JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

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In this research, samples of sugarcane bagasse were irradiated with various amounts (0, 100, 200 and 300 Kilogray) in an electron accelerator (TT200) to evaluate the effects of electron-beam irradiation on dry matter, neutral-detergent fiber (NDF) and acid-detergent fiber (ADF) degradability parameters. The first samples were dried and then ground for chemical analysis. The ruminal degradation parameters of the samples were measured in fistulated cow 3 (400 kg) at times of 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h by the terylene bag method. Data were fitted to non-linear degradation model of Orskov and McDonald to calculate degradation parameters of DM, NDF and ADF. The statistical analysis of degradation of various parameters and effective degradability was accomplished by using the GLM procedure of SAS. After variance analysis, the means were compared with Duncan,s new multiplerange test by using a completely randomized design. The washout fractions of DM as well as NDF and ADF increased linearly (P<0.05) with increasing electron irradiation dose, whereas the potentially degradable fractions of NDF and ADF decreased at first, and then, increased. Also, the degradation rate of the b fraction of dry matter increased. Effective degradability of DM, NDF and ADF increased linearly (P<0.05) with increasing irradiation dose. Electron irradiation at doses of 100, 200 and 300 kGy increased the effective degradability of DM, NDF and ADF at rumen outflow rate of 0.05/h (r) by about 7, 11 and 16% 2, 5 and 7% 3, 7 and 10%, respectively.

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Proper evaluation of soil erodibility factor is very important in assessment of soil erosion. In this study, soil erodibility factor (K) was assessed in a zone, 900 km2 in area in Hashtrood, located in a semi-arid region in north west of Iran. Soil erodibility factor was measured at the unit plots under natural rainfall events in 36 different lands in the study area from March 2005 to March 2007. Results indicated that the measured soil erodibility factor K is on average 8.77 times lower than the nomograph-based values in the study area. To achieve a new nomograph, correlation between measured soil erodibility and soil physicochemical properties was studied. Based on the results, soil erodibility factor negatively correlated with coarse sand, clay, organic matter, lime, aggregate stability and permeability, while its correlation with very fine sand and silt was positive. Results of principal component analysis of soil properties and multi-regression analysis showed that the soil erodibility factor is significantly (R2 = 0.92, P < 0.001) related to soil permeability, aggregate stability, lime and coarse sand. A new nomograph with a R2 of 92% was developed based on these properties to easily estimate soil erodibility factor in the study area. The soil erodibility factor can be reliably estimated using the nomograph in all regions with the soil and rain properties similar to those in the study area.

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An extensive data collection on precipitation and runoff is required for development and implementation of soil and water projects. The unit hydrograph (UH) is an appropriate base for deriving flood hydrographs and therefore provides comprehensive information for planners and managers. However, UH derivation is not easy job for whole watersheds. The development of UH by using easily accessible rainfall data is then necessary. Besides that, the validity evaluation of different statistical modeling methods in hydrology and UH development has been rarely taken into account. Towards the attempt, the present study was planned to compare the efficiency of different modeling procedures in hydrograph and 2-h representative UH relationship in Kasilian watershed with concentration time of some 10h. The study took place by using 23 storm events occurred during four seasons within 33 years and applying two and multivariable regression models and 36 variables. According to the results, the median of estimated errors in estimation of 2-h UH dependent variables for verification stage varied from 37 to 88%. The results verified the better performance of cubic and linear bivariate models and logarithm-transformed data in multivariable model as well. The efficiency of multivariable models decreased when they were subjected to principle component analysis. The performance of backward method was frequently proved for estimation of dependent variables based on evaluation criteria, whereas the forward was found to be more efficient for time-dependent factors estimation.

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Erosion plots are basically used for studying erosion processes and many related problems. However, the possibility to extend the results of experimental plots to surrounding watersheds is rarely taken into account. In the present study, an attempt was made to study on the accuracy of soil erosion plots in estimation of runoff and sediment yield from small watersheds. Towards this attempt, 12 experimental plots with length of 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 meter were installed on two north and south facing slopes in Sanganeh watershed, northeastern Razavi Khorasan Province with an area of ca. 1 ha. The performance of the plots in estimation of runoff and sediment was controlled by data collected at the main outlet associated with 12 storm events occurred during November 2006 to June 2007. The results showed that the accuracy of plot estimates on sediment and runoff improved while the plot length increased. The optimal length for estimation of sediment and runoff parameters was found to be equal to average slope length and more than 20m.

