scholarly journals Effects of the texture and organic matter values in the estimation of the soil water content at a regional scale

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 697 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Pérez-Cutillas ◽  
G.G. Barberá ◽  
C. Conesa-García

This study compares two methods for the estimation of hydraulic properties of the soil at the regional scale. Soil water content (θ) values was estimated at two fixed soil matric potential values), associated with the field capacity (θfc) and wilting point (θwp). The first method is carried out directly using (θ) values of analytical determinations, by modeling them as a function of environmental variables. The second method employed texture and organic matter (OM) information to obtain (θ) values by pedotransfer functions (PTFs). The comparison of both methods allows evaluating the effect of the textures and OM, of which a significant effect of these variables is produced, suggested that there is a considerable level of consistency between the two methods, despite some differences induced by coarse textures (sand) and OM.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitta Szabó ◽  
Melanie Weynants ◽  
Tobias Weber

<p>We present improved European hydraulic pedotransfer functions (PTFs) which now use the machine learning algorithm random forest and include prediction uncertainties. The new PTFs (euptfv2) are an update of the previously published euptfv1 (Tóth et al., 2015). With the derived hydraulic PTFs soil hydraulic properties and van Genuchten-Mualem model parameters can be predicted from easily available soil properties. The updated PTFs perform significantly better than euptfv1 and are applicable for 32 predictor variables combinations. The uncertainties reflect uncertainties from the considered input data, predictors and the applied algorithm. The euptfv2 includes transfer functions to compute soil water content at saturation (0 cm matric potential head), field capacity (both -100 and -330 cm matric potential head) and wilting point (-15,000 cm matric potential head), plant available water content computed with field capacity at -100 and -330 cm matric potential head, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and Mualem-van Genuchten parameters of the moisture retention and hydraulic conductivity curves. The influence of predictor variables on predicted soil hydraulic properties is explored and suggestions to best predictor variables given.</p><p>The algorithms have been implemented in a web interface (https://ptfinterface.rissac.hu) and an R package (https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.3759442) to facilitate the use of the PTFs, where the PTFs’ selection is automated based on soil properties available for the predictions and required soil hydraulic property.</p><p>The new PTFs will be applied to derive soil hydraulic properties for field- and catchment- scale hydrological modelling in European case studies of the OPTAIN project (https://www.optain.eu/). Functional evaluation of the PTFs is performed under the iAqueduct research project.</p><p> </p><p>This research has been supported by the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office (grant no. KH124765), the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (grant no. BO/00088/18/4), and the German Research Foundation (grant no. SFB 1253/12017). OPTAIN is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Program for research and innovation under Grant Agreement No. 862756.</p>


2005 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels Henrik Jensen ◽  
Thomas Balstrøm ◽  
Henrik Breuning-Madsen

A database containing about 800 soil profiles located in a 7-km grid covering Denmark has been used to develop a set of regression equations of soil water content at pressure heads −1, −10, −100 and −1500 kPa versus particle size distribution, organic matter, CaCO3 and bulk density. One purpose was to elaborate equations based on soil parameters available in the Danish Soil Classification's texture database of particle size distribution and organic matter. It was also tested to see if inclusion of bulk density or CaCO3 content (in CaCO3-containing samples) as predictors or grouping in surface and subsurface horizons or textural classes improved the regression equations. Compared to existing Danish equations based on much fewer observations the accuracies of the new equations were better. The equations also predicted the soil water content at the measured pressure heads more accurately than the pedotransfer functions developed in HYPRES (Hydraulic Properties of European Soils). Introducing bulk density as a predictor improved the equation for the pressure head of −1 kPa but not for the lower ones. The grouping of data sets in surface and subsurface horizons or in textural classes did not improve the equations. Based on the equations a set of van Genuchten parameters for soil types in the Danish Soil Classification was elaborated. The prediction of soil water content, especially at pressure head −1 kPa, is more accurate using these van Genuchten parameters than using the pedotransfer functions developed in relation to the HYPRES database from a broad range of European soils.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-26
Author(s):  
Ingri Dayana ◽  
Bandi Hermawan ◽  
Yudhi Harini Bertham ◽  
Dwi Wahyuni Ganefianti

