Water Infiltration Rate Research Articles

Water Infiltration after Prescribed Fire and Soil Mulching with Fern in Mediterranean Forests

Prescribed fire is commonly used to reduce the wildfire risk in Mediterranean forests, but the soil’s hydrological response after fire is contrasting in literature experiences. The mulch treatment can limit the increases in runoff and erosion in the short term after a fire. The use of fern is preferable to straw, due its large availability in forests. However, no experiences of post-fire treatment with fern mulch have been found in the literature and therefore the mulching effectiveness has not been evaluated. This study has measured water infiltration rate (IR) and water repellency (SWR) using a rainfall simulator in three Mediterranean forest stands (pine, oak and chestnut) of Calabria (Southern Italy) after a prescribed fire and mulching treatment with fern in comparison to unburned soil. Prescribed fire reduced water infiltration in all forests in the short term compared to the unburned conditions, and increased SWR in pine and oak forests. These reductions in IR in the time window of disturbance after fire increased the runoff generation capacity in all soils, but had a lower effect on peak flows. However, soil mulching with fern limited the runoff rates and peak flows compared to the burned soils, but this treatment was less effective in pine forest. One year after fire, IR increased in burned soils (treated or not) over time, and SWR disappeared. The effects of mulching have disappeared after some months from fire. The study confirms the usefulness of mulching in broadleaves forest in the short term, in order to control the hydrological effects of prescribed fire in Mediterranean forests. Both post-fire management techniques should be instead adopted with caution in conifer forests.

Soil physical properties in a natural highland grassland in southern Brazil subjected to a range of grazing heights

Natural grasslands in southern Brazil are ecosystems that are naturally adapted to grazing. Despite the productivity and ecological relevance of these ecosystems, the effects of grazing intensity on their soil quality are still underexplored. This work aimed to determine whether increasing the grazing intensity would jeopardize the soil structure in a natural highland grassland in southern Brazil. Pastures were evaluated at four pregrazing canopy heights, 0.12, 0.20, 0.28 and 0.36 m, with Andropogon lateralis Nees as the reference species, and in one ungrazed control area. The pastures were intermittently stocked, and the postgrazing heights corresponded to 60% of the pregrazing targets (i.e., the postgrazing heights were 0.072, 0.12, 0.168 and 0.216 m). The experiment started in 2015 and was conducted for three years, with evaluations of soil physical properties performed in the final year. Forage growth and grazing were concentrated from October to May; during the winter, no grazing occurred for a period of approximately 4 months. The soil structure was evaluated at two points: after the end of the 2017/2018 grazing season, in June, and after the winter period, in October. Regardless of the canopy height, the presence of grazing animals increased the degree of compaction at the soil surface (0.0–0.05 m) to an intermediate level immediately after grazing, did not disaggregate the soil or change its carbon and nitrogen stocks, and increased soil macroporosity and water infiltration compared to those in the exclusion area (control). Increasing the grazing intensity (i.e., increasing the grazing frequency, corresponding to lower pregrazing canopy heights) increased the soil macroporosity and water infiltration rate, decreased the soil moisture and increased the soil penetration resistance. Except at the 0.12 m canopy height, the exclusion of grazing for 4 months allowed the soil water infiltration in the grazed plots to return to a level similar to that in the exclusion area. We conclude that there are a wide range of grazing intensities (corresponding to canopy heights of 0.12–0.36 m) that do not jeopardize the soil structural quality in highland grasslands. Furthermore, it was not possible to determine whether canopy heights below 0.12 m would disrupt the synergism at the soil-plant-animal interface in these natural ecosystems.

Extending grassland age for climate change mitigation and adaptation on clay soils