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The Clark method is one of the most applicable techniques for development of instantaneous unit hydrograph whose efficacy depends upon the accuracy in estimating storage coefficient. The present study was conducted in Kasilian watershed in Mazandaran Province to determine the efficiency of developed hydrograph using Clark's method and to compare the Muskingum storage coefficients obtained through graphical, Clark, Linsley, Mitchell, Johnstone-Cross and Eaton methods. To this aim, the time-area histogram of the study watershed was initially developed. The 3h-unit hydrograph was then derived using the data collected in Sangedeh climatological and Valikbon hydrometric stations. The efficiency of Clark’s instantaneous unit hydrograph developed based on 6 methods for calculation of Muskingum storage coefficient was ultimately compared with the observed average 3h-unit hydrograph of the study area. The results of the study revealed that the Clark’s instantaneous unit hydrograph obtained from graphical method for estimation of storage coefficient with estimation error of less than 33.33% and efficiency coefficient of 83% could suitably simulate different components of the observed average unit hydrograph for the study watershed.

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One important parameter in determining the allowable stress to prevent soil compaction is pre‌compaction stress (σpc). If the stress induced into the soil due to agricultural machinery traffic is lower than the σpc, the possibility of the irreversible (plastic) deformation is low. In this study, plate sinkage test (PST) and confined compression test (CCT) were used to determine the σpc of the disturbed soil samples obtained from the topsoil of a long-term organic amendment experiment. In the organic amendment experiment, organic manures (sewage sludgeو compost, farmyard manure) at three rates (25, 50 and 100 t ha-1) and one inorganic fertilizer combination (250 kg urea ha-1 and 250 kg ammonium phosphate ha-1) were added to a silty clay loam soil for seven years under wheat-corn rotation. The effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers and gravimetrical water contents (17.1 and 20.9% db) on the σpc values was determined using two statistical designs: 1) factorial design and 2) orthogonal contrasts in a completely randomized design with three replications. The σpc values were estimated by the following methods: 1) Casagrande, 2) maximum curvature and 3) intercept of virgin compression line (VCL) with the x-axis at zero strain. The results showed that in both tests, the σpc values for treatments amended with organic manures had over-estimations and the values of the over-estimation were increased as the manure application rate increased. The values of the over-estimations for CCT were higher than for PST. Therefore, it can be concluded that the results of the PST are more reliable. The σpc values estimated by any of the three procedures depend on the manure treatment as well as the initial water content of the soil. For determining the stress at the threshold of the compaction for the un-manure soils (control and inorganic fertilizer) or the treatments amended with low application rate (25 t ha-1) of the organic manures, the PST and the Casagrande procedure can be recommended. In contrast, for the soils amended with high application rates (50 and 100 t ha-1), the PST and the maximum curvature procedure can be used.

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To maintain a high system-uniformity and also acceptable water use efficiency in a solid-set sprinkler irrigation system, the total committed pressure variation to subunits should not exceed 20% of the pressure head of the sprinkler which operates with the average pressure. Although some references often recommend giving the major part of this pressure variation to laterals, a scientific and precise criterion that allows designers to minimize the costs has not yet been developed. In this study, regarding the usual design criteria of this system in Iran and also respecting hydraulic rules, an economical analysis was conducted in order to optimize the system based on the appropriated permitted pressure head loss to each subunit. Then, the system irrigates the possible largest area by using minimum weight of pipe. The methodology consisted of 13 slope treatments for each subunit (0, ±0.1, ±0.5, ±1, ±2.5, ±5 and ±10%) and also the ratio of appropriated allowable head loss to the manifold (2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15 and 17.5%). A simple software was developed to determine the size and the length of the manifold and laterals for each combination as well as their total weight and total irrigated area. Several criteria such as maximum and minimum velocity of water in the pipe, maximum head loss which occurs in 100 m of the manifold, maximum permitted head loss for each subunit and also maximum length of the laterals were considered here in order to derive practical design combinations. Because a constant inlet pressure for each subunit leads to a constant cost of energy, then the ratio of total weight of pipelines to the total irrigated area (Wtot /A0) was chosen as the standard, which helps to distinguish the best appropriation of allowable head loss to the manifold or laterals. Graphical diagrams were presented to help designers to know how to distribute the total permitted head loss between manifold and laterals. In general, results showed that total pressure head variation of each subunit greatly affects the system costs and also the total optimized appropriated pressure head loss to each subunit is greatly dependent on its own slope.

