RESEARCH PAPER
Water table as a source for irrigation in the Nile Delta soils
 
More details
Hide details
1
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Egypt
 
 
Final revision date: 2019-06-12
 
 
Acceptance date: 2019-06-14
 
 
Publication date: 2019-07-04
 
 
Corresponding author
Abdelmonem Mohamed Amer   

Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Mustafa Kamel, 32511, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
 
 
Acta Agroph. 2019, 26(1), 79-92
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to predict the contribution of the water table in moistening the root zone using theoretical and empirical equations containing the parameters of evapotranspiration, crop factor, and capillary rise in relation to the hydrophysical properties of soil. Five alluvial (clay) soil profiles located at middle Nile Delta were investigated for the application of the assumed equations. Four areas of soils were cultivated with wheat and clover in the winter and maize in the summer, and citrus trees in 2014/2015 growing season. Soil samples from the investigated areas were subjected to chemical and physical analyses. Water table depths were determined using field piezometers in the same places where the soil samples were collected. The other hydro-physical parameters were estimated. It was found that the water table contributed 20-40% of the irrigation water applied to the root zone in winter and 20% or less during the summer in the studied soils areas. An equation was derived to estimate the sorptivity (S) under dry conditions and at steady state infiltration. It was observed that S is decreased from unsaturated state to steady-state infiltration by 23.1 to 45.7% in cultivated soils and to 55.2% in uncultivated soil. Infiltration functions were estimated. It was suggested that the sorptivity at the steady infiltration rate (steady sorptivity, Sw) may be used to predict the hydraulic conductivity and the basic infiltration rate Ib. The calculated values of Ib by Sw corresponded to those obtained by infiltration experiment. This confirmed the significance of steady Sw as a new functional infiltration parameter. Also, data showed that the values of K(θ) calculated by the proposed equations were in the common ranges for such soils. The equations used (models) related K(θ) to soil pore radius (r) which were in turn based on soil hydraulic data including water retention h(θ), field basic infiltration rate, water sorptivity (S) and the distribution density function f(r) of soil pore size. The steady Sw parameter was used in the prediction of the hydraulic conductivity K(θ) and the basic (steady) infiltration rate Ib. It was concluded that in winter the water table contributed 20-40% of irrigation water applied to the root zone and less than 20% during the summer in the studied soils areas. These values should be considered in calculating the crop water requirements.
 
REFERENCES (33)
1.
Amer A.M., Logsdon S.D., Davis D., 2009. Prediction of hydraulic conductivity in unsaturated soils. Soil Sci., 174(9), 508-515, https://doi.org/10.1097/SS.0b0....
 
2.
Amer A.M., 2002. Drainable and water-filled pores as related to water storage and conductivity in agricultural soils of the Nile Delta. Monash Univ., Melbourne, Australia, 28th SIL Congress Proceedings, 1922-2010, Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol., 2002, 28(4), 1912-1919. Stuttgart, https://doi.org/10.1080/036807....
 
3.
Amer A.M., 2004. Soil hydrophysics. 2nd part, Agricultural irrigation and drainage (in Arabic). El-Dar Al-Arabia for Publish., Cairo, Egypt.
 
4.
Amer A.M., 2009. Moisture adsorption capacity and surface area as deduced from vapour pressure isotherms in relation to hygroscopic water of soils. Biologia, 64(3), 516-521, https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756....
 
5.
Amer A.M., 2010. Infiltration functions as applied to predict the hydraulic conductivity in matrix and macro pores of soils. 18th International Poster Day, Transport of Water, Chemicals and Energy in the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere System, Hydrology Institute, Bratislava.
 
6.
Amer A.M., 2011. Effects of water infiltration and storage in cultivated soil on surface irrigation. Agric. Water Manage., 98(5),815-822, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwa....
 
7.
Amer A.M., 2011. Prediction of hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity in soils at steady-state infiltration. Arch. Agron. Soil Sci., 58(10), 1179-1194, https://doi.org/10.1080/036503....
 
8.
Amer A.M., 2012. Water flow and conductivity into capillary and non-capillary pores of soils. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 12(1), 99-112, https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-....
 
9.
Anat A., Duke H.R., Corey A.T., 1965. Steady upward flow from water tables. Colorado State Univ. Hydrol. Paper No. 7. June.
 
10.
Ankeny M.D., 1992. Methods and theory for unconfined infiltration measurements. In Advances in measurement of soil physical properties: Bringing Theory into Practice (Ed. G.C. Topp, et al. ). SSSA Spec. Publ. 30. SSSA, Madison, WI, 123-141.
 