AbstractPermanent grassland soils can act as a sink for carbon and may therefore positively contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. We compared young (5–15 years since latest grassland renewal) with old (>20 years since latest grassland renewal) permanent grassland soils in terms of carbon stock, carbon sequestration, drought tolerance and flood resistance. The research was carried out on marine clay soil at 10 dairy farms with young and old permanent grassland. As hypothesized, the carbon stock was larger in old grassland (62 Mg C ha−1) topsoil (0–10 cm) than in young grassland topsoil (51 Mg C ha−1). The carbon sequestration rate was greater in young (on average 3.0 Mg C ha−1 year−1) compared with old grassland (1.6 Mg C ha−1 year−1) and determined by initial carbon stock. Regarding potential drought tolerance, we found larger soil moisture and soil organic matter (SOM) contents in old compared with young grassland topsoils. As hypothesized, the old grassland soils were more resistant to heavy rainfall as measured by water infiltration rate and macroporosity (at 20 cm depth) in comparison with the young grassland soils. In contrast to our hypothesis we did not find a difference in rooting between young and old permanent grassland, probably due to large variability in root biomass and root tip density. We conclude that old grasslands at dairy farms on clay soil can contribute more to the ecosystem services climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation than young grasslands. This study shows that under real farm conditions on a clay topsoil, carbon stock increases with grassland age and even after 30 years carbon saturation has not been reached. Further study is warranted to determine by how much extending grassland age can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation.Highlights We studied the effect of young versus old grassland on a range of soil properties related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Old, more than young, grassland soils offer potential to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This finding gives farmers insight into the merits of extending grassland age on clay soils. Soil carbon stock determines carbon sequestration rate more than grassland age.

Evaluation of the impact of freeze–thaw cycles on the soil pore structure of alpine meadows using X‐ray computed tomography

AbstractFreeze–thaw cycle (FTC) is an extremely complex soil surface process in cold regions, and quantifying the changes in soil pore structure during successive FTCs remains challenging. This study investigated response of soil pore structure to FTCs and revealed the underlying influence on soil water infiltration through an FTC simulation experiment (0, 1, 3, 5, and 10 cycles) and computed tomography (CT) scanning of undisturbed soil cores in an alpine meadow. One FTC involved soil freezing at −10 °C for 12 h, followed by thawing at 20 °C for 12 h. The results showed that CT‐measured soil porosity presented a variation trend of increase–decrease during successive FTCs. With increasing number of FTCs, soil porosity first increased and then decreased in the 0‐to‐75‐mm soil layer, decreased after five FTCs in the 75‐to‐150‐mm soil layer, and gradually decreased in the 150‐to‐280‐mm soil layer. Pore structures of different soil layers responded differently to FTCs, which was attributed to soil texture. The connectivity of soil pores and soil water infiltration rate decreased considerably after 10 FTCs. Therefore, FTCs changed soil pore structure of the alpine meadow, which was not conducive for soil water infiltration to deep soil layers.

Intercropping and mulching in rain-dependent cotton can improve soil structure and reduce erosion

Transgenic Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton (Gossypium spp.) hybrids are grown at wide-row spacing in India. Farmers practice traditional methods of cultivation that involve excessive inter-row cultivations. These practices exacerbate soil erosion and run-off ultimately leading to land degradation. Growing a cover crop between the cotton rows and retaining its residues in situ can reduce erosion and runoff, and improve soil productivity. We compared the effects of growing an intercrop {sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), sunnhemp (Crotolaria juncea) or sesame (Sesamum indicum)} in between the cotton rows and retaining its residues as in situ mulch, vis-à-vis plastic, newspaper mulch and the traditional farmers’ practice (FP) on the soil physical properties (soil microstructure, porosity, water stable aggregates, infiltration rate, soil erosion and soil loss) of a Vertisol near Nagpur in central India. Digital image analysis of the micrographs obtained by a scanning electron microscope indicated porosities were highest with intercropping (53–58%) and the least with the FP and plastic mulching (35–36%). Infiltration rate was in the order of intercropping (19.4–22.6 mm h−1) > newspaper mulch (14.5 mm h−1) > FP (13.8 mm h−1) > plastic mulch (12.3 mm h−1); while the reverse occurred with respect to run-off. Although run-off was the greatest (577 mm) in the plastic mulched plots, soil loss was negligible (0.58 Mg ha−1). Intercropping resulted in 35% less soil loss than FP (6.7 Mg ha−1). This study pointed out that growing an intercrop and retaining its residues as in situ mulch between the cotton rows can improve soil condition by increasing soil microstructure, water stable aggregation and infiltration rate, and reducing run-off and soil loss.

