Mitigating Rainfall-Induced Sediment Hazard and Soil Erosion Using Organic Amended Soil Improvement

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1228-1237
Author(s):  
Khonesavanh Vilayvong ◽  
◽  
Noriyuki Yasufuku ◽  
Kiyoshi Omine ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Soil Condition ◽  
Soil Improvement ◽  
Organic Wastes ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Application Rates

Soil-organic amendment (SOA) is one of the sustainable soil improvement measures to mitigate climate change related issues such as rainfall-induced hazard and soil erosion. Organic wastes particularly compost and biochar can be reused and recycled into viable resources. However, there are limited data on incoporating organic wastes into a soil that is susceptible to erosion by rainfall. Therefore, objective of this study is to investigate properties of a soil from Okinawa prefecture (Kunigami maaji) that are associated with resisting ability against artificial rainfall intensities of 30, 60, 90 and 120 mm/h after adding two organic matters: household-derived compost and rice hush-derived biochar. The properties were soil-water retention, runoff, soil loss, infiltration and electrical conductivity. The compost was mixed with the soil at application rates of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kg/m2. The compost of 1.0 kg/m2was mixed with the soil and the biochar at application rates of 1, 3, and 5% by total weight. Experimental results indicate that the soil water retention properties of the soil were improved by the treatment of compost and biochar. However, soil loss was not significantly reduced under initially saturated soil condition, applied rainfall intensities, testing duration and experimental conditions. The results of this study could be used as baseline data for evaluating correlation between properties of soil water retention curves to soil erosion.

Newly-amended biochar particles decrease erodibility and improve hydraulic soil properties

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Seitz ◽  
Sandra Teuber ◽  
Christian Geissler ◽  
Philipp Goebes ◽  
Thomas Scholten
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Substrate Surface ◽  
Hydrothermal Carbonization ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Soil Water Retention

<p>Biochar is charcoal obtained by thermal decomposition of biomass through pyrolysis. The amendment of biochar changes chemical, but also physical properties of soils such as aggregation and texture. Thus, it is assumed that it can also affect soil erosion and erosion-related processes like the movement of water within the soil. In this study, we investigated how biochar particles change erodibility by rain splash instantly after application, as well as the initial movement of soil water.</p><p>Therefore, we conducted a small-scale laboratory experiment with two sieved substrates and using hydrothermal carbonization (HTC)-char and Pyrochar. Soil erodibility was determined with Tübingen splash cups under simulated rainfall, soil hydraulic conductivity was calculated from texture and bulk soil density, and soil water retention was measured using the negative and the excess pressure methods.</p><p>Results showed that the addition of biochar significantly reduced initial soil erosion in coarse sand and silt loam immediately after biochar application. Furthermore, biochar particles were not preferentially removed from the substrate surface. Increasing biochar particle sizes partly showed decreasing erodibility of substrates. Moreover, biochar amendment led to improved hydraulic conductivity and soil water retention regarding soil erosion control, with increasing application rates. It became clear that these effects are already detectable in a very early stage, and without long-term incorporation of biochar into soils. We could further show that different biochar types have varying impacts on investigated parameters due to their chemical properties and sizes, and future research should include varying biochars produced with different production methods.</p><p>In conclusion, this study showed that biochar amendments have the potential to reduce soil erosion by water from a very early stage. This mechanism adds a further ecosystem service to the list of useful impacts of biochar application on agriculture.</p>

scholarly journals How Do Newly-Amended Biochar Particles Affect Erodibility and Soil Water Movement?—A Small-Scale Experimental Approach

Soil Systems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Seitz ◽  
Sandra Teuber ◽  
Christian Geißler ◽  
Philipp Goebes ◽  
Thomas Scholten
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Substrate Surface ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Biochar Amendment

Biochar amendment changes chemical and physical properties of soils and influences soil biota. It is, thus, assumed that it can also affect soil erosion and erosion-related processes. In this study, we investigated how biochar particles instantly change erodibility by rain splash and the initial movement of soil water in a small-scale experiment. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC)-char and Pyrochar were admixed to two soil substrates. Soil erodibility was determined with Tübingen splash cups under simulated rainfall, soil hydraulic conductivity was calculated from texture and bulk soil density, and soil water retention was measured using the negative and the excess pressure methods. Results showed that the addition of biochar significantly reduced initial soil erosion in coarse sand and silt loam immediately after biochar application. Furthermore, biochar particles were not preferentially removed from the substrate surface, but increasing biochar particle sizes partly showed decreasing erodibility of substrates. Moreover, biochar amendment led to improved hydraulic conductivity and soil water retention, regarding soil erosion control. In conclusion, this study provided evidence that biochar amendments reduce soil degradation by water erosion. Furthermore, this effect is detectable in a very early stage, and without long-term incorporation of biochar into soils.

scholarly journals Carboxylated Nanocellulose Superabsorbent: Biodegradation and Soil Water Retention Properties

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth M. Barajas ◽  
Vanessa Wong ◽  
Karen Little ◽  
Antonio F. Patti ◽  
Gil Garnier
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Water Extracts ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Carboxylate Groups ◽  
Freeze Dried ◽  
Water Retention Properties

Abstract Carboxylated nanocellulose superabsorbent polymers (SAP) can be used to increase soil water retention in agriculture. The benefits investigated are influenced by the superabsorbent structure, composition and application rate. In this study, TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl)-oxidised nanocellulose superabsorbents were prepared using three different drying techniques: freeze-dried, and oven-dried at low and high temperatures. The swelling capacity in soil water extracts was measured and compared to deionised water. Soil was amended with different application rates of these superabsorbents to evaluate the effects on water retention, microbial community and their biodegradation. The absorption performance of nanocellulose superabsorbents is affected by the concentration and type of salts in the soil water extracts. Oven-dried at 50°C SAP presents the highest ionic sensitivity attributed to its large number of accessible carboxylate groups. The water retention of the soil treatments increases with increasing application rate. Soil treated with the freeze-dried superabsorbent shows the highest water retention, whereas those amended with the 50°C oven-dried SAP remain moist the longest. The biodegradation rate of these materials depends on the application rate and nutrient availability. Carboxylated nanocellulose superabsorbents emerge as high-performance biodegradable materials for agricultural use, able to replace the current non-biodegradable petrochemical-based superabsorbents.

INFLUENCE OF SOIL MATRIX ON SOIL-WATER RETENTION CURVE AND HYDRAULIC CHARACTERISTICS

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 869-877
Author(s):  
Vasile Lucian Pavel ◽  
Florian Statescu ◽  
Dorin Cotiu.ca-Zauca ◽  
Gabriela Biali ◽  
Paula Cojocaru
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Water Retention Curve ◽  
Hydraulic Characteristics ◽  
Soil Water Retention Curve ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Soil Matrix ◽  
Retention Curve

scholarly journals Carboxylated nanocellulose superabsorbent: Biodegradation and soil water retention properties

2021 ◽  
pp. 51495
Author(s):  
Ruth M. Barajas‐Ledesma ◽  
Vanessa N. L. Wong ◽  
Karen Little ◽  
Antonio F. Patti ◽  
Gil Garnier
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Water Retention Properties

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.

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