11.
Baehr L. and Reilly J., 2014. Unsaturated flow characterization utilizing water content data collected within the capillary fringe. Air, Soil and Water Res., 7, 47-52, https://doi.org/10.4137/ASWR.S....
 
12.
Campbell G.S., 1974. A Simple method for determining unsaturated conductivity from moisture retention data. Soil Sci., 117(6), 311-314, https://doi.org/10.1097/000106....
 
13.
Dane J.H., Topp G.C. (eds), (2002). Methods of soil analysis, Part 4, Physical methods. SSSA, Madison, WI.
 
14.
Encyclopedia, 1998. Encyclopedia hydrologic cycle - Image Results, Britannica, Inc.
 
15.
Germann P.F., Prasuhn V., 2018. Viscous flow approach to rapid infiltration and drainage in a weighing lysimeter. Vadose Zone J., 17(1), 170020, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj201....
 
16.
Hallett P.D., 2008. A brief overview of the causes, impacts and amelioration of soil water repellency - a review. Soil & Water Res., 3(1), S21-S29, https://doi.org/10.17221/1198-....
 
17.
Hillel D., 1980. Fundamentals of soil physics. Academic Press, New York, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0....
 
18.
Jorenush M.H., Sepaskhah A.R., 2003. Modelling capillary rise and soil salinity for shallow saline water table under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions. Agr. Water Manage., 61, 125-141, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-....
 
19.
Klute A., 1986. Methods of soil analysis. 2nd ed. ASA and SSSA, Madison.
 
20.
Kostiakov A.N., 1932. On the dynamics of coefficient of water-percolation in soils and on necessity for studying it from a dynamic point of view for purposes of amelioration. Trans. 6th Comm. Intern. Soil Sci., Russia, Part A, 17-21.
 
21.
Lu N., Likos W.J., 2004. Rate of capillary rise in soil. J. Geotechnical and Environmental Eng., 130(6), 646-650, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)...).
 
22.
Malik R.S., Kumar S., Malik R.K., 1989. Maximal capillary rise flux as a function of height from the water table. Soil Sci., 148(5), 322-326, https://doi.org/10.1097/000106....
 
23.
Moldrup P., Hansen J.A.A., Rolston D.E., Yamaguchi T., 1993. Improved simulation of unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity by the moving mean slope approach. Soil Sci.. 155, 8-14, https://doi.org/10.1097/000106....
 
24.
Page A.J., 1982. Methods of soil analysis. 2nd ed., Soc. Agron. Inc. Pub., Madison, Wisconsin.
 
25.
Philip J.R., 1957. The theory of infiltration: 1. The infiltration equation and its solution. Soil Sci., 83, 345-357, https://doi.org/10.1097/000106....
 
26.
Ravina I., Zaslavsky D., 1968. Non-linear electro-kinetic phenomena I: review of literature. Soil Sci., 106(1), 60-66, https://doi.org/10.1097/000106....
 
27.
Reynolds W.D., Elrick D.E., Young E.G., 2002. Single-ring and double-ring or concentric-ring infiltrometers. 821-826. In Methods of soil analysis. Part 4 Physical methods (Eds J.H. Dane, G.C. Topp). SSSA, Madison, 821-826.
 
28.
Soppe R.W., Ayars J.E., 2003. Characterizing ground water use by safflower using weighing lysimeters. Agr. Water Manage., 60(1), 59-71, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-....
 
29.
Sparks D.L. (ed.), (1996). Methods of soil analysis, Part 3, Chemical methods. ASA, SSSA, Madison.
 
30.
Sudnitsyn E.E., 1979. Soil water movement and water requirements of crops. Moscow Univ. Ezdat, Moscow.
 
31.
Vadunina A.F., Karchagina, (1973). Investigation methods of soil physical properties and ground water. 2nd ed. Vishaya Shcola, Moscow.
 
32.
Valiantzas J.D., Pollalis E.D., Soulis K.X., Londra P.A., 2009. Modified form of the extended Kostiakov equation including various initial and boundary conditions. J. Irrig. Drain. Engin., 135(4), 450-458, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)....
 
33.
Weiler M., 2017. Macro-pores and preferential flow - a love-hate relationship. Hydrology Process., 31, 15-19, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.11....
 
eISSN:2300-6730
ISSN:1234-4125
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top