Impacts of grazing by kangaroos and rabbits on vegetation and soils in a semi-arid conservation reserve

Overgrazing by introduced herbivores is widely recognized as a threatening process in Australia's semi-arid rangelands. Comparatively, grazing by native herbivores is generally considered to have benign effects. Populations of introduced herbivores are controlled in conservation reserves, but populations of native kangaroos and wallabies are seldom subject to control. We investigated the impacts of rabbit and kangaroo grazing on vegetation and soils at Yathong Nature Reserve in semi-arid Australia during the dry conditions that prevailed in 2019. We conducted spotlight and dung surveys to measure the relative abundance of kangaroos and rabbits, and assessed understorey biomass, woody plant density, soil bulk density and water infiltration rates in selective herbivore exclosures that had been established in 1979, and nearby controls that all herbivores could access. Kangaroos were the dominant herbivores at the time of our study. Grazing by kangaroos decreased grass biomass, increased soil density and reduced the rate of water infiltration. Rabbits reduced woody plant density but had no detectable effect on understorey vegetation cover or soil attributes. Our findings question the existing paradigms about how grazing by kangaroos should be viewed and prompt the question: should kangaroo populations be managed within conservation reserves to reduce their impacts on ecosystems?

The Potential of Palm Oil Mill Effluent for Improving the Water Infiltration Rate in Lateritic Soil

Poor soil drainage of the lateritic soil is due to its clayey texture and high bulk density. Palm oil mill effluent (POME) may be administrated to increase the water infiltration rate and improve the drainage of the lateritic soil. The share farm of the Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology, UiTM Jasin was treated with various volume of POME for 16 weeks by using Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Overall, treatment of POME did not increased water infiltration rate. The bulk density of the lateritic soil that was treated with POME is suitable for agriculture. Treatment 1 (2L) gave 68 mm/hour of water infiltration rate and 1.25 g/cm3 of bulk density with 0.570 and 0.451 of p-values respectively which is acceptable with the consideration of cost benefits, cost inputs, and profit to the industry. The results shown were not significant might be due to types and soil textures, duration for the research to be completed, and also climate change factors.

Hydro‐physical soil properties as influenced by short and long‐term integrated crop–livestock agroecosystems

AbstractIntegration of cover crops and livestock (ICLS) in an existing corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cropping system can be an effective strategy to improve soil physical and hydrological properties. Three on‐farm long‐term (≥30 yr) sites (Sites 1, 2 and 3) and one short‐term (3 yr) experimental site (Site 4) with a randomized block design in eastern South Dakota were selected to evaluate the impacts of ICLS on soil physical and hydrological properties. At Sites 1, 2, and 3, the following long‐term management systems were compared: ICLS (corn/grazing–soybean/grazing–cover crop/grazing), control (CNT, corn–soybean with no cover crop and no grazing), and a grazed pasture (GP). At Site 4, the treatments included ICLS (corn/grazing–soybean/grazing–oat [Avena sativa L.]–cover crop/grazing], cover crop (corn–soybean–oat–cover crop with no grazing), CNT (corn–soybean–oat without cover crop and grazing), and GP. Data showed that soil organic carbon (SOC) was higher by 20–26% and bulk density was lower by 18–37% in long‐term ICLS compared with CNT. Long‐term ICLS also improved soil water retention, macroporosity, infiltration rate, and total porosity compared with the CNT. However, these properties were not affected by short‐term ICLS at Site 4. The GP had the lower soil bulk density and higher SOC and infiltration rate compared with ICLS and the CNT except at Site 4. This study showed that long‐term integration of cover crops and livestock grazing under ICLS can be beneficial in enhancing soil physical and hydrological properties. However, whether such integration improves other soil quality parameters and crop yield requires further investigation.

Sensitivity analysis of the hygrothermal behaviour of homogeneous masonry constructions: Interior insulation, rainwater infiltration and hydrophobic treatment

Historical masonry constructions are difficult to mimic in hygrothermal models. The material properties of the walls are often highly uncertain due to the natural origin of the aggregates and the various, manual production processes used through time. Therefore, sensitivity analyses based on probabilistic simulations are powerful tools to indicate the risks on damage in masonry constructions. Damage criteria for relevant pathologies such as frost damage, potential decay of wooden beam heads and mould growth at the interior surface are used. The assessment methods (Scatter plots, Classification trees and Sobol indices) are based on 1D Heat, Air and Moisture simulations, including realistic variations on climate parameters and wall properties. These methodologies are applied to probabilistic simulations in which a potential damage risk is expected in historic masonries. The application of interior insulation, the use of hydrophobic treatments, and the impact of potential water infiltrations through cracks are discussed. In most of these situations a high dependency of each of the damage criteria on the rain intensity, the trend of the moisture retention/liquid conductivity curve and the absorption coefficient is evident, but also additional insights are found. For example, the thermal impact of interior insulation is negligible compared to its reduction of the first phase drying potential towards the interior. For hydrophobic treatments, the risk for damage typically decreases, but in combination with a rain water infiltration rate above approximately 5% of the wind driven rain the risk on mould growth at the interior surface significantly increases.

