if your score reaches zero because of deductions. Failure to submit all the laboratory
exercises will correspond to a grade of “incomplete”

C. Exams and assignments should be written in a clean LETTER SIZE bond paper and only one side of the paper should be
used. Use the questionnaire for multiple choice problems. Solutions to each problem in the problem solving part should
always start on a new page. A deduction of 1% (of the perfect score) per page for not following instructions will be imposed.

Grading System
A. Class Standing - 50% (Quizzes, Laboratory Exercises, Assignments)

B. Term Exam - 30%.

C. Attendance - 20%

Classroom Policies
D. Wearing of complete uniform is strictly implemented. ID should be pinned at all times whenever inside the university

E. Attendance will be monitored and checked class discussion. Excuse from classes will only be honored if a VALID excuse
slip coming from the College Secretary’s Office is presented. No other form of excuses will be entertained. An excuse absent
is still considered as absence.

F. University rules on attendance and specifically on cheating will be strictly implemented as stipulated in Student Handbook
 G. Absence in the laboratory class without valid excuse slip will automatically get a zero on that particular exercise. Otherwise,
if valid excuse slip is presented, the student must perform the missed exercise and submit the report a week after.

H. Term Examination will be scheduled at least two weeks before the exam. Early examination is allowed provided that the
student will not leave the classroom until all the examinees arrived. Late examination on the other hand, is not allowed. In
case the student fails to take an examination on the scheduled date, a valid excuse slip should be presented. In this case,
the student can take the final examination.

I. Quizzes can be either announced or unannounced. Answer sheet will be provided.

J. Deadline for submission of late reports will be on the scheduled final examination. Non submission on the said date will get
a grade of INC if the student’s final standing is passing.

K. Unsatisfactory projects will not be accepted. However, the student/group will be given a chance to improve their project.
Non submission of the project on the set deadline means an automatic final grade 5.

L. Exemptions from taking the final examination are as follows: (1) no exam below 60%, (2) no late laboratory reports (3) at
least first draft of the project is submitted o the specified date, (4) absences do not exceed the maximum allowed, (5) no
missed exam.

Consultation Hours: Two hours per week

Prepared and Designed By: Engr. MELISSA P. OLALIA

Noted: Engr. MELISSA P. OLALIA

Chair, Department of Resource Engineering
and Agricultural Mechanization

Recommending Approval: MADELIENE R. SOLIS, D.T.

Dean, College of Resource Engineering
Automation and Mechanization

Approved: ANITA G. DAVID, Ed.D.

Vice President for Academic Affairs
 Module 1
THE IMPORTANCE OF LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION

At the end of this module you are expected to:

1. Discuss the impacts soil and water conservation to agricultural production;

2. Name the hydrologic parameters affecting soil and water resources
3. Point out the applications of hydrology in agricultural engineering

What is soil conservation?

Soil conservation basically means a way of keeping everything in place, literally as

well as in a more abstract sense of maintaining the functions of the soil in sustaining plant
growth. Soil conservation practices involve managing soil erosion and its counterpart
process of sedimentation, reducing its negative impacts and exploiting the new
opportunities it creates. Young (1989) defined soil conservation as a combination of
controlling erosion and maintaining soil fertility. In the past the focus has often been on
trying to keep the soil at its place by plot-level activities only. Currently, the attention has
switched to landscape level approaches where sedimentation is studied along with
erosion, and the role of 'channels' (footpaths, roads and streams) is included as well as
the 'filters' that restrict the overland flow of water and/or suspended sediment.

Soil Conservation is about solving the problems of land degradation, particularly

accelerated soil erosion. Accelerated soil erosion is a result of the operation of the
physical forces of wind and water on soil. Which has become vulnerable, usually because
of human interference with the natural environment. For this reason, soil erosion can be
viewed as a symptom of bad land use and management.

Soil and water conservation refers to the practices that are carried out to prevent
loss of the two sources. These practices maintain the soil fertility.
 Soil conservation is fundamentally a matter of determining correct form of land use
and management. A correct form of land use and management is one that provides a
higher level or a different form of productivity form that available in the natural state. This
new form of productivity must, however, be one that must be capable of being sustained
indefinitely.

Soil conservation can be defined as the combination of the appropriate land use
management practices that promotes the productive and sustainable use of soils, and in
the process, minimizes soil erosion and other forms of land degradation.

Soil fertility is the ability of a soil to supply the nutrient elements in the amounts,
forms and proportions needed for the growth of specified plants when temperature and
other factors are favorable.

Soil productivity refers to the capacity of a soil to produce a given yield of crops
under a specified system of management. Therefore for a soil to be productive it must be
fertile.

Figure 1. Evidence of soil erosion in the field

Factors Affecting Soil Fertility

 Soil Depth
 Drainage
 Good Aeration
 High Water holding capacity
 High levels of nutrients
 Free from pests and diseases
 High levels of micro organisms
 Optimum Ph
 Organic Matter

Soil texture and structure play a vital role in determining the ability of the soil to
produce high crops through their influence on some of these factors like moisture holding
capacity and drainage. Organic Matter is another component which influences most of
the factors that contribute to soil fertility. Figure 1. Describes the effect of ph level in soil
fertility.

