JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

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Field capacity (FC) and permanent wilting point (PWP) are important factors affecting irrigation scheduling and field management. FC and PWP can be estimated from some of the soil physical and chemical properties. Pressure Plate apparatus is usually used for determination of FC and PWP, but this is a time-consuming and laborious procedure besides, the apparatus may not be available in many laboratories. Samples were taken from 23 locations in Isfahan and Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiary provinces in central Iran. Soil texture, organic matter and cation exchange capacity were determined. Soil moisture at FC and PWP of the soils were measured with a pressure plate. Simple and multiple regression analyses were used to study the relationships between FC and PWP with sand, silt, clay, soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity.

 Results indicated that FC significantly correlated with sand, organic matter and cation exchange capacity in a stepwise model (r=0.97**). The PWP of soil also correlated significantly with silt, organic matter, and cation exchange capacity in a stepwise model (r=0.95**). Available water capacity (FC-PWP) correlated with sand in a stepwise model (r=0.82**). On the whole, results showed that FC and PWP can be estimated from some soil physical and chemical properties.

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This study was conducted to investigate the effect of water salinity and sodicity on pore size distribution and plant-available water of two clay and sandy clay loam calcareous soils. All combinations of water EC values of 0.5, 2, 4 and 8 dS m-1 and SAR values of 1, 5, 13 and 18 (in total 16 solutions) were used to wet and dry the soil samples for five cycles. Then, water retention of the soil cores was measured at matric suctions of 0 (θs), 10 (θ10) 100 or 300 cm (θFC) and 15000 cm (θPWP). The following quantities were calculated: the difference between θ100 or θ300 and θ15000 considered as available water contrent, the θs and θ10 as macrorosity, the θ10 and θ100 as mesoporosity, and the θ100 as microrosity. The initial porosity of both soils was similar, but the greater values of pore indices and θFC, θPWP and AWC were measured in the clay soil due to clay swelling. As water EC increased, mesopores were destructed and altered to macropores and micropores. Salinity altered the mesopores into macropores due to contraction of diffuse double layer and particle’s flocculation and consequently decreased the θFC, and created new micropores which were responsible for the higher value of θPWP. These trends ultimately diminished the AWC. As water SAR increased, mesopores were destructed and altered to micropores but it did not significantly affect the macropores. With increment of SAR, both θFC and θPWP increased due to structural distruption clay swelling and dispersion resulting in increased adsorptive and interlayer surfaces. The increasing effect of SAR on θPWP was greater and more distinct so that AWC was reduced. As a result, high values of SAR of irrigation water decreased the soil available water to plants besides its toxicity and hazardous effect on plants. With increment of irrigation water salinity, the destructive impacts of SAR diminished. The influence of water quality on water retention was pronounced for the clay soil.‎

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Soil tillage changes chemical and physical properties which can change the soil available water capacity. For understanding the effect of soil disturbance in cultivated soil on available water, parameter pedotransfer functions of these soils created and their results were compared with measured available water by moisture release curves. For this purpose 54 soil samples were taken from cultivated and non cultivated soils of Abyek-Qazvin area northwesthern Iran. Selected properties of these soils such as particle size distribution, bulk density, organic carbon, calcium carbonate, cation exchange capacity and pH were determined. Soil moisture curve of samples were obtained by pressure plates. Parameter pedotransfer functions were created by Mualem-van Genucten model for non cultivated soil and their available water were predicted. The predicted available water was compared with measured available water. The results illustrated that the predicted results had higher correlation coefficient for moisture of permanent wilting point compared to of field capacity moisture, As the correlation coefficient was inccreased from 0.67 to 0.83 and also the root mean square error (RMSE) reduced from 2.59 to 1.06. So the predicted available water was overestimated.

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In this study, the impact of some organic matters and a moisture super absorbent were investigated on available water and delay of permanent wilting point in a sample soil of Rasht landscape. In incubation stage, 12 Treatments including control (70% v/v soil with 30% of the composted manure) and various amounts of soil, municipal compost, composted manure, olives and rice wastes along with a super absorbent (A₂₀₀) were used in a completely randomized design. In order to provide water-release curve and to determine the amount of moisture needed for Field Capacity (FC) and Permanent Wilting Point (PWP), filter paper method was used. Three treatments having more available moisture and further delay in permanent wilting point in incubation stage were being applied in greenhouse stage, along with the control treatment. In greenhouse stage, impact of treatments and irrigation period (36, 72 and 168 hours) were studied on plant growth of Lysimachia, in a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design. Results showed that the greatest weight of shoot dry matter was obtained in 30% municipal waste compost treatment and rice wastes treatment in 36 hours irrigation period, but at 168 hours period, dry matter decreased and the greatest dry matter was obtained from superabsorbent treatment. 

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