Soil Management for Conservation and Sustainable Rice Production in an Irrigated Area of Eastern Nigeria

1996 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles L.A. Asadu

An comparison of soilmanagement techniques In the different irrigation zones of Lower Anambra Irrigation Project (LAIP) In eastern Nigeria showed that heavy use of machinery led to Increases In bulk density and decreases In field water Infiltration rate. The relative proportion of clay In the irrigated fields Increased as a result of Irrigation, suggesting that mobilized clay from uncemented main and distribution canals Is carried and deposited In the rice fields. Both Irrigation and the use of machinery have had substantial negative effects on soli nutrient levels, and there is a danger of this process continuing. Soli management for sustainable production in the area should centre on applying organic matter in combination with inorganic fertilizers, monitoring the soli properties on yearly basis before the cropping season for fertilizer and lime recommendations, and varying the depth of tillage to Increase or maintain the effective soli depth.

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 6993-7015 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Nyberg ◽  
A. Bargués Tobella ◽  
J. Kinyangi ◽  
U. Ilstedt

Abstract. Soil degradation is commonly reported in the tropics where forest is converted to agriculture. Much of the native forest in the highlands of western Kenya has been converted to agricultural land in order to feed the growing population, and more land is being cleared. In tropical Africa, this land use change results in progressive soil degradation, as the period of cultivation increases. Sites that were converted to agriculture at different times can be evaluated as a chronosequence; this can aid in our understanding of the processes at work, particularly those in the soil. Both levels and variation of infiltration, soil carbon and other parameters are influenced by management within agricultural systems, but they have rarely been well documented in East Africa. We constructed a chronosequence for an area of western Kenya, using two native forest sites and six fields that had been converted to agriculture for varying lengths of time. We assessed changes in infiltrability (the steady-state infiltration rate), soil C and N, bulk density, δ13C, and the proportion of macro- and microaggregates in soil along a 119 yr chronosequence of conversion from natural forest to agriculture. Infiltration, soil C and N, decreased rapidly after conversion, while bulk density increased. Median infiltration rates fell to about 15 % of the initial values in the forest and C and N values dropped to around 60 %, whilst the bulk density increased by 50 %. Despite high spatial variability in infiltrability, these parameters correlated well with time since conversion and with each other. Our results indicate that landscape planners should include wooded elements in the landscape in sufficient quantity to ensure water infiltration at rates that prevent runoff and erosion. This should be the case for restoring degraded landscapes, as well as for the development of new agricultural areas.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Wöhl ◽  
Stefan Schrader

<p>Maize (<em>Zea mays</em>) is the most commonly cultivated energy crop throughout Europe. However, its cultivation has severe negative effects such as loss of biodiversity and its delivery of ecosystem services, soil compaction and enhanced greenhouse gas emissions. These negative effects tend to be even more pronounced in wet soils such as pseudogleys. As an alternative to annual maize, the perennial cup plant (<em>Silphium perfoliatum</em>) is known to produce a similar yield, especially under waterlogging conditions, while management impacts of its cultivation are assumed to be less harmful to soil biota. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to quantify the provision of ecosystem services (here: control of the soil water balance) delivered by earthworm communities in wet soils under cultivation of cup plant compared with maize and to assess the ecological impact of both energy crops.</p><p>Fieldwork was conducted cup plant and maize fields (n = 4) in South Western Germany in spring and autumn 2019. The overall soil type was pseudo gleyic luvisol. All fields are managed for commercial purposes by farmers in the area. Sampling included earthworm extraction with allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) while the infiltration rate was measured simultaneously. Afterwards, hand sorting completed the earthworm sampling. Earthworm species, their abundance and biomass (live weight) were determined.</p><p>On average, earthworm abundance and biomass were higher in cup plant fields than in maize fields. In addition, variations in earthworm communities were found. While endogeic earthworms, especially of the genus <em>Aporrectodea</em>, were present in all fields, anecic earthworms were more abundant in cup plant fields. Higher infiltration rates were measured in maize fields. Hints to a correlation between the infiltration rates and the functional earthworm groups were found.</p><p>Our results suggest that cup plant fields host overall more diverse earthworm communities. These communities are able to produce a wider range of ecosystem services, even though the link between the infiltration and the crops studied in this stud is not yet validated.</p>


1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 609 ◽  
Author(s):  
DA McGhie ◽  
AM Posner

Large differences in the water repellence were conferred on fired sand by adding the ground tops of a range of plant species. Contact angles of 75� to 90� were caused at 2% of most pasture and native species and at 5 % many gave contact angles > 95� The cereal crops gave contact angles of about 60� (2%) and 83�(5 %) and were more wettable than pasture and native species. The addition of ground Geraldton subterranean clover (Trifolium subteraneum cv. Geraldton) or brown mallet (Eucalyptus astrigens (Maiden)) to water-repellent sands increased the water repellence. Addition of clover to a water-repellent mallet-hill soil increased the water infiltration rate while the mallet did not change the slow rate. Wheat (Triticum aestivm), when added to water-repellent soils, always reduced the water repellence. Attention is drawn to the importance of the relative wettability of the soil and added organic matter, and therefore the type of plant cover. Soils sampled from beneath wheat/clover rotations of various lengths showed that water repellence increased in the pasture phase and was reduced during the cropping phase. The importance of the type, as well as the amount, of organic matter in the rotations is demonstrated.


