Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Early Access

Evaluation of hydrological properties of gypsiferous soils cultivated with wheat under varying gypsum content

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.11180
Submitted
7 August 2025
Published
12-01-2026

Abstract

Gypsum-rich soils are widespread and play a significant role in agricultural productivity and water management, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Understanding the effect of gypsum content on soil water movement is essential for optimizing irrigation and soil conservation in wheat-based systems. This study, conducted on wheat-cultivated soils under field conditions, aimed to evaluate key hydrological properties across varying gypsum levels. The gypsum levels in the studied soils were 45, 92, 156, 248, 468 and 583 g kg-1. Field infiltration rates were measured using the double-ring infiltrometer method and sorptivity was estimated using standard infiltration models. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) was also determined for each soil type. The pattern of cumulative infiltration generally mirrored the upward trend in Ks, underscoring the close relationship between infiltration dynamics and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Cumulative infiltration varied irregularly with gypsum content, ranging from 1.4 to 8.7 cm. Results showed a general increase in saturated hydraulic conductivity with increasing gypsum content, likely due to enhanced soil structure and macroporosity at higher gypsum levels. The Philip and Smith & Knight models provided more consistent predictions of water movement over longer infiltration times. The findings highlight the importance of gypsum content as a key factor influencing soil water behavior and provide insight into selecting appropriate models for estimating infiltration parameters. These results are particularly relevant for irrigation design and soil management in wheat cultivation on gypsiferous soils.