Figure 2. Impact of pH level to soil fertility

Soil Fertility may be lost due to:
 Soil erosion due to water or wind
 Leaching
 Weeds
 Mono cropping
 Loss of nutrients through sale of farm produces off the land
 Unduly too frequent cultivation
 Change of soil pH
 Compaction-hardpan impeding infiltration of water and root penetration
 Rainfall amount and intensity
 Sun/heat
 Fires
 Wind
 Mining

Methods of improving soil Fertility

 Improving soil moisture characteristics
 Good cropping system
 Minimum soil disturbance
 Soil pH control
 Addition of Organic Matter
 Erosion control practices

Soil Erosion Control Practices- these are biological and mechanical methods of
preventing erosion to occur. Its main purpose is to control erosion since it contributes to
most of fertility loss.

Factors influencing water Erosion

 Rainfall intensity and runoff
 Soil erodibility
 Slope gradient and length
  Vegetation
 Land Use

Some key principles for soil and water conservation (modified from FAO and
IIRR, 1995)

 The farm household should be the focus of every soil conservation program,
as they take the daily decisions that shape the landscape; communal action at
local level can be an important entry point for outside 'soil conservation
programs'.

 Farmers can not ignore the short-term benefits of the land use decisions
they make. Only those production strategies have a chance to be adopted that
will provide a reasonable return on the labour and other resources a farmer has
to invest. Conservation strategies or technologies that do not meet this criterion
are doomed to fail.

 Lack of secure land tenure maybe a major cause of low interest of farmer
in environmental conservation. Improving tenure security may be the
main intervention needed for farmers to adopt reasonable soil conserving
technologies.

 Soil conservation programs have often led to 'pseudo-adoption' if strong

social pressure, subsidies or other government incentives (including tenure
security) were used to support adoption of practices that required substantial
labour and other resource investment.
 Loss of soil productivity is often much more important than the loss of the
soil itself, as the soil on the move tends to be rich in organic matter and
nutrients, relative to the remaining soil.

 Loss of soil productivity is not easy to assess, however, because

impoverished zones of net erosion may be accompanied by enriched zones of
net sedimentation and the farmer may decide to grow different crops in these two
environments

 In upland systems, plant yields are reduced more by a shortage or excess of

soil moisture (especially for tuber crops) or nutrients rather than by soil losses
per se. Therefore, there should be more emphasis on rainwater management,
particularly water conservation, and integrated nutrient management and less
on soil conservation per se. Agronomic process such as tillage and mulching
that maintain infiltration rates are more useful than mechanical measures
blocking the path of water flowing at the soil surface in preventing erosion and
runoff.

 Erosion is a consequence of how land and its vegetation are managed, and is
not itself the cause of soil degradation. Therefore prevention of land
degradation is more important than attempting to develop a cure afterwards.

 Erosion is a top-down process, because gravity determines the direction of

water flow. Most past (and current ?) soil conservation programs focus(ed) more
on land degradation than on the land user (the farm household), and used a
top-down approach in 'dissemina-tion' and 'extension' of 'best-bet'
practices that were considered to be applicable for a wide range of farm
situations. Top down programs tend to focus primarily on the symptoms of
erosion through subsidised terracing, promotion of hedgerow intercropping
 systems or other measures which have had mixed success when introduced by
outside agencies.

 Soil conservation programs that aim to reduce land degradation problems

through treatment of causes, require a long term, bottom-up approach
supporting farmers who generally have detailed knowledge of their farm, know
a wide range of potential interventions (although they can still learn new ideas
from experiences elsewhere) and choose between these interventions on the
basis of the resources and pressures on the farm household.

Biological soil Conservation- These are farming techniques that are employ in the field
to reduce soil erosion. This umbrella term can include reduced tillage, minimum tillage,
no-till, direct drill, mulch tillage, stubble-mulch farming, trash farming, strip tillage, plough-
plant. The principles are equally effective in any conditions - to maximize cover by
returning crop residues and not inverting the top soil, and by using a high crop density of
vigorous crops.

Strip cropping is most useful on gentle slopes, where it may reduce erosion to
acceptable levels without any banks or drains.

Figure 3. Strip cropping along contours

Rotations are another well established and simple practice. The object may be to
improve fertility by the use of legumes or to help control pest or disease.

Fallowing is well established and successful in some circumstances but not others. In
the drier wheat lands of Australia, a bare fallow in summer is used to build up soil moisture
before sowing the winter wheat which receives only barely adequate rainfall.

Mixed cropping and interplanting are widely applied traditional techniques. A

combination of crops with different planting times and different length of growth periods
spreads the labour requirement of planting and of harvesting.

Figure 4. Mixed crop of peanuts and sunflower

Surface mulching has the advantage of providing protective cover at a time when crop
cover is not practical. It improves infiltration, and may also beneficially reduce soil
temperature.

Figure 5. Organic and plastic mulch to

prevent soil erosion