Soil Research ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 135 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Hamza ◽  
S. S. Al-Adawi ◽  
K. A. Al-Hinai

Reducing soil compaction is now an important issue in agriculture due to intensive use of farm machinery in different farm operations. This experiment was designed to study the influence of combinations of external load and soil water on soil compaction. Four soil water levels were combined with four external loads as follows: soil water—air-dry, 50% of field capacity, field capacity, and saturation; external load using different-sized tractors—no load (0 kg), small tractor (2638 kg), medium tractor (3912 kg), and large tractor (6964 kg). Soil bulk density, soil strength, and soil water infiltration rate were measured at 0–100, 100–200, and 200–300 mm soil depths. The 16 treatments were set up in a randomised block design with three replications. Combined increases in soil water and external load increased soil compaction, as indicated by increasing soil bulk density and soil strength and decreasing soil water infiltration rate. There was no significant interaction between soil water and external load for bulk density at all soil depths, but the interaction was significant for soil strength and infiltration rates at all soil depths. The ratio between the weight of the external load and the surface area of contact between the external load and the ground was important in determining the degree of surface soil compaction. Least compaction was produced by the medium tractor because it had the highest tyre/ground surface area contact. In general, the effects of soil water and external load on increasing soil bulk density and soil strength were greater in the topsoil than the subsoil.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Liu ◽  
Zeng Cui ◽  
Ze Huang ◽  
Hai-Tao Miao ◽  
Gao-Lin Wu

Abstract. Litter crusts are integral components of the water budget in terrestrial ecosystems, especially in arid areas. This innovative study is to quantify the ecohydrological effectiveness of litter crusts in desert ecosystems. We focus on the positive effects of litter crusts on soil water holding capacity and water interception capacity compared with biocrusts. Litter crusts significantly increased soil organic matter, which was 2.4 times the content in biocrusts and 3.84 times the content in bare sandy lands. Higher organic matter content resulted in increased soil porosity and decreased soil bulk density. Meanwhile, soil organic matter can help to maintain maximum infiltration rates. Litter crusts significantly increased the water infiltration rate under high water supply. Our results suggested that litter crusts significantly improve soil properties, thereby influencing hydrological processes. Litter crusts play an important role in improving hydrological effectiveness and provide a microhabitat conducive to vegetation restoration in dry sandy ecosystem.


Irriga ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Angelotti Neto ◽  
Edemo João Fernandes

AVALIAÇÃO DA TAXA DE INFILTRAÇÃO DE ÁGUA EM UM LATOSSOLO VERMELHO SUBMETIDO A DOIS SISTEMAS DE MANEJO*  Antonio Angelotti Netto1; Edemo João Fernandes21SEA, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos,Universidade de São Paulo e Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária,, São Carlos, SP, [email protected] de Engenharia Rural, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, SP  1 RESUMO A infiltração de água no solo é um dos processos mais importantes do ciclo hidrológico, uma vez que a partir desse parâmetro pode-se determinar o escorrimento superficial e estimar o armazenamento de água no solo. O manejo do solo é um importante fator que influencia a infiltração de água. O solo manejado erroneamente pode ocasionar perdas de solo, lixiviação de pesticidas e fertilizantes, causando efeitos nefastos à produção agrícola e ao ambiente. Diante deste contexto, objetivou-se determinar a velocidade de infiltração em um Latossolo Vermelho eutroférrico ocorrente na UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, submetido aos sistemas de manejo convencional e pousio. As medidas foram realizadas com anéis concêntricos, nos intervalos de tempo: 5, 10, 20, 30 e 60 minutos. Verificou-se que o manejo em pousio a que foi submetido o solo, não foi o suficiente para lhe proporcionar velocidades de infiltração maiores do que no solo manejado convencionalmente. UNITERMOS: infiltração acumulada, manejo de solo, pousio  ANGELOTTI NETTO, A.; FERNANDES, E. J. EVALUATION OF WATER INFILTRATION RATE IN A RED LATOSSOL SUBMITTED TO TWO MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS  2 ABSTRACT Water infiltration in the soil is one of the most important processes of the hydrological cycle, as this parameter may be used to determine water runoff and estimate water storage in the soil. Soil management is an important factor that influences water infiltration. Erroneous soil management may cause soil losses, pesticide and fertilizer leaching, and disastrous effects to the agricultural production and the environment. Considering this, it was decided to determine the infiltration rate of a Red Latosol (Rhodic Eutrudox) at UNESP, Jaboticabal, and SP, BRAZIL, submitted to a conventional management system and to a non-cultivated one. These measurements were made using concentric rings, at time intervals of 5, 10, 20, 30 and 60 minutes. It was verified that the non-cultivated period to which the soil was submitted was not sufficient to provide a greater infiltration rate than that one achieved by conventional soil management. KEYWORDS: accumulated infiltration, soil management, non-cultivated soil 


