Improvement of water-air properties of eroded soils in a loess landscape after the application of agrohydrogel

Abstract

Improvement of water-air properties of eroded soils in a loess landscape after the application of agrohydrogel. The research was carried out in a fi eld experiment in eroded Haplic Luvisols developed from loess at a privately owned farm in Bogucin (51°20’N, 22°23’E) at the Lublin Upland. After spring wheat had been sawn, 9 plots with an area of 9 m2 each, including 3 control plots, were marked out. AgroHydroGel was spread over in the doses of 1 gkg–1 and 2 gkg–1 (recalculated to dry soil) and mixed within the 0–5 cm layer of soil. AgroHydroGel is a cross-linked hydrophilic polyacrylamide copolymer with water absorption of 300–500 gcm–3. Soil samples were collected in June and August 2005 at the layer of 0–5 cm. The results of this study indicate that the use of AgroHydroGel in the doses of 1 and 2 gkg–1 improved the majority of the water-air properties in the soil surface layer. The bulk density decreased signifi cantly whereas the maximum water capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, total porosity, content of macropores > 20 μm, actual air permeability and permeability at fi eld water saturation were signifi cantly higher. The polymer dose of 2 gkg–1 was more effective, increasing signifi cantly also fi eld water capacity in the soils studied. The applied doses of the hydrogel did not change signifi cantly actual soil moisture, retention of water useful to plants, including retention of easily available water, and content of water-stable aggregates < 0.2 μm in diameter. A more benefi cial effect of AgroHydroGel on water-air properties of the eroded soils was found in August.1 ∗ The study funded from research resources in 2007– –2008 as the research project N N310 3770 33. n