Measurement of water infiltration in soil using the rain simulation method

Abstract

For the measurement of the infiltration speed under operational conditions, we were equipped by a rain simulator with the measuring surface of 0.5 m 2 . The infiltration speed is determined from the defined rain intensity and water surface runoff from the measured surface. The retained water mass from the surface runoff is recorded at regular time intervals over the whole measuring period. The beginning of the water runoff from the measured surface indicates the beginning of elutriation. The measuring time is finished after the infiltration speed has been stabilised. The beginning of elutriation and infiltration speed stabilisation are typical and mutually comparable parameters for defined soil properties at the site followed.

The Effect of Different Tillage Methods on Erosion

“…Water permeability decreased parallel with depth. Under constant rain simulation, the surface runoff increased for an interim period, but after 30 to 45 minutes it stabilized on the difference between the sprinkling intensity and the rate of infiltration into the subsoil (Kovaříček et al 2008). In our experiment, we confirmed the general trend that, the sooner the surface runoff began, the more the soil was washed away.…”

“…Globally, the issue of soil erosion is solved primarily by optimizing the size and shape of the fields (by dividing fields into strips), by optimizing crop rotations, by using soil protection technologies via reduction of the inten-sity of soil cultivation, and decreases of working operations (Martens et al 2000;Sainju 2002;Hernanz et al 2002), or by keeping the residues of the preceding crops at the field. Using the conservation tillage can significantly decrease negative kinetic effect of rain drops during the torrential rains (Trauman et al 2005;Kovaříček et al 2008) and increase the microbial community and activity, doubling the resistance against erosion (Bhatt & Khera 2006;Mikanová et al 2009;Šimon et al 2009). Conservation tillage not only reduces erosion (Basić et al 2004;Schuller et al 2007), but also positively influences the soil's ability of retention, its structure, fertility, and other parameters (Tebrügge & Düring 1999;Zhang et al 2007).…”

Soil Characteristics in the System With Permanent Traffic Lanes After Two Years of Its Beginning

“…The measurement area was 0.5 m 2 in size and at rainfall intensity of 87.8 mm h -1 using three replications for each treatment. Infiltration rate is determined by the defined rainfall intensity that is constant for the time of measurement and from surface water runoff from the measurement area (Kovaříček et al, 2008). Measurements by the rain simulator were held in April 2012.…”

Effect of tillage systems on the quality of different soil types

“…Reduced tillage has also contributed to better water management by increasing saturated hydraulic conductivity by 24.6% and available water capacity by 10.2% (Li et al, 2019). In conjunction with reduced tillage, mulching of plant residues remaining on the soil surface helps limit unproductive water evaporation, reduce water, and wind erosion (Kovaříček et al, 2008), limit leaching of mobile nitrogen forms, etc.…”