Beneficial Effect of Biochar on Irrigated Dwarf-Green Coconut Tree

The coconut tree is considered one of the greatest consumers of irrigation water, ranging from 100 to 240 L day−1. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of biochar application on decreased irrigation water needs in a 2-year irrigated dwarf coconut palm orchard field experiment. Biochar was characterized chemically and by electron microscope images. Biochar morphology presented several micropores indicating water retention potential. Amounts of biochar were tested (0, 5, 10, 20, 40 g of biochar per kg of soil), representing 0.0; 0.5; 1.0; 2.0; and 4.0 kg per plant. Micro sprinkler irrigation started following the planting of the 90-day old hybrid dwarf coconut seedlings. The impacts of the application of the biochar on the chemical attributes of the soil, biometry of the coconut plants, water storage in the 0–0.3 m soil layer, and the volume of irrigation water required by treatment were evaluated. After two years (2017 and 2018), the application of the biochar resulted in no statistically significant differences in the chemical attributes of the soil and biometric variables of plants between different treatments. The volume of annual irrigation water per plant versus biochar quantity demonstrated a decreasing effect, due to the increase of soil water storage. The dose of 40 g of biochar per kg of soil presented the highest two-year average soil water retention (0–0.3 m layer) among treatments (34, 36, 34, 38, and 45 mm, respectively), resulting in lower 2-year irrigation water demand (28, 36, 29, 28 and 20 L plant−1 day−1, respectively).

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Assessment of pedotransfer functions for estimating soil water retention curves for the amazon region

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo ◽

10.1590/s0100-06832014000300005 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 38 (3) ◽

pp. 730-743 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

João Carlos Medeiros ◽

Miguel Cooper ◽

Jaqueline Dalla Rosa ◽

Michel Grimaldi ◽

Yves Coquet

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Water Retention ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Direct Determination ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Pedotransfer Functions ◽

Water Retention Curve ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽

Soil Water Retention Curve ◽

Soil Water Retention

Knowledge of the soil water retention curve (SWRC) is essential for understanding and modeling hydraulic processes in the soil. However, direct determination of the SWRC is time consuming and costly. In addition, it requires a large number of samples, due to the high spatial and temporal variability of soil hydraulic properties. An alternative is the use of models, called pedotransfer functions (PTFs), which estimate the SWRC from easy-to-measure properties. The aim of this paper was to test the accuracy of 16 point or parametric PTFs reported in the literature on different soils from the south and southeast of the State of Pará, Brazil. The PTFs tested were proposed by Pidgeon (1972), Lal (1979), Aina & Periaswamy (1985), Arruda et al. (1987), Dijkerman (1988), Vereecken et al. (1989), Batjes (1996), van den Berg et al. (1997), Tomasella et al. (2000), Hodnett & Tomasella (2002), Oliveira et al. (2002), and Barros (2010). We used a database that includes soil texture (sand, silt, and clay), bulk density, soil organic carbon, soil pH, cation exchange capacity, and the SWRC. Most of the PTFs tested did not show good performance in estimating the SWRC. The parametric PTFs, however, performed better than the point PTFs in assessing the SWRC in the tested region. Among the parametric PTFs, those proposed by Tomasella et al. (2000) achieved the best accuracy in estimating the empirical parameters of the van Genuchten (1980) model, especially when tested in the top soil layer.

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The influence of stony soil properties on water dynamics modeled by the HYDRUS model

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics ◽

10.1515/johh-2017-0052 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 66 (2) ◽

pp. 181-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Hana Hlaváčiková ◽

Viliam Novák ◽

Zdeněk Kostka ◽

Michal Danko ◽

Jozef Hlavčo

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Water Retention ◽

Water Storage ◽

Water Dynamics ◽

Soil Water Storage ◽

Rock Fragments ◽

Soil Fraction ◽

Fine Soil ◽

Stony Soil ◽

Water Retention Properties

AbstractStony soils are composed of two fractions (rock fragments and fine soil) with different hydrophysical characteristics. Although stony soils are abundant in many catchments, their properties are still not well understood. This manuscript presents an application of the simple methodology for deriving water retention properties of stony soils, taking into account a correction for the soil stoniness. Variations in the water retention of the fine soil fraction and its impact on both the soil water storage and the bottom boundary fluxes are studied as well. The deterministic water flow model HYDRUS-1D is used in the study. The results indicate that the presence of rock fragments in a moderate-to-high stony soil can decrease the soil water storage by 23% or more and affect the soil water dynamics. Simulated bottom fluxes increased or decreased faster, and their maxima during the wet period were larger in the stony soil compared to the non-stony one.