Water retention and irrigation characteristics of Vertisols in northwestern Turkey

The study comprised the analyses of 105 soil samples, located across the Thrace region of Turkey, collected from the horizons and sub-horizons of 16 soil pedons, classified as the Haploxerert and Calcixerert Great Groups of the Vertisol Order. Fundamental soil hydraulic and irrigation management properties, such as water retention and infiltration rate of the soils were evaluatedd along with the content and type of the dominating clay mineral. Results obtained for the major properties related to irrigation management such as the total total water holding capacity (TWHC), total available moisture (TAM) and the final infiltration rate of the studied soils, showed close dependence on the varying clay contents and clay types, and varied in the ranges of 393 and 635 mm/100 cm; 128 and 244 mm/100 cm; and 1.0–80.0 mm/h, respectively. In addition, it was determined, that values of the studied hydraulic characteristics are influenced also by the relative abundance and crystallinity degree of the dominant and accompanying clay mineral; availability of cracks, hard pans, self-mulching (pedoturbation) and gilgai formation. The diversity of the morphological, physical and/or chemical properties revealed that the studied soils required distinctive approaches and techniques in terms of irrigation management. The Türkgeldi Vertisol (Türkgeldi State Farm D11 and D12 locations) is an appropriate example for decreased pedoturbation and/or maturation in physical pedogenesis and in turn development of a stable soil structure, despite the high clay size particle and ssmectite contents throughout the profile.

The Effect of Activator Addition to the Compost with Biopore Infiltration Hole (BIH) Method

The composition of organic waste reaches 59% of the total municipal solid waste in Indonesia. One way to process organic waste is composting by utilizing microorganisms to break down waste into compost. Naturally, the composting process took a long time but can be accelerated by adding microorganisms to the activator. This study analyzes the quality and quantity of compost using the Biopore Infiltration Hole (BIH) method with activator addition. Composting was duplicated in the yard area with clay soil type and water infiltration rate of 0,3 cm/hour. The BIH was made in a 10 cm diameter, a 100 cm depth, and the distance between the holes was 50 cm. Composting variations consist of variations in the composition of the raw materials and the activators' uses. Variations in the raw material composition consisted of 100% yard waste, 100% food waste, 50% yard waste and 50% food waste, and 70% food waste and 30% yard waste. In contrast, the activator variations consisted of no activator, EM4 activator, and Stardec activator. Compost analysis consists of maturity, quality of physical and macro elements, and quantity of compost. The results showed that all variations of composting had met the standard of maturity and quality of physical and macro elements according to SNI 19-7030-2004. The addition of activator affected composting time and compost quantity. The composting time in BIH with activator ranges from 41-60 days. In BIH without activator ranges from 65-75 days, there was a reduction in composting time by 15-25 days with the activator addition. However, the activator addition caused reducing the compost quantity by 10-20%. The selection of compost variations by scoring results in compost with a composition of 50% yard waste and 50% food waste and the addition of Stardec activators was the best variation in terms of compost maturity, quality, and quantity.

Long-term conservation agriculture improves water properties and crop productivity in a Lixisol

Climate variability increasingly affects smallholder farmers in southern Africa. Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices have been proposed to improve the resilience of farming systems against the adversities of climate, specifically moisture stress. However, lack of detailed field data on soil water and chemical dynamics leads to over-reliance on simulation models without concrete evidence and ground-truthing of results. Here, we test the effects of different CA and conventional tillage (CP) practices on soil moisture content and water infiltration rate over a 14-year trial period. We also report soil chemical properties measured over 10 years from 0 to 30 cm soil depth. As study object, we used a CA long-term trial at the Monze Farmer Training Centre in Southern Zambia as it included different cropping systems and had parallel infiltration, soil moisture, soil chemical and crop yield measurements. Our results showed significant differences in average soil moisture in the first 60 cm among the cropping systems in different years with the basins plus mulching system having highest moisture content in most of the years. The interaction of cropping systems and years significantly affected water infiltration rate with highest final infiltration rates averaging 48.5 mm h−1 in the CA-based systems and the lowest in CP which averaged 12.6 mm h−1. Soil chemical properties did not significantly differ across the systems but across seasons and depths or their interaction. For crop yield, a direct seeded maize-cotton rotation (DS-MC) consistently had the highest grain yields across most of the years as compared to the CP practice. Maize grain yield significantly differed among the years with a strong influence from the rainfall. Regression analysis revealed significant effect of seasonal rainfall on both soil moisture content and crop yield. The DS-MC system showed high responses of grain yield to rainfall and moisture. This was caused by increased available water and a greater buffering capacity against water stress in the cotton rotation. Systems that conserve moisture, increase infiltration and yield are of paramount importance in environments of variable rainfall. CA-based systems may therefore have the potential to buffer the effects of climate variability and may provide greater resilience.

