Least limiting water range for different soil management practices in dryland farming in Iran

Abstract

ABSTRACTIntegrated evaluation of soil physical properties using the least limiting water range (LLWR) approach may allow a better knowledge of soil water availability. We determined the LLWR for four tillage practices consisted of conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT), no-tillage (NT) and fallow no-tillage (NTf). In addition, LLWR was determined for abandoned soils (i.e. control), compacted soils, ploughed compacted soils and abandoned soils with super absorbent polymers (SAPs) application. Soil water retention, penetration resistance (PR), air-filled porosity and bulk density were determined for the 0–5 and 0–25-cm depths. Mean LLWR (0.07–0.08 cm3 cm−3) was lower in compacted soils than the soils under CT, NT, NTf, RT, tilled, abandoned and SAP practices but it was not different among tillage practices. The values of LLWR were 0.12 cm3 cm−3 for NT and CT. LLWR for tilled plots (0.12 cm3 cm−3) became greater than compacted soils by 1.3 times. Analysis of the lower and upper limits of the LLWR further indicated that PR was the only limiting factor for soil water content, but aeration was not a limiting factor. The LLWR was more dependent on soil water content at permanent wilting point and at PR.