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ESTUDO COMPARATIVO DE MÉTODOS PARA A DETERMINAÇÃO DA CURVA DE RETENÇÃO DE ÁGUA NO SOLO

Irriga ◽

10.15809/irriga.2010v15n2p193 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 193-207 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Patricia Dos Santos Nascimento ◽

Luis Henrique Bassoi ◽

Vital Pedro da Silva Paz ◽

Carlos Manoel Pedro Vaz ◽

João De Mendonça Naime ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Water Retention ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Water Retention Curve ◽

Soil Water Retention Curve ◽

Soil Water Retention ◽

Retention Curve ◽

Disturbed Soil

A curva de retenção de água no solo pode ser estimada por diversos métodos, e alguns deles demandam maior tempo para a sua determinação. Assim, o objetivo desse trabalho foi a comparação da curva de retenção de água no solo, determinada pelos métodos de Arya & Paris, câmara de Richards e centrífuga, em um Neossolo Quartzarênico em Petrolina - PE. Nas camadas de 0,00-0,20, 0,20-0,40 e 0,40-0,60 m de profundidade, foram coletadas amostras deformadas em 3 pontos de uma área cultivada com videiras irrigadas, as quais foram homogeneizadas por camada, formando assim uma amostra composta para cada camada; em seguida, tais amostras foram subdividas em três subamostras e cada uma foi encaminhada para a determinação da curva de retenção de água no solo pelos métodos testados. Os resultados obtidos pelo método de Arya & Paris não apresentaram correspondência com os obtidos pelos métodos da centrífuga e da câmara de Richards. No entanto, o desenvolvimento de calibrações específicas do método de Arya & Paris para os solos irrigados do Submédio São Francisco é recomendada, tanto pela possibilidade de uso da curva de retenção de água no solo para o manejo de irrigação, como pelo potencial do método quanto à determinação rápida. UNITERMOS: retenção de água do solo, analisador granulométrico, método. NASCIMENTO, P. dos S.; BASSOI, L. H.; PAZ, V. P. da S.; VAZ, C. M. P.; NAIME, J. de M.; MANIERI, J. M. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DETERMINING METHODS OF SOIL WATER RETENTION CURVE 2 ABSTRACT Soil water retention curve can be estimated by different methods, and some of them are time consuming. Hence, this research aimed to determine and compare the soil water retention curve, obtained by the methods proposed by Arya & Paris, Richards (pressure membrane apparatus) and centrifuge, of a Typic Quartzipisamment from Petrolina, State of Pernambuco, Brazil. To determine the soil water retention curve in the layers of 0.00-0.20; 0.20-0.40 and 0.40-0.60 m depths, disturbed soil samples were collected in three points of an irrigated vineyard area. The disturbed soil samples were homogenized by layer, thus forming a composed sample for each soil layer. These samples were subdivided into three sub samples, and each one was used to determination of soil water retention curve by the methods tested. The results from method proposed by Arya & Paris did not present similarity with those obtained by Richards´chamber and centrifuge methods. Nevertheless, the development of specific calibration to irrigated soils from Lower-middle São Francisco region is recommended due to the application of soil water retention curve to irrigation scheduling as well as the quickness of the method. KEYWORDS: soil water retention, granulometry analyzer, method.

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Estimated soil water storage within a historical bunker during the growth period of vegetation

Journal of Water and Land Development ◽

10.2478/jwld-2018-0067 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

pp. 125-130 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Łukasz Pardela ◽

Tomasz Kowalczyk

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Soil Water ◽

Water Retention ◽

Growth Period ◽

Vegetation Period ◽

Soil Water Storage ◽

Soil Profiles ◽

Soil Water Retention ◽

Average Value ◽

Volumetric Soil Moisture

AbstractThe objective of the study was to estimate the variation of soil water retention on the site of a historical bunker, an element of the former Wrocław Fortress in Poland. Measurements of soil moisture in the study area were taken in the period from March to September, 2017. Measurements of volumetric soil moisture were taken by means of a hand-held gauge, type FOM/mts with an FP/mts probe, operating on the basis of the reflectometric technique TDR. Soil moisture measurements realized in the vegetation period demonstrated that soil moisture resources in profiles situated in the section of the bunker varied within the range of 37–135 mm in the layer of 50 cm, and 66–203 mm in the layer of 100 cm. The maximum differences of the average value of soil moisture of the soil profiles studied in the period covered by the measurements were 31 mm and 56 mm, respectively. This indicates a significant differentiation of the retention properties of soils used for the construction of individual shelter areas.

