Preferential Flow in Vertisolic Soils with and without Organic Amendments

Abstract

Core Ideas Matrix flow and macropore flow interact in Vertisols via lateral infiltration. Maximum water infiltration depths are greater in Vertisols with hog manure. Manure does not affect the mobilization of old soil water via macropore flow. Preferential flow has different agronomic and environmental effects in various soils. The objectives of this study were (i) to quantify matrix and preferential flow and (ii) to assess the effect of organic amendments on flow dynamics in agricultural Vertisols. Dye tracing and isotopic analysis were used to infer soil water infiltration and mixing on two plots: one treatment (with liquid hog manure) and one control. Results showed infiltration depths reaching 64 cm for the treatment plot and 45 cm for the control. For both plots, matrix flow was only observed in the top 10 cm, whereas preferential flow extended beyond the tillage depth. Dye traces provided evidence of lateral infiltration across macropore–matrix boundaries, while post‐experiment soil water averaged δ2H = −15.1‰ and δ18O = −118.9‰, hinting at old water mobilization via macropore flow. The potential impacts of these results on chemical transport should be validated across different soils and environmental conditions.

Agriculture Management Impacts on Soil Properties and Hydrological Response in Istria (Croatia)

“…The soils of the study area have vertic properties and develop cracks and water preferential flow. It has been highlighted in several works that water infiltration is high in these types of soils [46,47]. Tillage practices reduced infiltration in vertisols as observed elsewhere [48,49], and this may be one of the causes for the high erosion rates in the vineyard and olive orchard plots compared to the cropland (despite the high BD).…”

Differences in preferential flow with antecedent moisture conditions and soil texture: Implications for subsurface P transport

“…This can explain why greater WEP values were found in the clay soil in this study, as more P is likely stored in more easily extractable forms. Future work should investigate water chemistry itself and consider other methods of in situ leachate collection such as the use of pan lysimeters (e.g., Williams et al, ) or MicroRhizon samplers (e.g., Ali et al, ).…”

“…Dye staining is an established method to visualize subsurface water and study the relative importance—in terms of spatial extent—of different flowpaths (Forrer, Kasteel, Flury, & Flühler, ; Weiler & Flühler, ). This method is common in agricultural landscapes (Ali, Macrae, Walker, Laing, & Lobb, ; Bachmair, Weiler, & Nützmann, ; Chyba, Kroulík, Lev, & Kumhála, ; Kasteel, Garnier, Vachier, & Coquet, ; Yao, Cheng, Sun, Zhang, & Zhang, ) and other landscapes including grasslands (Bachmair et al, ; Weiler & Naef, ) and forests (Bachmair et al, ; Gimbel, Puhlmann, & Weiler, ). Dye staining has also been used to compare dominant flowpaths under different regional and climatic factors, including soil texture (Bachmair et al, ; Gimbel et al, ), soil moisture conditions (Yao et al, ), rainfall amounts (Bachmair et al, ), and rainfall rates (Weiler & Naef, ).…”

“…Dye staining has also been used to compare dominant flowpaths under different regional and climatic factors, including soil texture (Bachmair et al, ; Gimbel et al, ), soil moisture conditions (Yao et al, ), rainfall amounts (Bachmair et al, ), and rainfall rates (Weiler & Naef, ). Within agricultural landscapes, this method has been used to study flowpaths under different management practices including tillage (Chyba et al, ; Kasteel et al, ; Wuest, ) and manure application (Ali et al, ). To date, few studies have investigated the link between subsurface flowpaths and fertilizer placement in no‐till systems, particularly under different texture and moisture conditions.…”

Comparison of nutrient loss pathways: Run‐off and seepage flow in Vertisols

“…Additional factors such as soil texture contrasts, shallow bedrock, and macropore networks also influence perched water tables and lateral subsurface flow in the vadose zone (Dekker & Ritsema, ; Hardie, Doyle, Cotching, & Lisson, ). Preferential flow has important environmental and agronomic consequences, as it can transport surface applied fertilizers and chemicals out of the root zone to greater depths than predicted with Darcian flow (Ali, Macrae, Walker, Laing, & Lobb, ; King et al, ; Smith et al, ).…”