Improvement of root morphological characteristics on water percolation rate in grassland soils of Yellow River riparian buffer strips

Soil water percolation is an important process required to meet plant water needs, determine soil water storage, and affect soil water quality in riparian buffer strips. However, the effects of plant roots on soil percolation in riparian buffer strips are not totally understood, and contradictory results have been carried out on the effects of the root system on soil percolation rates. This study aimed to investigate soil percolation in natural grasslands and evaluate the relationships between root morphological characteristics and percolation rates. Path analysis was used to provide information on the relative contribution of root characteristics on soil percolation rates. Three mixed grasslands (Imperata cylindrica + Phragmites australis, I. cylindrica + Cynodon dactylon, and I. cylindrica + Juncellus serotinus) were selected in the Yellow River wetland natural reserves of Zhengzhou. Soil percolation rates (initial, average, and steady infiltration rates) were measured by using double-ring methods, and plant root morphological characteristics were analyzed. Soil percolation rates and plant root characteristic parameters of I. cylindrica + P. australis and I. cylindrica + C. dactylon were higher than those of I. cylindrica + J. serotinus. Initial percolation rate of I. cylindrica + P. australis and I. cylindrica + C. dactylon at 0–10 cm depth was 58.06% and 95.55% higher than that of I. cylindrica + J. serotinus, respectively. Percolation rates had a significant positive correlation with root characteristic parameters, and the main factor controlling soil percolation rates was root volume density (RVD). Mixed natural grasslands with more RVD improved soil infiltration and percolation rates.

Soil quality index for assessing phosphate mining restoration in a hyper-arid environment

Mining contributes significantly to economic development, but it also entails extensive environmental damage, such as soil degradation and water and air pollution. Mining activity impacts the soil quality, often making it unable to support ecosystem function and structure. The current study aims to apply the soil quality index (SQI) as a methodology for quantifying soil restoration status in an open-pit phosphate mine in Israel’s hyper-arid environment. In this regard, we evaluated an ecological restoration practice that includes topsoil refilling compared to the adjacent undisturbed natural system, using transformed and standardized scorings of 11 physical, biological, and chemical soil properties that were further statistically integrated into overall SQI values. Our results revealed significant differences between the restoration practice areas and the nearby natural areas, with a higher soil quality value in the latter. It is proposed that the topsoil restoration method is mainly affected by soil biological indicators, such as soil organic matter, soil proteins, and polysaccharides related to micro-organic growth, and in a lesser extent, by physical properties (primarily infiltration rate, followed by AWC). The former properties encourage the biocrust establishment, which is essential for soil surface stabilization and affects the water infiltration rate and nutrient availability. The chemical indicators showed no significant differences between most of the sites for the overall soil quality. In conclusion, soil properties, primarily physio-biological ones, should be selected to quantify and evaluate restoration practices in hyper-arid ecosystems.

Defining and validating regenerative farm systems using a composite of ranked agricultural practices

Background: Ongoing efforts attempt to define farms as regenerative to aid marketers, policymakers, farmers, etc. The approach needs to balance precision with function, and must be transparent, simple, scalable, transferable, incorruptible, and replicable. Methods: We developed practice-based scoring systems to distinguish regenerative cropland and rangeland, and validate them based on whether these scores scaled with regenerative goals on actual farm operations. Study systems included cornfields of the Upper Midwest, almond orchards of California, and rangeland systems of the Northern Plains. Response variables included soil carbon and organic matter, soil micronutrients, water infiltration rates, soil microbial communities, plant community structure, invertebrate community structure, pest populations, yields, and profit. Results: Regenerative outcomes were strongly correlated with our approach to farm scoring. Soil organic matter, fine particulate organic matter, total soil carbon, total soil nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium and sulfur all increased alongside regenerative matrix scores in one or both of the cropping systems. Water infiltration rates were significantly faster in more regenerative almond orchards. Soil bacterial biomass and Haney soil health test scores were higher as cropland incorporated more regenerative practices. Plant species diversity and biomass increased significantly with the number of regenerative practices employed on almonds and rangelands. Invertebrate species diversity and richness were positively associated with regenerative practices in corn, almonds, and rangelands, whereas pest populations and almond yields were unaffected by the number of regenerative practices. Corn yields were negatively associated with more regenerative practices, while almond yields were unaffected by the number of regenerative practices. Profit was significantly higher on more regenerative corn and almond operations. Conclusions: Our scoring system scaled positively with desired regenerative outcomes, and provides the basis for predicting ecosystem responses with minimal information about the farming operation. Natural clusters in the number of regenerative practices used can be used to distinguish regenerative and conventional operations.

