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

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.

Soil Systems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
Mirko Castellini ◽  
Luisa Giglio ◽  
Francesca Modugno

Sampled soil volume is a main experimental factor which must be properly considered to obtain a reliable estimation of soil physical quality (SPQ) and, thus, to obtain credible evaluation of the impact of a conservative-conventional soil management system on the soil air–water relationship. In this investigation, two ring sizes were used to sample two fine textured soils and soil management for durum wheat cultivation, namely, conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT). The soil water retention was determined; soil bulk density (BD), macroporosity (MACpor), air capacity (AC), and relative field capacity (RFC) were estimated to assess the soil physical quality indicators, in agreement with the guidelines suggested in the literature. The main results showed that the sampling volume of the soil affected the soil water retention estimation (θ) and, consequently, affected the SPQ estimation, given that (i) higher θ values (by a factor 1.11 as mean) were generally obtained with a large diameter than a small one; these differences decreased (by a factor 1.20, 1.10 and 1.03) as the imposed pressure head value decreased (respectively, at h = 0, −10 and −100 cm); (ii) among SPQ indicators considered, soil volume samples seemed to impact the BD–RFC estimation more than AC–MACpor, as statistical differences were identified only in the former case; iii) NT soil was significantly more compact, and had lower macroporosity or air capacity, when compared with CT; at the time of sampling, the mean SPQ was always poor for AC–RFC, or optimal for BD, regardless of soil management, and it was intermediate or poor when the MACpor was evaluated under CT or NT. This study contributes toward understanding the impact of soil management on soil physical properties in Mediterranean agro-environments.


2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 830-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole ◽  
Luiz Fernando Pires ◽  
Bello Muhammed Shehu

Quantification of soil physical quality (SPQ) and pore size distribution (PSD) can assist understanding of how changes in land management practices influence dynamics of soil structure, and this understanding could greatly improve the predictability of soil physical behavior and crop yield. The objectives of this study were to measure the SPQ index under two different land management practices (the continuous arable cropping system and natural bush fallow system), and contrast the effects of these practices on the structure of PSD using soil water retention data. Soil water retention curves obtained from a pressure chamber were fitted to van Genuchten’s equation, setting m (= 1-1/n). Although values for soil bulk density were high, soils under the continuous arable cropping system had good SPQ, and maintained the capacity to support root development. However, soils under the natural bush fallow system had a worse structure than the continuous arable system, with restrictions in available water capacity. These two management systems had different PSDs. Results showed the inferiority of the natural bush fallow system with no traffic restriction (which is the common practice) in relation to the continuous arable cropping system in regard to physical quality and structure.


2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1927-1937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliano Carlos Calonego ◽  
Ciro Antonio Rosolem

Soil compaction can be minimized either mechanically or biologically, using plant species with vigorous root systems. An experiment was carried out with soybean (Glycine max) in rotation with triticale (X Triticosecale) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in fall-winter associated with pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) or sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) in spring. Crop rotation under no-till was compared with mechanical chiseling. The experiment was carried out in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. Soil quality was estimated using the S index and soil water retention curves (in the layers of 0-0.05, 0.075-0.125, 0.15-0.20, 0.275-0.325, and 0.475-0.525 m deep). Crop rotation and chiseling improved soil quality, increasing the S index to over 0.035 to a depth of 20 cm in the soil profile. The improved soil quality, as shown by the S index, makes the use of mechanical chiseling unnecessary, since after 3 years the soil physical quality under no-tilled crop rotation and chiseling was similar.


Author(s):  
João H. Caviglione

ABSTRACT One big challenge for soil science is to translate existing data into data that is needed. Pedotransfer functions have been proposed for this purpose and they can be point or parametric when estimating the water retention characteristics. Many indicators of soil physical quality have been proposed, including the S-Index proposed by Dexter. The objective of this study was to assess the use of pedotransfer functions for soil water retention to estimate the S-index under field conditions in the diversity of soils of the Paraná state. Soil samples were collected from 36 sites with textures ranging from sandy to heavy clay in the layers of 0-0.10 and 0.10-0.20 m and under two conditions (native forest and cultivated soil). Water content at six matric potentials, bulk density and contents of clay, sand and silt were determined. Soil-water retention curve was fitted by the van Genuchten-Mualem model and the S-index was calculated. S-index was estimated from water retention curves obtained by the pedotransfer function of Tomasella (point and parametric). Although the coefficient of determination varied from 0.759 to 0.895, modeling efficiency was negative and the regression coefficient between observed and predicted data was different from 1 in all comparisons. Under field conditions in the soil diversity of the Paraná state, restrictions were found in S-index estimation using the evaluated pedotransfer functions.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3156
Author(s):  
Felipe Bonini da Luz ◽  
Martha Lustosa Carvalho ◽  
Daniel Aquino de Borba ◽  
Bruna Emanuele Schiebelbein ◽  
Renato Paiva de Lima ◽  
...  

Brazil is the world’s largest sugarcane producer with projections for expanding the current area by 30% in the coming years, mainly in areas previously occupied by pastures. We assess soil water changes induced by land-use change (LUC) for sugarcane expansion in the central-south region of Brazil. For that purpose, soil samples were collected in a typical LUC sequence (native vegetation–pasture–sugarcane) in two contrasting soil textures (i.e., sandy and clayey). Soil hydro-physical properties such as pores size distribution, bulk density, soil water content, water tension, and drainage time at field capacity, plant-available water, and S-index were analyzed. Our data showed that long-term LUC from native vegetation to extensive pasture induced severe degradation in soil physical quality and soil water dynamics. However, conventional tillage used during conversion from pasture to sugarcane did not cause additional degradation on soil structure and soil water dynamics. Over time, sugarcane cultivation slightly impaired soil water and physical conditions, but only in the 10–20 cm layer in both soils. Therefore, we highlight that sustainable management practices to enhance soil physical quality and water dynamics in sugarcane fields are needed to prevent limiting conditions to plant growth and contribute to delivering other ecosystem services.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 2733-2742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Liu ◽  
Renhe Zhang ◽  
Zhiyan Zuo

Abstract As important parameters in the land–atmosphere system, both soil moisture (SM) and vegetation play a significant role in land–atmosphere interactions. Using observational data from clay and sand stations over central eastern China, the relationship between leaf area index (LAI) and SM (LAI–SM) in different types of soil was investigated. The results show that the LAI–SM correlation is significantly positive in clay but not significant in sand. The physical causes for the discrepant LAI–SM correlations in different types of soil were explored from the perspectives of evapotranspiration (ET) and soil water retention. In clay stations, increasing LAI is associated with greater soil-water-retention capacity. Although the increasing LAI corresponds to increasing ET, the impact of ET on SM is weak because of the small particle size of soil. Consequently, the LAI–SM relationship in clay is significantly positive. In sand stations, ET is negatively correlated with SM owing to the large soil particle size, resulting in a negative LAI–SM correlation in sand. However, soil water retention is weakened by the increased LAI, which may be an important factor causing the insignificant LAI–SM correlation in sand.


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