THE AVAILABLE-WATER CAPACITY OF A SANDY LOAM SOIL

SUMMARYEffects of phosphorus fertilizer, initial profile water storage and seasonal rainfall on yield and water use by dryland wheat on loamy-sand and sandy-loam soils were studied for a 2-year period (1973–5). Plant available water at seeding varied from 62 to 205 mm, seasonal rainfall varied from 62 to 154 mm and available P status ranged from 9·5 to 18·5 kg P/ha. Four rates of phosphorus 0, 15, 30 and 45 kg P2O5/ha were tested. Available water at seeding, seasonal precipitation and the available P status of soil determined the yield response to phosphorus fertilizer. Response to P application was observed up to 15 kg and 30 kg P2O5/ha in loamy-sand and sandy-loam soils respectively. Growth and yield of wheat were highly correlated with the available water at planting plus seasonal rainfall. Total water use did not change in loamy-sand soil, but it increased by 16 mm in sandy-loam soil with the application of phosphorus. The profile water depletion pattern, further, indicates that the fertilized crop used more water from layers below 135 cm in loamy-sand and 22·5 cm in sandy-loam soil.

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Biochar increases plant-available water in a sandy loam soil under an aerobic rice crop system

Solid Earth ◽

10.5194/se-5-939-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 939-952 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

M. T. de Melo Carvalho ◽

A. de Holanda Nunes Maia ◽

B. E. Madari ◽

L. Bastiaans ◽

P. A. J. van Oort ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Retention ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Sandy Loam Soil ◽

Aerobic Rice ◽

Undisturbed Soil ◽

Available Water ◽

Eucalyptus Wood ◽

Loam Soil ◽

Plant Available Water ◽

The Impact

Abstract. The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of biochar rate (0, 8, 16 and 32 Mg ha−1) on the water retention capacity (WRC) of a sandy loam Dystric Plinthosol. The applied biochar was a by-product of slow pyrolysis (∼450 °C) of eucalyptus wood, milled to pass through a 2000 μm sieve that resulted in a material with an intrinsic porosity ≤10 μm and a specific surface area of ∼3.2 m2 g−1. The biochar was incorporated into the top 15 cm of the soil under an aerobic rice system. Our study focused on both the effects on WRC and rice yields 2 and 3 years after its application. Undisturbed soil samples were collected from 16 plots in two soil layers (5–10 and 15–20 cm). Soil water retention curves were modelled using a nonlinear mixed model which appropriately accounts for uncertainties inherent of spatial variability and repeated measurements taken within a specific soil sample. We found an increase in plant-available water in the upper soil layer proportional to the rate of biochar, with about 0.8% for each Mg ha−1 biochar amendment 2 and 3 years after its application. The impact of biochar on soil WRC was most likely related to an effect in overall porosity of the sandy loam soil, which was evident from an increase in saturated soil moisture and macro porosity with 0.5 and 1.6% for each Mg ha−1 of biochar applied, respectively. The increment in soil WRC did not translate into an increase in rice yield, essentially because in both seasons the amount of rainfall during the critical period for rice production exceeded 650 mm. The use of biochar as a soil amendment can be a worthy strategy to guarantee yield stability under short-term water-limited conditions. Our findings raise the importance of assessing the feasibility of very high application rates of biochar and the inclusion of a detailed analysis of its physical and chemical properties as part of future investigations.

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Available water capacity of the surface layer of various soils from the arid and semiarid region of Puerto Rico

The Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico ◽

10.46429/jaupr.v36i2.12793 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 134-140

Author(s):

M. A. Lugo López

Keyword(s):

Surface Layer ◽

Puerto Rico ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Field Capacity ◽

Semiarid Region ◽

Water Capacity ◽

Semiarid Regions ◽

Available Water ◽

Available Water Capacity ◽

Arid And Semiarid

The available water of soils is considered to be in the moisture range from field capacity to permanent wilting percentage. The customary procedures for determining these two soil constants are quite inconvenient. Although data are presented that show good agreement between moisture equivalents and field-capacity values in selected soils, it was not possible to obtain a reliable regression with soils from the arid and semiarid regions of Puerto Rico. The regression of permanent wilting percentages by the plant method to 15-atmosphere percentages is expressed by the equation, Y = 2.37 + 0.76 X, in which Y is the permanent wilting percentage and X is the 15- atmosphere percentage. Data on the available water capacity of the surface layer of sons from the arid and semiarid regions of Puerto Rico are presented. The range of available water is adequate in most soils, fluctuating from about 18 to 25, except in sands where it is lower. It is about the same in heavy soils such as clays and clay loams as in lighter ones such as sandy loam and sandy clay loams.

