MSI99P0052 | |
Goolamhossen, M. | |
University of Mauritius, Réduit | |
Field measurement of soil hydraulic conductivity in a cropped and an uncropped plot | |
Dissertation, BSc, Crop Science and Production | |
Thesis | |
1990 | |
59 p.: 8 figs., 4 tbls. | |
En | |
En | |
Vertical water movement in soils is influenced by several factors and the most important ones are initial soil water content, soil texture and the presence of different forms of preferential pathways such as root channels. A knowledge of hydraulic conductivity is useful in the solution of problems related to irrigation, ground water recharge and pollution, water conservation and run-off control. It was not previously known whether hydraulic conductivity changes with time when the land was planted to a perennial crop like sugar cane which occupies the land for a period of about twelve years. Direct consequences of such findings could have been used in the concept of effective rainfall model and in irrigation design. In this project, the instantaneous profile method, initially developed for laboratory investigations, is used after modifications, to monitor drainage of a soil profile in situ. This work was carried out on a cropped plot (second ratoon cane) and an uncropped plot. It was observed that both saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivities change significantly over time in spite of differences due to spatial variability. At the same time, the relationship between unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (K) and matric potential at different soil depths were established in more precise terms. Finally, some suggestions for future works are also made. | |
SOILS HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY UNSATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY SOIL WATER RELATIONS MATRIC POTENTIAL | |
MAURITIUS | |
Soils | |
Soil water relations | |
631.7:633.61(69.82) | |
1991-11-20 | |
En | |
Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute | |
LIB | |
CAT | |
1 | |
BOT |