Drainage - tillage effects on crosby-kokomo soil association in Ohio II. Soil temperature regime and infiltrability

Abstract

Effects of subsurface drainage on soil temperature regime and water infiltrability were evaluated for four tillage methods: ridge till, permanent beds, conventional tillage and no-till. Soils of the experimental site near Columbus, Ohio belong to the Crosby-Kokomo Association, and are classified as fine, mixed, mesic, Aeric Ochraqualf and fine, mixed, mesic, Typic Argiaquall, respectively. The mean daily maximum soil temperature, measured in early spring, was highest on top of the undrained ridges. The mean daily maximum soil temperature was significantly higher at a distance 27 m away from the drain than in the vicinity of the drainline. Ridge-tillage and raised beds farther away from the drain had higher maximum temperature than plow-till or no-till methods of seedbed preparation. The minimum soil temperature was not affected by drainage. Infiltrability, measured in terms of accumulative infiltration; infiltration rate; sorptivity and transmissivity was significantly affected by tillage but not by drainage. The least value of these infiltration parameters was observed for the conventional plow-till system.