Hydrological Properties of a Clay Loam Soil as Affected by Biochar Application in a Pot Experiment

Improving soil-water relations by amending soil with biochar might play a significant role in increasing water availability for agricultural crops as well as decreasing water loss through drainage or runoff. While the effects of biochar on the hydrological properties on coarse-textured soils are generally positive and well-documented in the literature, studies on biochar effects on fine-textured soils are rather scarce and even contradictory. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to investigate the impact of biochar on the bulk density, water retention curve (together with several water capacitive indicators) and water infiltration rate in a clay loam soil. A pot experiment was carried out under lab conditions in which biochar was mixed with soil at rates of 0 (B0 or control), 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10% dw (B2, B4, B6, B8 and B10, respectively). Water retention of soil–biochar mixtures at different matrix potentials was determined using a pressure plate apparatus. From these measurements, a series of capacitive indicators was derived and the fitting of the van Genuchten model was also performed. Water infiltration into soil–biochar mixtures was measured by means of a mini-disk infiltrometer and the obtained data were analyzed both directly and by fitting the Philip’s model. Biochar significantly affected the considered soil properties. As the biochar rate increased, the bulk density decreased and water retention increased (B6, B8 and B10 > B2, B4 and B0), while the infiltration rate decreased (B0 > B2, B4, B6, B8 and B10). Although the experiment was performed on sieved and repacked soil samples under lab conditions, the results confirmed that biochar has the potential to increase plant-available water, while possibly reducing drainage water in a clay loam soil by lowering the infiltration rate.

Rainfall Observation and Utilization of Rooter System Technology to Increase Water Infiltration Rate in Urban Area

Increasing and developing infrastructure in urban areas has resulted in decreased water infiltration quality into the ground. The increasing of settlement needs and raising its price has resulted in many water catchment areas changing their function unconsciously in urban areas. This condition was ultimately triggering the loss of opportunities for rainwater to into the ground. At present, when the rainy season arrives, almost all major cities in Indonesia experience flooding. The torrential rains that lasted just 1 hour were enough to cause relatively high inundation, which varied from 30 cm to over 1m. This study aims to analyze the intensity of rainfall and its impact on the potential for flooding in urban areas and how to overcome it by utilizing rooter system technology. The results showed that the 4-way rooter system technology's influence was considerable in reducing the water level. An experimental area of 100 m2 treated with a rooter system of 16 pipes with a water level of 40 cm can infiltrate stagnant water into the soil within 120 minutes. Meanwhile, in the same area without rooter technology, it takes 400 minutes to absorb water into the soil until the stagnant water is completely gone. This proves that the rooter system technology plays a significant role in accelerating water absorption into the ground, reducing the risk of flooding.

Buried layers change soil water flow and solute transport from the Yellow River Delta, China

