A Compact Weighing Lysimeter to Estimate the Water Infiltration Rate in Agricultural Soils

Abstract

Infiltration estimation is made by tests such as concentric cylinders, which are prone to errors, such as the lateral movement under the ring. Several possibilities have been developed over the last decades to compensate these errors, which are based on physical, electronic, and mathematical principles. In this research, two approaches are proposed to measure the water infiltration rate in a silty loam soil by means of the mass values of a lysimeter weighing under rainfall conditions and different moisture contents. Based on the fact that with the lysimeter it is possible to determine acting soil flows very precisely, then with the help of mass conservation and assuming a downward vertical movement, 12 rain events were analyzed. In addition, it was possible to monitor the behavior of soil moisture and to establish the content at field capacity from the values of the weighing lysimeter, from which both approach are based. The infiltration rate of these events showed a variable rate at the beginning of the rainfall until reaching a maximum, to descend to a stable or basic rate. This basic infiltration rate was 1.49 ± 0.36 mm/h, and this is because soils with fine textures have reported low infiltration capacity. Four empirical or semi-empirical models of infiltration were calibrated with the values obtained with our approaches, showing a better fit with the Horton’s model.

Spatiotemporal Changes in Temperature and Precipitation in West Africa. Part I: Analysis with the CMIP6 Historical Dataset

“…It is important to note that CDD and CWD are crucial in the magnitude of flooding (especially flash flooding) events because of their implications on the soil moisture state before the occurrence of flooding. Moreover, as [108] indicated, increasing soil moisture reduces the infiltration capacity of the study domain and then fosters flooding occurrence. A very strong correlation was noticed among R99p, R95p, and PRCPTOT.…”

Using hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes to estimate soil water evaporation loss under continuous evaporation conditions

“…Compared to conventional methods of quantifying soil water evaporation, such as direct measurements with a dissolved oxygen meter (Annelie et al, 2021; Laura et al, 2021), the equation method (Lehmann et al, 2019), the position flux method (Tingting et al, 2021; Xing et al, 2019), and the numerical simulation method (Li & Shi, 2021; Ma et al, 2019), the C–G model theoretically applies to any soil water evaporation conditions. Previous studies by Wei and Yong et al (Wei et al, 2015; Yong et al, 2020) have also validated the use of the C–G model for quantifying soil moisture evaporation.…”

“…Currently, standard methods for quantifying soil water evaporation include direct measurements using a lysimeter (Annelie et al, 2021; Laura et al, 2021), the formula method (Lehmann et al, 2019), the location flux method (Tingting et al, 2021; Xing et al, 2019), and numerical simulations (Li & Shi, 2021; Ma et al, 2019). These methods are simple in application and differ greatly from the complex and variable natural conditions, and do not fully consider the vertical transport of water in the soil, which is not conducive to an in‐depth understanding of the evaporation process and mechanism of soil water.…”

Irrigation Alternatives for Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) in the Mediterranean Subtropical Region in the Context of Climate Change: A Review

“…The K C takes into consideration the specific edaphoclimatic conditions and phenological state, which allows the specific water requirements during the entire crop cycle to be estimated. The conventional estimation of K C values is based on lysimeter studies, either via weighing or drainage [36][37][38][39]. In general, a mature tree requires at least 1000-1300 mm of rainfall per year.…”