Author(s):  
E.O. Ogundipe

Soil properties are important to the development of agricultural crops. This study determined some selected soil properties of a drip irrigated tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum M.) field at different moisture regime in South-Western Nigeria. The experiment was carried out using Randomized Complete Block Design with frequency and depth of irrigation application as the main plot and sub-plot, respectively in three replicates. Three frequencies (7, 5 and 3 days) and three depths equivalent to 100, 75 and 50% of water requirement were used. Undisturbed and disturbed soil samples were collected from 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm soil layers for the determination of some soil properties (soil texture, organic matter content, bulk density, infiltration rate and saturated hydraulic conductivity) were determined using standard formulae. Soil Water Content (SWC) monitoring was conducted every two days using a gravimetric technique. The soil texture was sandy loam for all the soil depths; average value of soil organic matter was highest (1.8%) in the 0-5 cm surface layer and decreased with soil depth; the soil bulk density value before and after irrigation experiment ranged from 1.48 and 1.73 g/cm3 and 1.5 and 1.76 g/cm3, respectively; there was a rapid reduction in the initial infiltration and final infiltration rate. Saturated hydraulic conductivity show similar trend although the 20-30 cm layer had the lowest value (50.84 mm/h); the SWC affect bulk density during the growing season. The study showed that soil properties especially bulk density and organic matter content affect irrigation water movement at different depth..


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 292-300
Author(s):  
Enni Dwi Wahjunie ◽  
Dwi Putro Tejo Baskoro ◽  
Suria Darma Tarigan

The main cause of flooding and erosion that creates critical land in various regions in Indonesia is surface runoff. The surface runoff will occur if rainfall exceeds the capacity of soil water absorption (infiltration capacity). The soil management of each land use could improve the infiltration capacity. The water movement both on the surface and in the soil determines the water infiltration. This study predicts surface runoff based on the infiltration rate of various land uses and rainfall in the Ciliwung Watershed. A series of studies were performed in the upstream and middle areas of the watershed. Observations of soil properties, water movement, and rainfall were carried out in various dry land uses. The results showed that the soil's physical properties mostly determine the constant infiltration rate, which affected the water movement in the ground. The initial water content, the degree of saturation of the initial moisture content, and the soil's physical properties determine the time of constant infiltration rate. The value of constant rate infiltration and the time of its achievement define the amount of surface runoff that occurs. Keywords: hydraulic conductivity, run off, soil management, time achievement of infiltration capacity


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Salvador Lozano-Trejo ◽  
Jaime Olazo Aquino ◽  
María Isabel Pérez-León ◽  
Ernesto Castañeda-Hidalgo ◽  
Gustavo Omar Díaz-Zorrilla ◽  
...  

Changes in the land use of a basin area affects the infiltration and surface water runoff directly, altering the balance of the hydrological cycle. Therefore, estimating parameters of water infiltration and runoff for each type of land use and vegetation (USV) is fundamental to differentiate the impact caused by a change of land use over the hydrical balance of a given area. The objective of this study was to estimate cumulative inf iltration (F), basic inf iltration rate (Ti), constant inf iltration rate (fc) and inf iltration decay coeff icient (k); as well as inf iltration and runoff coefficients in mountainous cloud forest (BMM), (SMSPC), pine-oak forest (BPQ), oak forest (BQ), induced grassland (PI), pine forest (BP), agricultural land in use (TC) and fallowed agricultural land (TCD). Thirty-eight simulated rain experiments were carried out at an average intensity of 100 mm h-1 with a hand-portable single nozzle rainfall simulator. The exponential model was employed to estimate fc and k and the Horton semi-empirical model to estimate Ti and F. The analysis of variance was performed by the generalized linear model (GML) to evaluate the effects of USV and texture type, and the analysis of covariance was employed to determine the effects of slope, mulch depth, organic matter % of total variability content, sand, mud and clay content, and bulk density. The exponential model fitted more than 80% of total variability (R2) at all USV. Agricultural land in use and TCD showed the lowest F and Ti and the highest k (P < 0.001), BMM exhibited the highest infiltration capacity (F) and lowest decay rate (k). The bulk density of the soil, and content of mud and organic matter were the variables positively associated to infiltration (P < 0.01).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document