scholarly journals Linking Soil Water Changes to Soil Physical Quality in Sugarcane Expansion Areas in Brazil

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3156
Author(s):  
Felipe Bonini da Luz ◽  
Martha Lustosa Carvalho ◽  
Daniel Aquino de Borba ◽  
Bruna Emanuele Schiebelbein ◽  
Renato Paiva de Lima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Clayey Soil ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Physical Quality ◽  
Soil Physical Quality

Brazil is the world’s largest sugarcane producer with projections for expanding the current area by 30% in the coming years, mainly in areas previously occupied by pastures. We assess soil water changes induced by land-use change (LUC) for sugarcane expansion in the central-south region of Brazil. For that purpose, soil samples were collected in a typical LUC sequence (native vegetation–pasture–sugarcane) in two contrasting soil textures (i.e., sandy and clayey). Soil hydro-physical properties such as pores size distribution, bulk density, soil water content, water tension, and drainage time at field capacity, plant-available water, and S-index were analyzed. Our data showed that long-term LUC from native vegetation to extensive pasture induced severe degradation in soil physical quality and soil water dynamics. However, conventional tillage used during conversion from pasture to sugarcane did not cause additional degradation on soil structure and soil water dynamics. Over time, sugarcane cultivation slightly impaired soil water and physical conditions, but only in the 10–20 cm layer in both soils. Therefore, we highlight that sustainable management practices to enhance soil physical quality and water dynamics in sugarcane fields are needed to prevent limiting conditions to plant growth and contribute to delivering other ecosystem services.

scholarly journals The Mechanical Impact of Water Affected the Soil Physical Quality of a Loam Soil under Minimum Tillage and No-Tillage: An Assessment Using Beerkan Multi-Height Runs and BEST-Procedure

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Castellini ◽  
Anna Maria Stellacci ◽  
Danilo Sisto ◽  
Massimo Iovino
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Physical Quality ◽  
Soil Physical Quality ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
The Impact

The multi-height (low, L = 3 cm; intermediate, M = 100 cm; high, H = 200 cm) Beerkan run methodology was applied on both a minimum tilled (MT) (i.e., up to a depth of 30 cm) and a no-tilled (NT) bare loam soil, and the soil water retention curve was estimated by the BEST-steady algorithm. Three indicators of soil physical quality (SPQ), i.e., macroporosity (Pmac), air capacity (AC) and relative field capacity (RFC) were calculated to assess the impact of water pouring height under alternative soil management practices. Results showed that, compared to the reference low run, M and H runs affected both the estimated soil water retention curves and derived SPQ indicators. Generally, M–H runs significantly reduced the mean values of Pmac and AC and increased RFC for both MT and NT soil management practices. According to the guidelines for assessment of SPQ, the M and H runs: (i) worsened Pmac classification of both MT and NT soils; (ii) did not worsen AC classification, regardless of soil management parameters; (iii) worsened RFC classification of only NT soil, as a consequence of insufficient soil aeration. For both soil management techniques, a strong negative correlation was found between the Pmac and AC values and the gravitational potential energy, Ep, of the water used for the infiltration runs. A positive correlation was detected between RFC and Ep. The relationships were plausible from a soil physics point of view. NT soil has proven to be more resilient than MT. This study contributes toward testing simple and robust methods capable of quantifying soil degradation effects, due to intense rainfall events, under different soil management practices in the Mediterranean environment.

Assessing the sustainability of wheat-based cropping systems using APSIM: model parameterisation and evaluation

2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Moeller ◽  
Mustafa Pala ◽  
Ahmad M. Manschadi ◽  
Holger Meinke ◽  
Joachim Sauerborn
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
N Use

Assessing the sustainability of crop and soil management practices in wheat-based rotations requires a well-tested model with the demonstrated ability to sensibly predict crop productivity and changes in the soil resource. The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) suite of models was parameterised and subsequently used to predict biomass production, yield, crop water and nitrogen (N) use, as well as long-term soil water and organic matter dynamics in wheat/chickpea systems at Tel Hadya, north-western Syria. The model satisfactorily simulated the productivity and water and N use of wheat and chickpea crops grown under different N and/or water supply levels in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 experimental seasons. Analysis of soil-water dynamics showed that the 2-stage soil evaporation model in APSIM’s cascading water-balance module did not sufficiently explain the actual soil drying following crop harvest under conditions where unused water remained in the soil profile. This might have been related to evaporation from soil cracks in the montmorillonitic clay soil, a process not explicitly simulated by APSIM. Soil-water dynamics in wheat–fallow and wheat–chickpea rotations (1987–98) were nevertheless well simulated when the soil water content in 0–0.45 m soil depth was set to ‘air dry’ at the end of the growing season each year. The model satisfactorily simulated the amounts of NO3-N in the soil, whereas it underestimated the amounts of NH4-N. Ammonium fixation might be part of the soil mineral-N dynamics at the study site because montmorillonite is the major clay mineral. This process is not simulated by APSIM’s nitrogen module. APSIM was capable of predicting long-term trends (1985–98) in soil organic matter in wheat–fallow and wheat–chickpea rotations at Tel Hadya as reported in literature. Overall, results showed that the model is generic and mature enough to be extended to this set of environmental conditions and can therefore be applied to assess the sustainability of wheat–chickpea rotations at Tel Hadya.