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Comparison of the monitored and modeled soil water storage of the upper soil layer: the influence of soil properties and groundwater table level

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics ◽

10.2478/v10098-010-0026-9 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 58 (4) ◽

pp. 279-283 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Július Šútor ◽

Vlasta Štekauerová ◽

Viliam Nagy

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Water Balance ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Water Content ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Water Storage ◽

Groundwater Table ◽

Soil Water Balance ◽

Soil Water Storage

Comparison of the monitored and modeled soil water storage of the upper soil layer: the influence of soil properties and groundwater table levelIn the study ofTomlain(1997) a soil water balance model was applied to evaluate the climate change impacts on the soil water storage in the Hurbanovo locality (Southwestern Slovakia), using the climate change scenarios of Slovakia for the years 2010, 2030, and 2075 by the global circulation models CCCM, GISS and GFD3. These calculations did not take into consideration neither the various soil properties, nor the groundwater table influence on soil water content. In this study, their calculated data were compared with those monitored at the same sites. There were found significant differences between resulting soil water storage of the upper 100 cm soil layer, most probably due to cappilary rise from groundwater at sites 2 and 3. It was shown, that the soil properties and groundwater table depth are importat features strongly influencing soil water content of the upper soil layer; thus the application of the soil water balance equation (Eq. (1)), neglecting the above mentioned factors, could lead to the results far from reality.

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Effect of forest and grassland vegetation on soil hydrology in Mátra Mountains (Hungary)

Biologia ◽

10.2478/s11756-006-0169-7 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 61 (19) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Andrea Hagyó ◽

Kálmán Rajkai ◽

Zoltán Nagy

Keyword(s):

Water Content ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Water Content ◽

Water Retention ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Water Retention Curve ◽

Soil Water Retention Curve ◽

Soil Water Retention ◽

Mountain Area ◽

The Difference

AbstractWater retention characteristics, rainfall, throughfall and soil water content dynamics were investigated in a low mountain area to compare a forest and a grassland. The soil water retention curve of the topsoil has similar shape in both studied areas, however that of the deeper soil layer shows more difference. We determined the precipitation depth, duration and intensity values of rainfall events. The relationship between rainfall and throughfall depth was described in linear regressions. Interception was calculated as the difference between rainfall and throughfall plus stemflow, assuming stemflow to be 3% of rainfall. Soil water content dynamics show a similar trend in the two vegetation types but the drying is more intensive in the forest in the soil layers deeper than 20 cm during the growing-season.

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Investigating the impacts of biochar on water fluxes in tropical agriculture using stable isotopes

10.5194/hess-2020-404 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Benjamin M. C. Fischer ◽

Laura Morillas ◽

Johanna Rojas Conejo ◽

Ricardo Sánchez-Murillo ◽

Andrea Suárez Serrano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Water Retention ◽

Upland Rice ◽

Isotope Composition ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Soil Water Storage ◽

Soil Water Retention ◽

Amended Soils ◽

Rice Plants ◽

Order Of Magnitude

Abstract. Amending soils with biochar, a pyrolyzed organic material, is an emerging practice to potentially increase plant available water. However, it is not clear (1) to what extent biochar amendments increase soil water storage relative to non-amended soils and (2) whether plants grown in biochar amended soils access different pools of water compared to those grown in non-amended soils. To investigate these questions, we set up an upland rice field experiment in a tropical seasonally dry region in Costa Rica, with plots treated with two different biochar amendments and control plots, from where we collected hydrometric and isotopic data (δ18O and δ2H from rain, soil, groundwater and rice plants). Our results show that the soil water retention curves for biochar treated soils shifted, indicating that rice plants had 2 % to 7 % more water available throughout the growing season relative to the control plots. In addition, we observed a within treatment variability in the soil water retention curves which was in the same order of magnitude as one would expect from responses due to differences in biochar application rates or due to differences in biochar typologies. The stable water isotope composition of plant water showed that the rice plants across all plots preferentially utilized the more variable soil water from the top 20 cm of the soil instead of using the deeper and less variable sources of water. Our results indicated that rice plants in biochar amended soils could access larger stores of water more consistently and thus could withstand dry spells of seven extra days relative to rice grown in non-treated soils. Though supplemental irrigation was required to facilitate plant growth during extended dry periods. Therefore, biochar amendments can complement, but not necessarily replace, other water management strategies.

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