Investigation of the effect of sunflower mulch the soil Least Limiting Water Range (LLWR)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 department of Water Ing.

2 Water Eng., Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University

3 Dept. of Water Eng., Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University

Abstract

It is important to detect the range of soil moisture at which plant growth is associated with the water potential, soil resistance and least limiting water range (LLWR). The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of sunflower mulch at different levels on the subsurface resistance (Q) and on the LLWR in a completely randomized factorial design. Experiments were performed to improve the condition of soil moisture range at three levels of sunflower mulch and five levels of moisture with three replications. Q was measured by a laboratory automatic microprocessor by adjusting the depth and velocity of the device cone in the soil. The moisture content in Q critical for control treatment (without mulch) and treatment with sunflower mulch (10 and 20 tons per hectare) occurred in 28.4%, 22% and 19.1% by volume, respectively. The critical moisture content (Q) of 10 and 20 tons of mulch per hectare treatment decreased by 6.4 and 9.3%, respectively, compared to the control treatment. This decreasing trend means an improvement in the moisture content at critical Q (2 MPa). The moisture content in the Q critical of the 20-tons mulch per ha treatment has decreased by 2.9% compared to the 10-ton mulch treatment per hectare. This means that better results are obtained by increasing the amount of mulch per hectare. The LLWR for control treatment and 10 and 20 tons mulch per hectare was calculated to be 5.11, 9.09 and 9.17% by volume, respectively. This increasing of moisture content in LLWR indicates the positive performance of sunflower mulch.

Keywords

References

Asgarzadeh H., Mosaddeghi M. 2013. Proposing and evaluating a laboratory method for quick determination of different quantities of soil available water to plant. Applied Soil Research. 1(1):37-48. (In Persian)
Asgarzadeh H., Mosaddeghi M., Dexter A., Mahboubi A., and Neyshabouri M. 2014. Determination of soil available water for plants: Consistency between laboratory and field measurements. Geoderma, 226, 8-20.
Bengough A., Bransby G.M., Hans J., McKenna S.J., Roberts T.J. and Valentine T.A. 2006. Root responses to soil physical conditions; growth dynamics from field to cell. Journal of Experimental Botany, 57(2): 437–447.
Da-Silva A.P., Kay B.D., and Perfect E. 1994. Characterization of the least limiting water range of soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 58:1775–1781
Dexter A.R., Richard G., Arrouays D., Czyż E.A., Jolivet C., Duval O. 2008. Complexed organic matter controls soil physical properties. Geoderma, 144(3-4):620-627.
Khorsand A., Rezaverdinejad V., Asgarzadeh H., and Sadraddini A. 2019. Irrigation scheduling of maize based on plant and soil indices with surface drip irrigation subjected to different irrigation regimes. Agricultural Water Management, 224-105740.
Khorsand A., Rezaverdinejad V., Asgarzadeh H., Majnooni-Heris A., Rahimi A., Besharat S., and Sadraddini, A.A. 2021. Linking plant and soil indices for water stress management in black gram. Scientific Reports, 11 (1), 1-19.
Letey J. 1985. Relationship Between Soil Physical Properties and Crop Production. Advances in Soil Science, 277-294.
Ohu J.O., Ekwue E.I., and Folorunso O.A. 1994. The effect of addition of organic matter on the compaction of a Vertisol from northern Nigeria. Soil Technology, 7(2): 155-162.
Rezaeipour Z., Vaezi A., and Babaakbari M. 2018. Investigating the effect of wheat straw mulch on soil water Retention in Rainfed Condition. Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research, 49(5): 955-964. (In Persian)
Sirjacobs D., Hanquet B., Lebeau F., and Destain M.F. 2002. On-line soil mechanical resistance mapping and correlation with soil physical properties for precision agriculture. Soil and Tillage Research, 64(3–4): 231-242.
Soane B.D., and Van Ouwerkerk C. 1994. Soil Compaction in Crop Production. Elsevier Science, 684 P.
Stiller V. 2009. Soil salinity and drought alter wood density and vulnerability to xylem cavitation of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) seedlings. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 67(1):164-171.
Suzuki L., Reichert J.M., and Reinert D.J. 2013. Degree of compactness, soil physical properties and yield of soybean in six soils under no-tillage. Soil Research, 51(4) 311-321.
To J., and Kay B.D. 2005. Variation in penetrometer resistance with soil properties: the contribution of effective stress and implications for pedotransfer functions. Geoderma, 126 (3-4): 261-276.
Van Genuchten M.Th. 1980. A closed- form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 44(5) 892-898.
Whitmore A., Whalley W., Bird N., Watts C., and Gregory A. 2011. Estimating soil strength in the rooting zone of wheat. Plant and Soil, 339: 363–375.
Yusefi A., Farrokhian Firouzi A., and Aminzadeh M. 2020. Numerical simulation of moisture distribution in soil as affected by mulch and shallow saline groundwater. Applied Soil Research. 8(3):172-187. (In Persian)
Zarehaghghi D., Neyshabouri M.R., Gorji M., Monirifar H., and Shorafa M. 2011. Determination of non-limiting water range for seedling growth of pistachio at two levels of soil compaction. Water and Soil Science, 22(3): 59-71. (In Persian)
Applied Soil Research
Volume 10, Issue 1
June 2022
Pages 46-53

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 27 January 2021
  • Revise Date: 24 April 2021
  • Accept Date: 27 April 2021

Share

How to cite

Statistics