An investigation of runoff from raised beds and other tillage methods in the high rainfall zone of south-western Victoria, Australia

Soil Research ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 371 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Holland ◽  
T. H. Johnston ◽  
R. E. White ◽  
B. A. Orchard
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Rainfall Intensity ◽  
Hydrological Process ◽  
Maximum Rainfall ◽  
Average Rainfall ◽  
Western Victoria

For many years, the poor physical and hydraulic properties of the soils in south-western Victoria have restricted crop production due to waterlogging. In this region of predominantly winter rainfall, raised beds have become popular with farmers to overcome these difficulties; however, little has been reported on the hydrology of raised beds compared with other tillage systems for cropping in the rain-fed environment of south-western Victoria. This study measured rainfall characteristics, runoff volumes, and soil properties such as the soil water content, bulk density, and hydraulic conductivity for three tillage treatments (raised beds, conventional cultivation, and deep cultivation) over 6 years on a Sodosol at a field site near Geelong, Victoria. Runoff was regressed against rainfall variables such as the amount per event, hours of rainfall, rainfall intensity, and maximum rainfall intensity to determine the significance of any differences between the treatments. The relationship between runoff and rainfall amount was best described with an exponential model. Raised beds significantly increased the amount of runoff relative to the other treatments when above-average rainfall was received, but there was little difference in runoff in years of below-average rainfall. No consistent effect of runoff on crop biomass was detected nor could any differences in runoff be attributed to differences in soil water content, hydraulic conductivity, and bulk density between treatments. The most important factor appeared to be the furrows between the raised beds, which acted as conduits for the flow of surface water during the larger storm events. During such events, runoff is an important hydrological process in cropping land in south-western Victoria.

scholarly journals Effect of Biochar Application and Re-Application on Soil Bulk Density, Porosity, Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Water Content and Soil Water Availability in a Silty Loam Haplic Luvisol

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Toková ◽  
Dušan Igaz ◽  
Ján Horák ◽  
Elena Aydin
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Relative Increase ◽  
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Soil Drought ◽  
Silty Loam

Due to climate change the productive agricultural sectors have started to face various challenges, such as soil drought. Biochar is studied as a promising soil amendment. We studied the effect of a former biochar application (in 2014) and re-application (in 2018) on bulk density, porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water content and selected soil water constants at the experimental site in Dolná Malanta (Slovakia) in 2019. Biochar was applied and re-applied at the rates of 0, 10 and 20 t ha−1. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied annually at application levels N0, N1 and N2. In 2019, these levels were represented by the doses of 0, 108 and 162 kg N ha−1, respectively. We found that biochar applied at 20 t ha−1 without fertilizer significantly reduced bulk density by 12% and increased porosity by 12%. During the dry period, a relative increase in soil water content was observed at all biochar treatments—the largest after re-application of biochar at a dose of 20 t ha−1 at all fertilization levels. The biochar application also significantly increased plant available water. We suppose that change in the soil structure following a biochar amendment was one of the main reasons of our observations.

Root effects on soil water and hydraulic properties

Biologia ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Horst Gerke ◽  
Rolf Kuchenbuch
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Soil Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Soil Hydraulic ◽  
Root Effects

AbstractPlants can affect soil moisture and the soil hydraulic properties both directly by root water uptake and indirectly by modifying the soil structure. Furthermore, water in plant roots is mostly neglected when studying soil hydraulic properties. In this contribution, we analyze effects of the moisture content inside roots as compared to bulk soil moisture contents and speculate on implications of non-capillary-bound root water for determination of soil moisture and calibration of soil hydraulic properties.In a field crop of maize (Zea mays) of 75 cm row spacing, we sampled the total soil volumes of 0.7 m × 0.4 m and 0.3 m deep plots at the time of tasseling. For each of the 84 soil cubes of 10 cm edge length, root mass and length as well as moisture content and soil bulk density were determined. Roots were separated in 3 size classes for which a mean root porosity of 0.82 was obtained from the relation between root dry mass density and root bulk density using pycnometers. The spatially distributed fractions of root water contents were compared with those of the water in capillary pores of the soil matrix.Water inside roots was mostly below 2–5% of total soil water content; however, locally near the plant rows it was up to 20%. The results suggest that soil moisture in roots should be separately considered. Upon drying, the relation between the soil and root water may change towards water remaining in roots. Relations depend especially on soil water retention properties, growth stages, and root distributions. Gravimetric soil water content measurement could be misleading and TDR probes providing an integrated signal are difficult to interpret. Root effects should be more intensively studied for improved field soil water balance calculations.

scholarly journals Tillage and crop rotation effects on soil carbon and selected soil physical properties in a Haplic Cambisol in Eastern Cape, South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mxolisi Mtyobile ◽  
Lindah Muzangwa ◽  
Pearson Nyari Stephano Mnkeni
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Soil Porosity ◽  
No Till

