scholarly journals Physical properties of a soil under a pig slurry application and organic matter activators

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 199-207
Author(s):  
Václav Novák ◽  
Petr Šařec ◽  
Kateřina Křížová

To investigate the effects of organic matter activators combined with a pig slurry on a soil’s physical properties, a field experiment was carried out in a monoculture of corn (2015–2017). Three pig slurry application variants complemented with the activators in question, i.e. with PRP SOL spread directly on the soil surface (SOL), with Z’fix added to the slurry during the pig housing (ZF) and with a combination of both PRP SOL and Z’fix (ZF_SOL), were compared with just the pig slurry (C) under an equal dose of nitrogen and a uniform growing technology. According to the results, a positive effect of the penetration resistance with the pig slurry and the activators of organic matter (Z’fix and PRP SOL) was not proven. The saturated hydraulic conductivity was demonstrably better achieved with the Z’fix activator, but PRP SOL activator also provided a certain improvement. The largest change in the unit draught was observed in the ZF_SOL application (20% increase). The results seem ambiguous; however, they give a good indication of the activators’ effect in practice. Nevertheless, the findings would certainly benefit from further verification.

Soil Research ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Sargeant ◽  
C. Tang ◽  
P. W. G. Sale

Landholder observations indicate that the growth of Distichlis spicata in saline discharge sites improves the soil condition. An extensive soil sampling survey was conducted at the Wickepin field site in Western Australia, where D. spicata had been growing for 8 years, to test the hypothesis that this halophytic grass will make improvements in chemical and physical properties of the soil. Soil measurements included saturated hydraulic conductivity, water-stable aggregates, root length and dry weight, electrical conductivity, pH, and soil nitrogen and carbon. Results confirm that marked differences in soil properties occurred under D. spicata. For example, a 12-fold increase in saturated hydraulic conductivity occurred where D. spicata had been growing for 8 years, compared to adjacent control soil where no grass had been growing. There were also improvements in aggregate stability, with the most notable improvements in the top 0.10 m of soil, again with the greatest improvements occurring where 8 years of growth had occurred. Soil nitrogen and carbon increased under the sward, with the biggest increases occurring in the top 0.10 m of soil. Electrical conductivity measurements were more variable, mostly due to the large spatial and temporal variation encountered. However, the findings generally support the proposition that the growth of D. spicata does not lead to an accumulation of salt within the rooting zone.


1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 1085 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Cai ◽  
SA Prathapar ◽  
HG Beecher

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.


2004 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. García-Corona ◽  
E. Benito ◽  
E. de Blas ◽  
M. E. Varela

Two forest soils rich in organic matter but differing in texture (sandy loam and silty loam) were heated under controlled laboratory conditions in order to examine the consequences of the heating effect that accompanies the passage of a fire on the physical properties of soil. Three samples of both soils were heated for 30 min in a muffle furnace at temperatures of 25, 170, 220, 380 and 460°C. At each temperature, the following parameters were determined: dry aggregate size distribution, water aggregate stability, total porosity, pore size distribution, water repellency and hydraulic conductivity. Heating the soils at 170 and 220°C caused no significant changes in aggregate size distribution or total porosity but increased water aggregate stability and the volume of pores 0.2–30 μm. Also, increased water repellency and strongly decreased the hydraulic conductivity. All parameters underwent much more dramatic changes at 380 and 460°C that can be ascribed to the combustion of organic matter. At such temperatures, water repellency was destroyed and the low hydraulic conductivity can be attributed to the aggregate breakdown observed under dry and wet conditions.


2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Biswas ◽  
B C Si

The relationship between soil properties may vary with their spatial separation. Understanding this relationship is important in predicting hydraulic parameters from other soil physical properties. The objective of this study was to identify spatially dependent relationships between hydraulic parameters and soil physical properties. Regularly spaced (3-m) undisturbed soil samples were collected along a 384 m transect from a farm field at Smeaton, Saskatchewan. Saturated hydraulic conductivity, the soil water retention curve, and soil physical properties were measured. The scaling parameter, van Genuchten scaling parameter α (VGα), and curve shape parameter, van Genuchten curve shape parameter n (VGn), were obtained by fitting the van Genuchten model to measured soil moisture retention data. Results showed that the semivariograms of soil properties exhibited two different spatial structures at spatial separations of 20 and 120 m, respectively. A strong spatial structure was observed in organic carbon, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), sand, and silt; whereas a weak structure was found for VGα and VGn. Correlation circle analysis showed strong spatially dependent relationships of Ks and VGα; with soil physical properties, but weak relationships of θs and VGn with soil physical properties. The spatially dependent relationships between soil physical and soil hydraulic parameters should be taken into consideration when developing pedotransfer functions. Key words: Spatial relationship, geostatistics, linear coregionalization model, principal component analysis, pedotransfer function


