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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Early Access

Study on estimation of infiltration rate with different soil conditioners and evaluation of infiltration models

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.6018
Submitted
21 October 2024
Published
28-04-2025

Abstract

Soil conditioners enhance soil properties, particularly for moisture conservation in rain-fed agriculture. This study evaluated the effects of various soil conditioners, including hydrogel (0.001 t ha-1 and 0.002 t ha-1), gypsum, coir pith and press mud on the infiltration capacity of sandy clay loam soils at the Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute in Kumulur, Tamil Nadu, a semi-arid region. Infiltration was measured using a double-ring infiltrometer and four models, Kostiakov, Horton, Green-Ampt and Philips, were used to predict the infiltration rates. Initial infiltration values measured were 19.2, 18, 16.8, 12, 10.8 and 9.6 cm h-¹ for treatments with hydrogel (0.002 t ha-1), hydrogel (0.001 t ha-1), gypsum, coir pith, press mud and the control(without conditioner), respectively. Results showed that hydrogel significantly improved infiltration, with the highest rate observed at 0.002 t ha-1 (19.2 cm h-1), compared to the control (8.2 cm/h-1). The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency of the Philips model varied from 0.75 to 0.95 for the different soil conditioners and provided the most accurate prediction of infiltration rates, followed by the Horton model. This study highlights the importance of soil conditioners in improving water retention and infiltration, which are essential for effective water management in agricultural systems, particularly in semi-arid regions.

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