scholarly journals Soil water dynamics and litter production in eucalypt and native vegetation in southeastern Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 374-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Henrique Muller da Silva ◽  
Fabio Poggiani ◽  
Walter de Paula Lima ◽  
Paulo Leonel Libardi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Litter Production ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics

In-situ soil water dynamics under different irrigation methods in North East India

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
JOY K DEY ◽  
LALA IP RAY ◽  
Y. MARWEIN
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Clayey Soil ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Irrigation Methods ◽  
North East

Availability of in-situ soil water plays a major role in exploiting the potential yield of crops under irrigated conditions. Depending on type of irrigation, variations of soil water is mostly observed at different soil depths within the root zone. The deviation of soil water at the edaphic zone becomes a deciding factor in assuring optimum yield. As availability of irrigation water is a great concern during non-rainy season, water saving irrigation techniques need to be adopted to maximize the productivity under hilly terrain. An experiment was laid out with potato as a test crop under the valley region of Meghalaya plateau on sandy clayey soil to study in-situ soil water dynamics under three different irrigation methods viz. furrow, micro-sprinkler and gravity-fed drip. Irrigation was scheduled at every weekly basis to restore back the soil water required to achieve the field capacity. Mean value of soil water up to 15 cm depth was 21.75, 22.65 and 23.45%, however, range (minimum to maximum) was 16.21-29.17; 15.56-29.21 and 17.84-28.97% for furrow, micro-sprinkler and gravity-fed drip irrigation, respectively. Co-efficient of variation was found to be the maximum (4.65%) for furrow over other two types of irrigations during the weekly interval. Deviation of in-situ soil water was found to vary rapidly at upper layer (30 cm) under furrow method of irrigation; but at deeper soil layer rapid variation was not observed. Water use efficiency of potato was evaluated to be 14.66, 18.78, 20.63 kg ha-1 mm-1 for furrow, micro-sprinkler and gravity-fed drip irrigation, respectively.

Soil water dynamics over 12 seasons on irrigated dry bean–potato–wheat–sugar beet rotations

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Francis J. Larney ◽  
Drusilla C. Pearson ◽  
Gregg H. Dill ◽  
Timothy D. Schwinghamer ◽  
Francis Zvomuya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Beet ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Dry Bean ◽  
Neutron Probe ◽  
Southern Alberta

Dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) are mainstays of irrigated crop production in southern Alberta. Concerns about soil quality and sustainability instigated a 12 yr (2000–2011) rotation study to compare conventional (CONV) with conservation (CONS) management practices (reduced tillage, narrow-row dry bean, compost addition, and cover cropping). Plant-available water (PAW) was measured using a neutron probe (10–16 count days·season−1, n = 148) on all phases of 4 yr (dry bean–potato–wheat–sugar beet) rotations under CONS and CONV management. A visual monitoring approach was used for irrigation scheduling. For dry bean and sugar beet, management allowable depletion (MAD) was exceeded on only 11%–15% of neutron probe count days over 12 yr. However, MAD was exceeded on 30% of count days for wheat and 43% for potato. Significant crop × management interactions showed that PAW was higher with CONS management most frequently on potato, followed by dry bean, wheat, and sugar beet. This order reflected the prevalence of CONS practices directly impacting each crop. Regression analyses showed that potato, wheat, and sugar beet yield increased significantly as mean growing season water table depth (WTD) increased. This was explained by yield suppression due to excessive soil wetness in seasons with high rainfall and shallow WTD. This study provided comparative soil water dynamics for four major irrigated crops in southern Alberta, over a 12 yr period, which included record high and low growing season precipitation.

scholarly journals Soil-water dynamics and unsaturated storage during snowmelt following wildfire

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 441-483
Author(s):  
B. A. Ebel ◽  
E. S. Hinckley ◽  
D. A. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Snowmelt Period