For the limitation of techniques on the saline soil improvement, the effect of a new method with some effective materials on saline soil improvement was studied by soil column experiment. Biochar and wood fibre were used as a buried layer to identify their effects on the saline soil reclamation. Soil samples were packed in each column (height, 130 cm; diameter, 20 cm). A tape measure (length, 100 cm) was fixed vertically to the outer wall of each soil column; it was used to record the location of the wetting front during infiltration. Biochar and wood fibre were inserted at depths of either 30 cm or 50 cm (thickness in each treatment, 2 cm). Soil columns were irrigated once with 15 L of brackish water (2 g/L). Soil water content and salt content were measured with a TRIME-PICO sensor at the 25, 60 and 100 cm layers, and Mariotte’s bottle was used at the 100-cm layer to measure the underground water level. Wood fibre and biochar used as the buried layer was found that they caused a breakdown in the continuity of capillary movement and salt reduction. Wood fibre and biochar were able to retard the rate of water infiltration at 0–30-cm depth, for high water potential created when the buried layer contained sufficient water; it improved the more water infiltration than evaporation. Thus, it could serve to increase the salt leaching efficiency during the longer time scales of soil water infiltration; results showed that the buried layer was at 30-cm depth; the desalting rates were 3.69% (biochar) and 29.38% (wood fibre); the desalting rates were 4.76% (biochar) and 17.07% (wood fibre) when buried layer at 50 cm. And, the better performance in soil water infiltration and salt reduction was caused by a higher pore width, abundant fibrous tissue and saturation moisture content (Ɵs). The buried layer can improve the soil water infiltration process, especially when the wood fibre layer was at 30 cm. Both biochar and wood fibre layers could limit salt accumulation in surface soil, indicating that the continuity of capillary movement was broken after embedding the interlayer; wood fibre was superior to biochar in this regard. This study provides a new method on the saline soil improvement that could improve the mulching development, and the effect of the evaporation could be further considered by the buried layer.

Defining and validating regenerative farm systems using a composite of ranked agricultural practices.

Background: Ongoing efforts attempt to define farms as regenerative to aid marketers, policymakers, farmers, etc. The approach needs to balance precision with function, and must be transparent, simple, scalable, transferable, incorruptible, and replicable. Methods: We developed practice-based scoring systems to distinguish regenerative cropland and rangeland, and validate them based on whether these scores scaled with regenerative goals on actual farm operations. Study systems included cornfields of the Upper Midwest, almond orchards of California, and rangeland systems of the Northern Plains. Response variables included soil carbon and organic matter, soil micronutrients, water infiltration rates, soil microbial communities, plant community structure, invertebrate community structure, pest populations, yields, and profit. Results: Regenerative outcomes were strongly correlated with our approach to farm scoring. Soil organic matter, fine particulate organic matter, total soil carbon, total soil nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium and sulfur all increased alongside regenerative matrix scores in one or both of the cropping systems. Water infiltration rates were significantly faster in more regenerative almond orchards. Soil bacterial biomass and Haney soil health test scores were higher as cropland incorporated more regenerative practices. Plant species diversity and biomass increased significantly with the number of regenerative practices employed on almonds and rangelands. Invertebrate species diversity and richness were positively associated with regenerative practices in corn, almonds, and rangelands, whereas pest populations and almond yields were unaffected by the number of regenerative practices. Corn yields were negatively associated with more regenerative practices, while almond yields were unaffected by the number of regenerative practices. Profit was significantly higher on more regenerative corn and almond operations. Conclusions: Our scoring system scaled positively with desired regenerative outcomes, and provides the basis for predicting ecosystem responses with minimal information about the farming operation. Natural clusters in the number of regenerative practices used can be used to distinguish regenerative and conventional operations.

DESEMPENHO AGRONÔMICO DE ALFACE ORGÂNICA EM FUNÇÃO DA COBERTURA DO SOLO

O uso de cobertura do solo na cultura da alface garante a qualidade e incrementa a produção ao melhorar as condições de cultivo, por meio da redução da evapotranspiração, aumento da taxa de infiltração de água no solo, por manter a temperatura do solo estável e reduzir matocompetição na área. Neste sentido, o presente estudo teve por objetivo avaliar o desempenho produtivo da alface do tipo crespa da variedade Simpson sob diferentes tipos de cobertura do solo. O delineamento experimental empregado foi em blocos ao acaso, com 4 repetições e 5 tratamentos, sendo estes a testemunha (sem cobertura), a lona plástica dupla face, o papel kraft, a palhada de amendoim forrageiro e a palhada de braquiária. Aos 38 dias após o transplantio as plantas foram avaliadas quanto a biomassa fresca e seca (g planta-1), altura de planta (cm planta-1), diâmetro da cabeça (cm planta-1) e número de folhas (folhas planta-1). A cobertura que proporcionou melhores resultados para as variáveis estudadas foi a lona de dupla face, sendo significativamente melhor que os demais tratamentos. As outras coberturas avaliadas foram significativamente iguais a testemunha, ou seja, não exerceram influência na melhoria das condições do solo. Concluiu-se que a cobertura que proporcionou melhor desempenho produtivo da alface crespa variedade Simpson para as condições climáticas de Ituiutaba (MG) foi a lona dupla face.