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Agroforestry systems and soil surface management of a tropical alfisol:

V. Water infiltrability, transmissivity and soil water sorptivity

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Abstract

Soil infiltrability was evaluated once a year for five consecutive years in a longterm agroforestry experiment established on an Alfisol in western Nigeria. There were 6 treatments involving plow-till, no-till, contour hedges of Leucaena Leucocephala and Gliricidia sepium established every 4- and 2-m intervals. Continuous cultivation based on 2 crops per year caused drastic reductions in infiltrability in all treatments. The rate of decline was, however, the most severe in no-till treatment. Following 5 years of continuous cultivation, the equilibrium infiltration rate was 8, 19, 21 and 24 cm/h for no-till, Gliricidia-based, plow-till and Leucaena-based treatments, respectively. The cumulative infiltration at 2 h was 24, 59, 70 and 76 cm for no-till, Gliricidia-based, Leucaena-based and plow-till treatments. There were also significant differences among treatments in relation to soil water sorptivity (S). The infiltration data were expressed in terms of Philip's and Kostiakov's infiltration models.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, The Ohio State University, 43210, Columbus, OH, USA

    R. Lal

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  1. R. Lal
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Lal, R. Agroforestry systems and soil surface management of a tropical alfisol:. Agroforest Syst 8, 217–238 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00129650

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00129650

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