The effects of tillage and crop rotation on the soil carbon, the soil bulk density, the porosity and the soil water content were evaluated during the 6<sup>th</sup> season of an on-going field trial at the University of Fort Hare Farm (UFH), South Africa. Two tillage systems; conventional tillage (CT) and no-till and crop rotations; maize (Zea mays L.)-fallow-maize (MFM), maize-fallow-soybean (Glycine max L.) (MFS); maize-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-maize (MWM) and  maize-wheat-soybean (MWS) were evaluated. The field experiment was a 2 × 4 factorial, laid out in a randomised complete design. The crop residues were retained for the no-till plots and incorporated for the CT plots, after each cropping season. No significant effects (P &gt; 0.05) of the tillage and crop rotation on the bulk density were observed. However, the values ranged from 1.32 to1.37 g/cm<sup>3</sup>. Significant interaction effects of the tillage and crop rotation were observed on the soil porosity (P &lt; 0.01) and the soil water content (P &lt; 0.05). The porosity for the MFM and the MWS, was higher under the CT whereas for the MWM and the MWS, it was higher under the no-till. However, the greatest porosity was under the MWS. Whilst the no-till significantly increased (P &lt; 0.05) the soil water content compared to the CT; the greatest soil water content was observed when the no-till was combined with the MWM rotations. The soil organic carbon (SOC) was increased more (P &lt; 0.05) by the no-till than the CT, and the MFM consistently had the least SOC compared with the rest of the crop rotations, at all the sampling depths (0–5, 5–10 and 10–20 cm). The soil bulk density negatively correlated with the soil porosity and the soil water content, whereas the porosity positively correlated with the soil water content. The study concluded that the crop rotations, the MWM and the MWS under the no-till coupled with the residue retention improved the soil porosity and the soil water content levels the most.

scholarly journals Field spatial and temporal patterns of soil water content and bulk density changes

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Carlos Timm ◽  
Luiz Fernando Pires ◽  
Renato Roveratti ◽  
Robson Clayton Jacques Arthur ◽  
Klaus Reichardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Temporal Patterns ◽  
Temporal Changes ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Wetting And Drying ◽  
Wetting And Drying Cycles

Soil water content (theta) and bulk density (rhos) greatly influence important soil and plant processes, such as water movement, soil compaction, soil aeration, and plant root system development. Spatial and temporal variability of theta and rhos during different periods of the year and different phases of crops are of fundamental interest. This work involves the characterization of spatial and temporal patterns of theta and rhos during different climatic periods of year, aiming to verify whether there are significant temporal changes in rhos at the soil surface layer when submitted to wetting and drying cycles. The field experiment was carried out in a coffee plantation, Rhodic Kandiudalf soil, clayey texture. Using a neutron/gamma surface probe, theta and rhos were measured meter by meter along a 200 m spatial transect, along an interrow contour line. During the wet period there was no difference of spatial patterns of theta while during the dry period differences were observed, and can be associated to precipitation events. It was also observed that there are rhos temporal changes at the soil surface along the studied period as a consequence of the in situ wetting and drying cycles.

Modelling leaching and recharge in a bare transitional red-brown earth ponded with low salinity water in summer

1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 1085 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Cai ◽  
SA Prathapar ◽  
HG Beecher
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Rate Dependent ◽  
Water And Salt Movement ◽  
Winter Fallow

A modelling study was conducted to evaluate water and salt movement within a transitional red-brown earth with saline B horizon soil when such waters are used for ponding in summer. The model was calibrated using previously published experimental data. The calibrated model was used to evaluate the effect of depth to watertable, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and ponding water salinity on infiltration, water and salt movement within the soil profile, and recharge. The study showed that when initial soil water content and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) are low, infiltrating water will be stored within the soil profile even in the absence of a shallow watertable. Once the soil water content is high, however, recharge will be significant in winter, even if there is no net infiltration at the soil surface. Infiltration rates depend more on Ks than the depth to watertable if it is at, or below, 1.5 m from the soil surface. When Ks is high, recharge under ponding will be higher than that under winter fallow. Subsequent ponding in summer and fallow in winter tend to leach salts from the soil profile, the leaching rate dependent on Ks. During winter fallow, due to net evaporation, salts tend to move upwards and concentrate near the soil surface. In the presence of shallow watertables, leached salts tend to concentrate at, or near, the watertable.

Laboratory and field evaluation of five soil water sensors

2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. Huang ◽  
O. O. Akinremi ◽  
R. Sri Rajan ◽  
P. Bullock
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Field Evaluation ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Laboratory Evaluation ◽  
Engineering Sciences ◽  
Probe Calibration

Accurate in situ determination of soil water content is important in many fields of agricultural, environmental, hydrological, and engineering sciences. As numerous soil water content sensors are available on the market today, the knowledge of their performance will aid users in the selection of appropriate sensors. The objectives of this study were to evaluate five soil water sensors in the laboratory and to determine if laboratory calibration is appropriate for the field. In this study, the performances of five sensors, including the Profile Probe™ (PP), ThetaProbe™ , Watermark™, Aqua-Tel™, and Aquaterr™ were compared in the laboratory. The PP and ThetaProbe™ were more accurate than the other soil water sensors, reproducing soil water content using factory recommended parameters. However, when PP was installed on a loamy sand in the field, the same soil that was used for the laboratory evaluation, it overestimated field soil water, especially at depth. Another laboratory experiment showed that soil water content readings from the PP were strongly influenced by soil bulk density. The higher the soil bulk density, the greater was the overestimation of soil water content. Two regression parameters, a0 and a1, which are used to convert the apparent dielectric constant to volumetric water content, were found to increase linearly with the soil bulk density in the range of 1.2 to 1.6 Mg m-3. Finally, the PP was calibrated in the field and a good calibration function was obtained with an r2 of 0.87 and RMSE of 2.7%. The values of a0 and a1 obtained in the field were different from factory recommended parameters (a0 = 2.4 versus 1.6 while a1 = 12.5 versus 8.4) and were independent of soil depth, bulk density, and texture. As such, individual field calibration will be necessary to obtain precise and accurate measurement of soil water content with this instrument. Key words: Soil water content, Profile Probe, calibration, soil water content sensor

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