Soil moisture dynamics under different tillage practices in cassava–sorghum based cropping systems in eastern Uganda

Mulebeke, Robert; Kironchi, G.; Tenywa, Moses

doi:10.1016/j.ecohyd.2013.02.001

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Soil management practices such as tillage operation reduces the amount of residue, enhance rapid breakdown of soil structure or aggregates and organic matter, increases BD, and reduces hydraulic conductivity and infiltration, and consequently the soil-water storage capacity and quantity of soil water conserved in the soil. This was corroborated in the findings of some researchers (Gicheru et al 2004, Mulebeke et al 2013 who reported that soil management practices like tillage, have significant effect on soil physical properties, particularly on soil moisture content. The soil moisture content was significantly influenced by land use and soil management practices, which remained higher throughout the period of study under the FSG compared to MBT.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Land Use and Slope Position Effect on the Hydrological Properties of Sandy Loam Soils of Koupendri Catchment, North-West of Benin

Azuka

Igué²,

Diekkrüger

2020

Trop Subtrop Agroecosyst

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Background. Land use and landscape characteristics influence soil hydrological properties and catchment hydrology. Objective. To investigate the effect of land use and slope positions on soil hydrological properties. Methodology. The study was done in Koupendri catchment, northwest Benin. The experimental design was a 2x2 factorial scheme replicated ten times. The study considered two land use types and two slope positions. The soil texture was sandy loam with high gravel (50-71%) and low organic carbon (11-18.4 g/kg) contents. Results. The Ksat in-situ and steady state infiltration were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by land use. Higher Ksat values of 5.33-11.96 cm/h and steady state infiltration (13.53 cm/h) were obtained under fallow shrub-grassland (FSG) compared to 2.21-3.04 cm/h and 3.58 cm/h respectively under tilled maize-beans (MBT). At both daily and 30-minute timescales, the maximum in-situ soil moistures were 0.270cm3/cm3 and 0.393cm3/cm3, respectively under FSG compared to 0.221cm3/cm3 and 0.202cm3/cm3 recorded under MBT. The coefficient of variation (CV) of the soil hydrological properties was low (<10%) for BD and porosity, moderate (<30%) for  14 Î¸i"> ,  14Î¸f"> , and Ksat in-situ and very high (>50%) for Ksat-Lab. Conclusion. Land use significantly influenced soil hydrological properties

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Land Use and Slope Position Effect on the Hydrological Properties of Sandy Loam Soils of Koupendri Catchment, North-West of Benin

Azuka

Igué²,

Diekkrüger

2020

Trop Subtrop Agroecosyst

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“…The overall all-season lower soil moisture values of the middle and fringe zones were related to the global variability of the soil physical properties bulk density and soil texture, resulting in a common lower saturated soil water content with respect to hydrological zones. Additionally, soil management practices like tillage, have an impact on soil physical properties and, hence, on overall soil moisture content [58,59]. Though the riparian zone was characterized by the deepest and longest inundation of the floodplain, this was also reflected in the soil moisture dynamics at the beginning of the dry season retrieving soil moisture for a longer period, which is reflected in a convex shape of the soil moisture sloping curve at the start of the dry season.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial Distribution of Soil Hydrological Properties in the Kilombero Floodplain, Tanzania