Soil Research ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
DR Scotter ◽  
BE Clothier ◽  
ER Harper

A method of measuring, with minimal soil disturbance, the saturated hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity of field soil is presented and discussed. It involves measuring the steady-state infiltration of ponded water from two rings, of different radii, that have been lightly pressed into the soil surface. The method is based on Wooding's solution for steady infiltration from a shallow, circular pond. Criteria for selecting ring radii are discussed. Results for three field soils are found to give consistent values for the conductivity and sorptivity.


1986 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-742
Author(s):  
J. A. MILLETTE ◽  
R. S. BROUGHTON

Monolith column construction and sampling procedures were described for organic soil profiles and used to measure the variation with depth of saturated hydraulic conductivity, bulk density and fiber content. The top 0.30 m of the organic soil was more permeable, had a greater bulk density and had a greater fiber content than the soil layer between 0.60 and 0.90 m from the soil surface. These columns can be used for correlations studies between physical properties and studies of the dynamic nature of the physical properties of organic soils. Key words: Saturated hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, fiber content, organic soil, monolith columns


2018 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.J. Miller ◽  
B.W. Beasley ◽  
C.F. Drury ◽  
F.J. Larney ◽  
X. Hao ◽  
...  

Long-term application of feedlot manure to cropland may change the physical properties of soils. We measured selected soil (surface) physical properties of a Dark Brown Chernozemic clay loam where different amendments were annually applied for 15 (2013), 16 (2014), and 17 (2015) yr. The treatments were stockpiled (SM) or composted (CM) manure with either straw (ST) or wood-chip (WD) bedding applied at three rates (13, 39, and 77 Mg ha−1) and an unamended control. The effect of selected or all treatments on selected properties was determined in 2013–2015. These properties included field-saturated (Kfs) and near-saturated hydraulic conductivity or K(ψ), bulk density (BD), volumetric water content, soil temperature, soil thermal properties, and wet aggregate stability. The hypotheses that selected soil physical properties would improve more for treatments with greater total carbon in the amendments (SM > CM, WD > ST) was rejected. The exceptions were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower soil BD for SM than CM and WD than ST for certain dates, and lower soil thermal conductivity for WD than ST. Most soil physical properties generally had no response to 15–17 yr of annual applications of these feedlot amendments, but a few showed a positive response.


2020 ◽  
pp. 124-132

An evaluation of the productivity of degraded alfisols at Makurdi and Otobi, Nigeria, using artificial desurfacing techniques (ADT) was carried out in 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons. The study was a split-split plot experiment arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The soil was desurfaced at 0 – 5, 0 – 10, 0 – 15, 0 – 20 cm and the undesurfaced soil, 0 cm (control) depths. The restorative amendments were 9 t ha-1 of poultry dropping as an organic source of manure, N:P2O5:K2O as an inorganic source of manure and zero application as control. Soybean variety TGX 1448-2E and maize variety, Oba super II were used as test crop. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was significantly (P = 0.05) lower at 20 cm (29.08 cm hr-1 ), but did not differ significantly at 0 to 10 cm depths. Soil pH of 5.58 was recorded at 0 cm depth and it decreased to 5.05 at 20 cm depth. Also, organic matter content (1.71 – 1.00 g kg-1 ), total nitrogen (0.12 – 0.08 g kg-1 ) as well as CEC (7.39 – 6.24 cmol kg-1 ) recorded a significant decrease with increase in soil depth from 0 to 20 cm depths. Application of poultry manure increased total porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity as well as organic matter content across desurfaced depths. Soybean number of leaves was significantly (P = 0.05) reduced at 4, 7, and 10 WAP with increased topsoil removal. The highest grain yield of soybean (1474 kg ha-1 ) was recorded on poultry manure treated plots which were significantly higher (p = 0.05) than other treatments. Application of poultry manure caused 20 % soybean yield reduction at 5 depth, and a 56 % reduction at 20 cm depth.


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