CSIRO PUBLISHING www.publish.csiro.au/journals/ajsr
Australian Journal of Soil Research, 2009, 47, 688–696
Soil structure changes: aggregate size and soil texture effects on hydraulic conductivity under different saline and sodic conditions M. Ben-Hur A,E, G. Yolcu B, H. Uysal C, M. Lado D, and A. Paz D A
Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, the Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, PO Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel. B Menemen Research Institute of Rural Services, Menemen, Izmir, Turkey. C Faculty of Agriculture, University of EGE, Izmir, Turkey. D Faculty of Sciences, University of A Coruna, A Zapateira s/n, 15071 A Coruna, Spain. E Corresponding author. Email:
[email protected] Contribution from the Soil Science Area of the University of La Coruna, Spain.
Abstract. Hydraulic conductivity of soil is strongly dependent on soil structure, which can be degraded during wetting and leaching. It was hypothesised that this structural degradation is dependent on initial aggregate size distribution and soil texture. The general aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aggregate sizes and soil textures, and their interactions, on the structural degradation and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of smectitic soils under different saline and sodic conditions. The studied soils were clay and loamy sand soils with low (~4.5) or high (~10) exchangeable sodium percentages (ESP), and with aggregate sizes in the ranges: (i)