et al. 2017

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Analysis and interpretation of soil properties dynamics is a keystone in understanding the hydrologic responses and yield potential of floodplain wetlands. This study characterizes the distribution and spatial trends of selected soil physical properties in the Kilombero floodplain, Tanzania. A total of 76 composite soil samples were taken from 0 to 20 cm and 20 to 40 cm depth in a regular grid design across three hydrological zones, related to flooding intensity defined as fringe, middle, and riparian during the rainy season of 2015. The samples were analyzed for soil texture, bulk density, organic carbon, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Seasonal soil moisture content was monitored at depths of 10, 20, 30, and 40 cm, using 17 frequency domain reflectometry profile probes type PR2, installed at each hydrological zone for 18 months (March 2015-August 2016). Data were subjected to classical statistical and geostatistical analyses. Results showed significant (p < 0.05) differences in bulk density, texture, soil organic carbon (SOC), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (K sat ) across the hydrological zones. Bulk density showed a clear increasing trend towards the fringe zone. Mean K sat was highest at the riparian zone (69.15 cm·d −1 ), and clay was higher in the riparian (20.3%) and middle (28.7%) zones, whereas fringe had the highest percentage of sand (33.7-35.9%). Geostatistical spatial results indicated that bulk density, silt, and SOC at 0-20 cm had intermediate dependence, whereas other soil properties at both depths had high spatial dependence. Soil moisture content showed a significant (p < 0.05) difference across the hydrological zones. The riparian zone retained the highest soil moisture content compared to the middle and fringe zone. The temporal soil moisture pattern corresponded to rainfall seasonality and at the riparian zone, soil moisture exhibited a convex shape of sloping curve, whereas a concave sloping curve for topsoil and for the middle zone at the subsoil was observed during the start of the dry season. Our results are seen to contribute to a better understanding of the spatial distribution of soil properties and as a reference for soil and water management planning in the floodplain.

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“…Analyzing the spatial and temporal distribution of soil moisture content is essential for understanding ecohydrological wetland processes and for the development of sustainable agricultural water management wetland studies [1,2]. Soil moisture content is an important variable in regulating and predicting a range of hydrological processes like flooding [3], plant water availability [4][5][6], and soil water-groundwater interaction [7]. Soil moisture content is equally crucial in the hydrological cycle for the estimation of the plot-catchment scale water balance [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling Spatial Soil Water Dynamics in a Tropical Floodplain, East Africa

Gabiri

Burghof

Diekkrüger

et al. 2018

Water

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Analyzing the spatial and temporal distribution of soil moisture is critical for ecohydrological processes and for sustainable water management studies in wetlands. The characterization of soil moisture dynamics and its influencing factors in agriculturally used wetlands pose a challenge in data-scarce regions such as East Africa. High resolution and good-quality time series soil moisture data are rarely available and gaps are frequent due to measurement constraints and device malfunctioning. Soil water models that integrate meteorological conditions and soil water storage may significantly overcome limitations due to data gaps at a point scale. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if the Hydrus-1D model would adequately simulate soil water dynamics at different hydrological zones of a tropical floodplain in Tanzania, to determine controlling factors for wet and dry periods and to assess soil water availability. The zones of the Kilombero floodplain were segmented as riparian, middle, and fringe along a defined transect. The model was satisfactorily calibrated (coefficient of determination; R 2 = 0.54-0.92, root mean square error; RMSE = 0.02-0.11) on a plot scale using measured soil moisture content at soil depths of 10, 20, 30, and 40 cm. Satisfying statistical measures (R 2 = 0.36-0.89, RMSE = 0.03-0.13) were obtained when calibrations for one plot were validated with measured soil moisture for another plot within the same hydrological zone. Results show the transferability of the calibrated Hydrus-1D model to predict soil moisture for other plots with similar hydrological conditions. Soil water storage increased towards the riparian zone, at 262.8 mm/a while actual evapotranspiration was highest (1043.9 mm/a) at the fringe. Overbank flow, precipitation, and groundwater control soil moisture dynamics at the riparian and middle zone, while at the fringe zone, rainfall and lateral flow from mountains control soil moisture during the long rainy seasons. In the dry and short rainy seasons, rainfall, soil properties, and atmospheric demands control soil moisture dynamics at the riparian and middle zone. In addition to these factors, depths to groundwater level control soil moisture variability at the fringe zone. Our results support a better understanding of groundwater-soil water interaction, and provide references for wetland conservation and sustainable agricultural water management.

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Soil moisture dynamics under different tillage practices in cassava–sorghum based cropping systems in eastern Uganda

Cited by 11 publications

References 16 publications

Land Use and Slope Position Effect on the Hydrological Properties of Sandy Loam Soils of Koupendri Catchment, North-West of Benin

Land Use and Slope Position Effect on the Hydrological Properties of Sandy Loam Soils of Koupendri Catchment, North-West of Benin

Spatial Distribution of Soil Hydrological Properties in the Kilombero Floodplain, Tanzania

Modeling Spatial Soil Water Dynamics in a Tropical Floodplain, East Africa

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