Soil water availability to the plants is a range of water content between the field capacity and the permanent wilting point (PWP) conditions. The PWP is defined as the lower limit of soil water content that the plant can extract water from the soil as indicated by the symptoms of wilting plants. This is because plant roots are unable to penetrate the soil micropores that contain the water.  The study aims to analyze the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and compost in enhancing soil water absorption by the plant when the water content is close to the permanent wilting point. Four doses of AMF (0, 5, 10 and 15 g.plant-1) and three doses of coffee pulp-made compost (0, 5 and 10 ton.ha-1) were arranged according to a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Results showed that the application of AMF significantly enabled the plant to improve water uptake when the soil water content was about at the permanent wilting point conditions. The AMF addition of 15 g.plant-1 significantly prolonged the growing period of chili to wither and the plant showed the wilting symptoms at the soil water content of 5 to 7% lower than the no-AMF plants. Improved water uptake under water stress conditions was attributed to increases in the root colonization by AMF.


2012 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 829-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Pan ◽  
Yakov Pachepsky ◽  
Diederik Jacques ◽  
Andrey Guber ◽  
Robert L. Hill

Author(s):  
MUHAMMAD ASLAM ALI ◽  
SANJIT CHANDRA BARMAN ◽  
MD. ASHRAFUL ISLAM KHAN ◽  
MD. BADIUZZAMAN KHAN ◽  
HAFSA JAHAN HIYA

Climate change and water scarcity may badly affect existing rice production system in Bangladesh. With a view to sustain rice productivity and mitigate yield scaled CH4 emission in the changing climatic conditions, a pot experiment was conducted under different soil water contents, biochar and silicate amendments with inorganic fertilization (NPKS). In this regard, 12 treatments combinations of biochar, silicate and NPKS fertilizer along with continuous standing water (CSW), soil saturation water content and field capacity (100% and 50%) moisture levels were arranged into rice planted potted soils. Gas samples were collected from rice planted pots through Closed Chamber technique and analyzed by Gas Chromatograph. This study revealed that seasonal CH4 emissions were suppressed through integrated biochar and silicate amendments with NPKS fertilizer (50–75% of the recommended doze), while increased rice yield significantly at different soil water contents. Biochar and silicate amendments with NPKS fertilizer (50% of the recommended doze) increased rice grain yield by 10.9%, 18.1%, 13.0% and 14.2%, while decreased seasonal CH4 emissions by 22.8%, 20.9%, 23.3% and 24.3% at continuous standing water level (CSW) (T9), at saturated soil water content (T10), at 100% field capacity soil water content (T11) and at 50% field capacity soil water content (T12), respectively. Soil porosity, soil redox status, SOC and free iron oxide contents were improved with biochar and silicate amendments. Furthermore, rice root oxidation activity (ROA) was found more dominant in water stress condition compared to flooded and saturated soil water contents, which ultimately reduced seasonal CH4 emissions as well as yield scaled CH4 emission. Conclusively, soil amendments with biochar and silicate fertilizer may be a rational practice to reduce the demand for inorganic fertilization and mitigate CH4 emissions during rice cultivation under water stress drought conditions.


Biologia ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Horst Gerke ◽  
Rolf Kuchenbuch

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.


2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 855-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Leblanc ◽  
D. C. Cloutier ◽  
C. Hamel

A 2-year field study was conducted in corn to determine the influence of rainfall, irrigation and soil water content on common lambsquarters and barnyardgrass emergence. Rainfall or irrigation had no influence on the final weed density and little on the pattern of weed emergence because the soil water content was at or greater than field capacity during the main weed emergence period. Irrigation may hasten the first weed emergence by warming the soil when temperature is limiting for germination. In southwestern Quebec, temperature appears to be the most important factor regulating germination in the spring since soil moisture is normally at field capacity for a long period, in part because of the melting of snow. Key words: Irrigation, weed emergence, soil moisture


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