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Precise calculation of inlet pressure into sprinkler laterals is an important problem for proper distribution of uniformity. The adjusted average friction correction factor, FaAVG , provides the possibility of calculating the inlet pressure to mutli-outlet pressurized irrigation pipelines when the first outlet spacing from the pipe entrance is arbitrary. To investigate the effect of allowable head-loss in the lateral pipeline on inlet pressure, a new equation was developed for calculating this factor. A progression coefficient was assumed for variable discharge of the outlets. The results showed that though the inlet pressure of the lateral depends on the head loss between the outlets, it is negligible when more than 15 outlets are used. It was also concluded that when N is less than 15 and the ratio of distance between inlet and first outlet to outlet spacing is less than 1, the conventional approaches overestimate the inlet pressure. In this research, a new equation was also developed for Christiansen friction factor in which the first outlet is located at a fraction of outlet spacing. This new factor is dependent on the head loss between the first and last outlets, in addition to the number of outlets and the power of velocity equation. The results of applying this new factor showed good correlation with other researchers’ numerical results when a large number of outlets are coalesced.

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Climate situation changes over a year cause changes in some soil characteristics and soil sensitivity to erosion. Investigation of these changes and how they impact on erosion can be of particular importance. This study investigated changes in Sediment Productivity and soil factors affecting these changes in Tiregan rangeland located in Daregaz city in Khorasan Razavi province. In this study, using the position of the upper and lower hillside of eastern and western aspects, the sampling with rain simulator was performed. Characteristic features of sediment yield including runoff threshold, runoff volume, sediment and turbidity were measured. Soil samples were taken from each sample rain simulation and features of the initial moisture content, bulk density, electrical conductivity, pH and organic matter were measured. Sample was collected with the same intensity and duration of the instrument with fixed locations, and was repeated in four seasons. In order to obtain the position and orientation of each of the parameters in the data obtained at different seasons, the combined analysis of variance test was used. The effect of each of these parameters and the difference between them were evaluated using the Tukey test, and the graphs in 2007 Excel software were plotted. The results showed that all the parameters of sediment yield during the year have significantly changed. The maximum amount of sediment production rates occurred in autumn and was gradually reduced. Its decreasing in both winter and spring can be attributed to vegetation in the area.

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Phytoremediation models are important to understand the processes governing phytoremediation and the management of contaminated soils. Little effort has been made for evaluating the potential of the phytoremediation of metals based on the mathematical models. Therefore, the purpose of this study was modeling the phytoremediation of the nickel-contaminated soils. For this purpose, a model was recommended for estimating the rate of the phytoremediation of nickel from the soil by means of relative transpiration reduction and concentration of nickel in the plant functions. To evaluate the model, soil was contaminated with different levels of nickel by nickel nitrate. Then, the pots were filled with contaminated soil and Basil (ocimum tenuiflirum L.) seeds were planted. To avoid the dry tension, the pots were weighed and irrigated to the point of field capacity (FC) at short time intervals (48 hours). The plants were harvested in four times. At each harvesting stage, the relative transpiration values and nickel concentration in the soil and plant samples were measured. The performance of the model was evaluated by statistical methods such as Maximum Error, Root Mean Square Error, Coefficient of Determination, Efficiency of Model and Coefficient of Residual Mass. Results demonstrated that in the case of nickel contamination in soil, changes in the relative transpiration of Basil can be measured by the two proposed models and the linear model (R2=0.94) has a better performance compared to the nonlinear one (R2=0.84). Also the model obtained from the combination of linear function and nickel's concentration in soil has a relatively good (R=0.7) fit with the measured values of the remediation rate of nickel in soil.

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Rainfall- runoff modeling and river discharge forecasting are an important step toward flood management and control, design of hydraulic structures in basins and drought management. The purpose of this study was simulating the daily flows in the Navrud watershed using WetSpa model. WetSpa is a hydrological- physical model that can predict flood on the watershed scale with different time steps. This model uses topography, land use and soil texture layers and also, the daily meteorological data to predict the flow hydrograph. In this study, the data of 4 stations (Khlyan, Khrjgyl, Gavkhs, Nav) during the water years 2006-2011 were used. 36 months from September 2006 and 36 months from September 2009 to September 2011 were selected for calibration and test of model, respectively. Simulation results of WetSpa model showed that this model simulates river Daily flow using collective measures of 0.63 and 0.61 in calibration and test periods, respectively. According to this result, it can be stated that the model estimates peak discharge and flow volume in both periods very well. Also, this model could simulate well the water balance of Navrud Basin.

