Runoff and erosion in Champagne | Jean-Louis Ballif

The author aims to warn winemakers, farmers, and any interested readers about the dangers of surface runoff and rain erosion that contribute to muddy water floods. It is possible to effectively reduce this erosion by implementing new farming techniques and organizing watersheds with suitable hydraulic equipment. First, he introduces the Champagne-Ardenne region, its climate, soils, vineyards, and the various forms of surface runoff and erosion. Then, he presents the results of experimental plot measurements in vineyards and watersheds with silty soils. Finally, he examines the erosion risks and suggests desired modifications. Even though the erosion hazard is low in the Champagne plains and high in the hillside vineyards, not comparable to tropical countries, we must take care of it to preserve the landscape and pass on fertile land and good quality water to both current and future generations.Author's Note: Jean Louis Pascal Ballif is an engineer from the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, C.N.A.M., specialized in Agriculture-Botany and Geology. Trained at the Laboratory of Cultural Techniques of the National Center for Agricultural Research, C.N.R.A., in Versailles, in the field of water circulation in soils, he arrived at the Agronomy Station in Châlons-sur-Marne in 1967. There, he was tasked with studying crop fertilization and soil and chalk water dynamics. In the vineyard, he set up study sites to measure runoff and water quality. The author never tires of sharing his passion and knowledge on the subject. His first book, written in collaboration with two other specialists, presents rendzinas on chalk and associated soils. His ABC book gathers the essential results of agronomic research from the last fifty years. The following collection condenses Water Dynamics and Irrigation in Champagne. Finally, with this new book, he provides us with a synthesis of Surface Runoff and Erosion in Champagne on vineyard and crop soils.