Conclusions
Rainfall simulation experiments were conducted to study the effects of six measures of two tillage systems on water-based soil erosion of a black soil hillslope during the maize seedling stage under two rainfall intensities (50 and 100 mm h-1) in Northeast China. The results showed that corn seedlings can protect the surface soil from splash-erosion by reducing the kinetic energy and changing the distribution of raindrops. Conservation measures with mulching, including Cm, Hr, Hr+Cm, and Vr+Cm, significantly reduced water and soil loss compared to conventional tillage. Hr had a risk of ridge rupture, especially under heavy rainfall conditions; and rupturing of ridges provided an excessive sediment source and potentially triggered severe soil erosion. Mulching had an ideal erosion-controlling capacity. In addition, mulching can mitigate soil loss increase caused by heavy rainfall. The positive effects of mulching were based on its strong ability to reduce splash-erosion and runoff volume and, more importantly, on its function to decrease runoff velocity and filter runoff sediment in. Vr further exacerbates soil erosion and should normally be avoided. Hr+Cm showed the best performance in all cases and should be used as an optimized tillage measure on the black soil hillslope to restrict soil erosion at the corn seedling stage.