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Surface runoff is one of the main causes of erosion and loss of soil fertility, sedimentation in reservoirs and reduction of river water quality. Therefore, the accurate prediction of basin response to precipitation events is very important. Hydrological models are simplified views of the actual watershed systems that can help study watershed functions in response to various inputs, and understand hydrological processes better. Due to the variety of Rainfall - Runoff models, choosing a suitable model for the basin is important for water resource planning and management. Thus, the abilities and limitations of basin hydrological models are important to consider in the selection of model. In this study, the performance of IHACRES model in daily runoff simulation of Navroud basin was investigated using evaluation criteria of Nash – Sutcliffe Index (NSH) and the mean total error and the data of Khlyan and Khrjgyl stations during the Water years 2006 - 2011. 36 months from September 2006 and 36 months from September 2009 to September 2011 were selected for calibration and test of model, respectively. Finally, results showed that Nash – Sutcliffe Index and Bias in calibration stage were 0.57 and 8/53, respectively and in verification stage, they were 0.48 and 14/9, respectively. So, the used model has an acceptable accuracy in simulating the studied basin flow.

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A laboratory research program was arranged to study the effect of different factors influencing the stability of fine soils against wind action. For this purpose, a laboratory wind tunnel was stabilized and several soil samples were examined by putting the sample trays inside the wind tunnel for different rates of wind velocities. The tray for soil samples was 20´30 cm² with the depth of 5 cm, and the fine soil samples were chosen with different sizes of particle and porosity. Because the main aim of this research was to investigate the effect of some polymer additives to the soil, many samples were made of the soils improved by different additives in different percentages. Furthermore, the effect of infiltration of the liquid additives was also examined, which could show different infiltration heights as functions of soil type, additive type and the height of pouring. Some of the results were examined by using software. The lab results in this research were compared with some proposed theoretical ones. It was found that as the average diameter of particles increases, erodibility under the same wind velocity decreases, and the applied polymer emulsions decrease the erodibility up to 90% compared to the initial condition. Impacts of dust emission due to the suspended dispersion of fine particles and creeping movements of coarse particles are mitigated as a result of treatment with these emulsions. Variations in erosion of soils at various wind velocities depend on the value of threshold friction velocity with the result that the soil erosion values in case of coarser soils after the increase in velocity would be higher than those of threshold friction velocity. Finally, a relationship is proposed for estimation of soil erosion in terms of wind velocity. The results are consistent with the transport rate relationships proposed by different scholars.

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Nowadays, the increasing population and water demand in various sectors of agriculture, industry, drinking and sanitation has brought about tremendous pressure on groundwater resources. Changes in groundwater quality and salinity of the water resources are currently major threats to development, especially in the dry and too dry lands. The aim of this study is evaluation of the trend of changes in groundwater quality, both temporally and spatially, in Kashan plain over a period of 12 years (2002-2013) using geostatistical methods and classification methods namely Shouler and Wilcox. Thereby, Export Choice has been used and each parameter has been weighted according to its effect on water quality changes. Then, the weighted average of water quality parameters was used for zoning the drinking and agriculture water. The results showed that among the geostatistical methods, circular Kriging based on the correlation coefficient has more acceptable performance. Moreover, the results of spatial and temporal changes in water quality based on Shouler and Wilcox indicate a decrease of drink and agriculture water quality in the study area. Besides, 1.75 km² of high quality drinkable water was annually decreased between 2002 and 2013 and replaced with moderate or poor quality water. Also, the same but more remarkable decline happened in agriculture water so that 11.06 km² of high quality agriculture water annually diminished from 2002 to 2009 and plunged zero by 2009.