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Long-term influence of compost on available water capacity of a fine sandy loam in a potato rotation

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss06042 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 87 (5) ◽

pp. 535-539 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

M R Carter

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Water Retention ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Soil Water Retention ◽

Matric Potential ◽

Water Capacity ◽

Available Water ◽

Available Water Capacity ◽

Potato Rotation

An improved soil physical structure, associated with organic amendments in crop rotations, can be viewed as an emergent property. A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of applied compost on soil water retention and available water capacity, and other associative soil properties in a long-term 3-yr potato rotation established on a Charlottetown fine sandy loam (Orthic Humo-Ferric Podzol) in Prince Edward Island. Soil samples (0–10 cm) were obtained from two crop phases (barley and potato) during the fourth cycle of the rotation (after four compost applications) in the 12th year of the experiment. Except for particulate N, compost had little effect on soil organic matter. In comparison to the barley phase, a combination of compost and surface tillage in the potato phase was associated with improved soil porosity parameters and increased soil water contents at −33 kPa (“field capacity” ), −100 and −300 kPa matric potential, compared with the no-compost control. These results indicate that compost stabilized the tillage induced soil aggregates and macro-porosity in the potato phase. Regression analysis showed that soil volumetric water content at both −33 and −1500 kPa matric potential was significantly related to soil C concentration, although the soil available water capacity remained unchanged. The results imply that the “non-nutrient” compost effect on potato productivity was related to soil water retention. Key words: Soil water retention, soil physical and biochemical properties, compost amendment, tillage, potato rotation, eastern Canada

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Emissions of nitrous oxide and nitric oxide associated with the decomposition of arable crop residues on a sandy loam soil in Eastern England

Agronomie ◽

10.1051/agro:2002057 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 22 (7-8) ◽

pp. 731-738 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Roland Harrison ◽

Sharon Ellis ◽

Roy Cross ◽

James Harrison Hodgson

Keyword(s):

Nitric Oxide ◽

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Sandy Loam Soil ◽

Arable Crop ◽

Loam Soil

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The effect of conservation tillage systems on sustainability of soil biological state of sandy loam soil in corn monoculture

Cereal Research Communications ◽

10.1556/crc.35.2007.2.139 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 721-724 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Péter László ◽

Miklós Dombos ◽

Csaba Gyuricza

Keyword(s):

Sandy Loam ◽

Conservation Tillage ◽

Sandy Loam Soil ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

Loam Soil ◽

Biological State

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INFLUENCE OF UNCONVENTIONAL FERTILIZERS ON MICROBIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF SODDY-PODZOLY SANDY SOIL

Agro-industrial technologies of the Central Russia ◽

10.24888/2541-7835-2020-18-84-87 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 84-87

Author(s):

Yu.V. Leonova ◽

◽

T.A. Spasskaya ◽

Keyword(s):

Sewage Sludge ◽

Sandy Soil ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Sandy Loam Soil ◽

Microbiological Activity ◽

Coffee Waste ◽

Loam Soil

The change in the microbiological activity of sod-podzolic sandy loam soil when using coffee waste and sewage sludge as a fertilizer for oats in comparison with traditional fertilizers is considered. During the study, it was determined that the predominant groups were bacteria and actinomycetes. Bacilli and fungi are few in number. The introduction of sewage sludge and coffee waste into the sod-podzolic sandy loam soil at a dose of 10 t / ha increases the activity of the microflora of the sod-podzolic sandy loam soil, which increases the effective and potential fertility.

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