Abstract. Many forested watersheds with a substantial fraction of precipitation delivered as snow have the potential for landscape disturbance by wildfire. Little is known about the immediate effects of wildfire on snowmelt and near-surface hydrologic responses, including soil-water storage. Montane systems at the rain-snow transition have soil-water dynamics that are further complicated during the snowmelt period by strong aspect controls on snowmelt and soil thawing. Here we present data and analysis from field measurements of snow hydrology and subsurface hydrologic and temperature responses during the first winter and spring after the September 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire in Colorado, USA. Our observations of soil-water content and soil temperature show sharp contrasts in hydrologic and thermal conditions between north- and south-facing slopes. South-facing burned soils were ~1–2 °C warmer on average than north-facing burned soils and ~1.5 °C warmer than south-facing unburned soils, which affected soil thawing during the snowmelt period. Soil-water dynamics also differed by aspect: in response to soil thawing, soil-water content increased approximately one month earlier on south-facing burned slopes than on north-facing burned slopes. While aspect and wildfire affect soil-water dynamics during snowmelt, soil-water storage at the end of the snowmelt period reached the value at field capacity for each plot, suggesting that post-snowmelt unsaturated storage was not substantially influenced by aspect in wildfire-affected areas. Our data and analysis indicate that snowmelt-driven groundwater recharge may be larger in wildfire-impacted areas, especially on south-facing slopes, because of earlier soil thaw and longer durations of soil-water contents above field capacity in those areas.

The effects of management practices and fires on soil water dynamics at three locations across Europe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakub Jerabek ◽  
David Zumr ◽  
Tomas Dostal ◽  
Tomas R. Tenreiro ◽  
Peter Strauss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics

scholarly journals Soil-water dynamics and unsaturated storage during snowmelt following wildfire

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 1401-1417 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. Ebel ◽  
E. S. Hinckley ◽  
D. A. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Snowmelt Period

Abstract. Many forested watersheds with a substantial fraction of precipitation delivered as snow have the potential for landscape disturbance by wildfire. Little is known about the immediate effects of wildfire on snowmelt and near-surface hydrologic responses, including soil-water storage. Montane systems at the rain-snow transition have soil-water dynamics that are further complicated during the snowmelt period by strong aspect controls on snowmelt and soil thawing. Here we present data from field measurements of snow hydrology and subsurface hydrologic and temperature responses during the first winter and spring after the September 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire in Colorado, USA. Our observations of soil-water content and soil temperature show sharp contrasts in hydrologic and thermal conditions between north- and south-facing slopes. South-facing burned soils were ∼1–2 °C warmer on average than north-facing burned soils and ∼1.5 °C warmer than south-facing unburned soils, which affected soil thawing during the snowmelt period. Soil-water dynamics also differed by aspect: in response to soil thawing, soil-water content increased approximately one month earlier on south-facing burned slopes than on north-facing burned slopes. While aspect and wildfire affect soil-water dynamics during snowmelt, soil-water storage at the end of the snowmelt period reached the value at field capacity for each plot, suggesting that post-snowmelt unsaturated storage was not substantially influenced by aspect in wildfire-affected areas. Our data and analysis indicate that the amount of snowmelt-driven groundwater recharge may be larger in wildfire-impacted areas, especially on south-facing slopes, because of earlier soil thaw and longer durations of soil-water contents above field capacity in those areas.

scholarly journals Soil Water Dynamics in a Rainfed Mediterranean Agricultural System

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiménez-de-Santiago ◽  
Lidón ◽  
Bosch-Serra
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Deep Drainage ◽  
Winter Cereal ◽  
Disturbed Soil

Rainfed Mediterranean agriculture is characterized by low water input and by soil water content below its field capacity during most of the year. However, erratic rainfall distribution can lead to deep drainage. The understanding of soil-water dynamics is essential to prevent collateral impacts in subsuperficial waters by leached pollutants and to implement suitable soil management (e.g., agronomic measures to avoid nitrate leaching). Soil water dynamics during two fallow years and three barley crop seasons was evaluated using the Leaching estimation and chemistry model in a semiarid Mediterranean agricultural system. Model calibration was carried out using soil moisture data from disturbed soil samples and from capacitance probes installed at three depths. Drainage of water from the plots occurred in the fall and winter periods. The yearly low drainage values obtained (<15 mm) indicate that the estimated annual nitrate leaching is also small, regardless of the nature of the fertilizer applied (slurries or minerals). In fallow periods, there is a water recharge in the soil, which does not occur under barley cropping. However, annual fallow included in a winter cereal rotation, high nitrate residual soil concentrations (~80 mg NO3−-N L−1) and a period with substantial autumn-winter rains (70–90 mm) can enhance nitrate leaching, despite the semiarid climate.

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