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In this research, a comprehensive simulation model for water cycle and the nitrogen dynamics modeling including all the important processes involved in nitrogen transformations such as fertilizer dissolution, nitrification, denitrification, ammonium volatilization, mineralization, immobilization as well as all the important nitrogen transportation processes including nitrogen uptake by the plant, soil particles adsorption, upward flux, surface runoff losses and drain losses, was used for fertilizer management modeling in a sugarcane farmland in Imam Khomeini Agro-Industrial Company using a system dynamics approach. For evaluating the model the data collected from Imam Agro-Industrial Company equipped with a tile drainage system with shallow ground water and located in Khuzestan province, Iran, were used. The statistical analysis of the observed and simulated data showed that the RMSE for determining the accuracy of simulation of the nitrate and ammonium concentration in drainage water is 1.73 mg/L and 0.48 mg/L, respectively. The results indicated that there is good agreement between the observed and the simulated data. Nine scenarios of fertilization at different levels of urea fertilizer were modeled including one scenario of 400 kg/ha, two spilit scenarios of 350 kg/ha, two spilit scenarios of 325 kg/ha, two spilit scenarios of 300 kg/ha, one scenario of 280 kg/ha and one scenario of 210 kg/ha. Results of the modeling showed that the scenario of 210 kg/ha has the highest nitrogen use efficiency (52.3%) and the lowest nitrogen losses consisted of denitrification, ammonium volatilization and drainage losses (17.82, 7.16 and 92.59 kg/ha, respectively). The results revealed that increasing the consumption of urea fertilizer greater than 210 kg/ha increased the overall nitrogen losses and reduced the nitrogen use efficiency. Meanwhile, this model can be used for managing the fertilizer and controlling the nitrate and ammonium concentrations in the drainage water to prevent the environmental pollution. Also, the system dynamics approach was found as an effective technique for simulating the complex water-soil-plant-drainage system.

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Improvement of soils is among the major concerns in civil engineering, therefore a variety of approaches have been employed for different soil types. The annual budget of implementing the projects of this kind in countries clearly implies the importance of the subject. The loose granular soils and sediments have always imposed challenges due to their low strength and bearing capacity. Bio-mediated soil improvement has recently been introduced as a novel link of biotechnology (biotech) and civil engineering for improving the problematic soils, i.e. utilizing some bacteria to precipitate calcite on the soil particles. Bio-grouting is a branch of Bio-mediated soil improvement which is a method based on microbial calcium carbonate precipitation. In this regard, the soil samples were stabilized by injecting the bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii in the first phase of the process and Urea and Calcium Chloride in the second phase of the process (two-phase injection) as the nutrients into the sandy soil columns and subjected to unconfined compressive strength test. In this research, Taguchi method was utilized for design of experience (DOE). Based on results obtained, the activity of the bacteria caused the precipitation of calcium carbonate in soil samples so that after 21 days, the unconfined compressive strength of the soil increased from 85 kPa in the control sample to 930 kPa at optimum condition.

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Potassium is the most abundant nutrition element in the surface soil but most of the potassium is unavailable to the plants. The present study was conducted with the aim of isolation of potassium solubilizing bacteria from rhizosphere soil and evaluation of quantitative ability of released potassium from different sources of silicate by strains. For this propose, laboratory and greenhouse evaluations were carried out on corn (Zea mays L. Cv. single cross 640 (as a factorial in a completely randomized design with three replications. Laboratory factors were potassium sources (four levels), incubation time (seven levels) and microbial inoculation (six strains) and greenhouse factors were potassium sources (five levels) and microbial inoculation (four strains). The results showed that among the bacterial strains KSB₁₃ had maximum dissolution diameter (25 mm) and solubilisation index (SI=3). The highest potassium content (3/32 µg/mL) was released from biotite by strains of KSB₁₀ after ten days incubation. The microbial inoculation increased root dry weight and plant height for 30 and 25 percent, respectively, compared to control treatments. Also the mean shoot dry weight and K content in microbial treatments of silicate minerals were respectively increased 3/75 and 1/57 times higher than control treatment. It can be concluded that microbial inoculation causes potassium release from silicate minerals and improved plant growth.

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The basis of spatial planning is the geomorphological zoning of ground surface, in which the first phase is determining the homogeneous zones of the ground surface in terms of geomorphological characteristics. The current study aimed at determining the proper zones for artificial feeding in Gahar mountainous region and Garebayegan plains in Fars province by the use of zoning the ground by Evans-Chezy quantitative coefficients. The quantitative zoning of ground surface plays a vital role in more accurate determination of the land capabilities due to precise determination and division of the types, facies, and surface terrains. For this study, the elevation numeral data with 10m resolution obtained from the National Cartographic Center was used. By the use of surface fitting tools in MATLAB software, the equation for each form was fitted to limited fragments of the surface and the program was applied. Then, each of the quantitative coefficients was illustrated as some zones. For determination of fitting degree, the total squared difference between the rate parameter was used and by the use of fitness degree, the propriety degree of the surface for optimal positioning of flood spreading with surface morphological view was determined. The results indicate that the surface downstream the alluvial fans and plains located on the southern region of the studied land is the most appropriate zone for the Flood Spreading. This area constitutes a surface of 10% of the total area of the region.

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