References

  1. 1. Zaka MA, Ahmed K, Rafa H, Sarfraz M, Schmeisk H. Effectiveness of compost and gypsum for amelioration of saline sodic soil in rice wheat cropping system. Asian J Agric Biol. 2018;6(4).
  2. 2. Abed RH, Kareem HA. Effect of zeolite addition on infiltration rate and saturated hydraulic conductivity in gypsum soil. Pak J Agric Res. 2025;38(1):85–91. https://doi.org/10.17582/journal.pjar/2025/38.1.85.91
  3. 3. Philip JR. The theory of infiltration: 1. The infiltration equation and its solution. Soil Sci. 1957;83(5):345–58. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-195705000-00002
  4. 4. Smiles DE, Knight JH. A note on the use of the Philip infiltration equation. Soil Res. 1976;14(1):103–8. https://doi.org/10.1071/SR9760103
  5. 5. Huang M, Zettl JD, Barbour SL, Pratt D. Characterizing the spatial variability of the hydraulic conductivity of reclamation soils using air permeability. Geoderma. 2016;262:285–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.08.014
  6. 6. Hamid MQ. Response of physical properties of sandy soil treated with different levels of natural soil conditioners zeolite and perlite. Sarhad J Agric. 2025;41(2):591–9. https://doi.org/10.17582/journal.sja/2025/41.2.591.599
  7. 7. Al-Juboori JMY, Khairo AM, AlShamary WF. The thermal conductivity and matric potential (moisture tension) relationships for soils of different gypsum content. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci. 2023;1158(2):022007. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1158/2/022007
  8. 8. Aljumaily MM, Al-Hamandi HM, Farhan MJ, Kareem HA. Relationship between Zn and Cd in soil and plant. J Agric Sci. 2022;1(33):33–42.
  9. 9. Mohammed RJ, Abdulkadhim KA, Hassan DF, Kadhim TF. Effect of wheat straw as organic matter and different water quality on some chemical soil properties and growth of pepper (Capsicum annuum). IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci. 2019;344(1):012034. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/344/1/012034
  10. 10. AL-Hamandi H, AL Janabi YH, Ahmed AM, Aljumaily MM, Al-Obaidi MA. Relationship between biochar addition, clay minerals, potassium forms and soil properties in some gypsiferous soils in Iraq. Tikrit J Agric Sci. 2025;25(1):69–87. https://doi.org/10.25130/tjas.25.1.6
  11. 11. Al-Hamandi HM, Al-Obaidi MA, Aljumaily MM. Study on quantity and intensity of potassium in the alluvial soils in Baghdad. Plant Arch. 2019;19(2):123–30.
  12. 12. Ismaeal AS, Farhan MJF, Khalaf AA. Wheat Crop Management and growth stage monitoring in some gypsiferous soil units using remote sensing. Tikrit J Agric Sci. 2024;24(2):131–60. https://doi.org/10.25130/tjas.24.2.11
  13. 13. Mahmoud HI, Ismaeal AS. Pedogenic and spatial distribution of gypsum content in soil series units in Al-Dur District in Salah Al-Din Governorate. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci. 2024;1371(8):082051. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1371/8/082051
  14. 14. Page AL, Miller RH, Keeney DR. Methods of soil analysis. Part 2. Chemical and microbiological properties. Agronomy Monograph No. 9. Madison (WI): Soil Sci Soc Am. 1982. p. 1159. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr9.2.2ed
  15. 15. Al-Kayssi AW, Mustafa SH. Modeling gypsifereous soil infiltration rate under different sprinkler application rates and successive irrigation events. Agric Water Manag. 2016;163:66–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2015.09.006
  16. 16. Hillel D. Introduction to environmental soil physics. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2003.
  17. 17. Li Y, Zhang C, Chen C, Chen H. Calculation of capillary rise height of soils by SWCC model. Adv Civ Eng. 2018;2018(1):5190354. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5190354
  18. 18. Das BM, Sobhan K. Principles of geotechnical engineering. 7th ed. Boston (MA): Cengage Learning; 2010.
  19. 19. Al-Dulaimi SSH, Khairo AM. Experimental Testing of the Kostiakov Equation in Soils with Varying Gypsum Content. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci. 2025;1487(1):012214. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1487/1/012214
  20. 20. Hamid MQ, Abd EH, Al-Salihi ZK, Muhammed RJ, Hassan DF. Effect of organic conditioners on the physical properties of sandy soil under drip irrigation conditions. Sarhad J Agric. 2025;41(3):1133–42. https://doi.org/10.17582/journal.sja/2025/41.3.1133.1142
  21. 21. Hundi HK, Hamid MQ, Noori AAM. Role of Ochrobactrum Bacteria and organic matter in plant growth and the content of N, P and K under soil salinity stress. J Environ Earth Sci. 2025;7(5):130–9. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v7i5.8777
  22. 22. Al-Saoudi N, Al-Khafaji AN, Al-Mosawi MJ. Challenging problems of gypseous soils in Iraq. In: Proc 18th Int Conf Soil Mech Geotech Eng. 2013. p. 479–82.
  23. 23. Kuechler R, Noack K, Zorn T. Investigation of gypsum dissolution under saturated and unsaturated water conditions. Ecol Model. 2004;176(1–2):1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2003.10.025
  24. 24. Outbakat MB, El Mejahed K, El Gharous M, El Omari K, Beniaich A. Effect of phosphogypsum on soil physical properties in Moroccan salt-affected soils. Sustainability. 2022;14(20):13087. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013087
  25. 25. Al-Kayssi AW, Shihab RM, Mustafa SH. Impact of soil water stress on Nigellone oil content of black cumin seeds grown in calcareous–gypsum soils. Agric Water Manag. 2011;100(1):46–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2011.08.007
  26. 26. Hamid MQ. Mycorrhiza and Trichoderma fungi role in improving soil physical properties planted with maize (Zea mays L.). SABRAO J Breed Genet. 2025;57(1):260–9. https://doi.org/10.54910/sabrao2025.57.1.25
  27. 27. Akol AM, Hassan DF, Mohammed RJ, Al Janaby ZAA, Kadium Abed MA, Hussain S, et al. Optimizing wheat yield and water use efficiency using AquaCrop model calibration and validation in various irrigation and tillage systems under climate change. Soil Sci Annu. 2024;75(3). https://doi.org/10.37501/soilsa/195823
  28. 28. Cook FJ, Knight JH, Doble RC, Raine SR. An improved solution for the infiltration advance problem in irrigation hydraulics. Irrig Sci. 2013;31:1113–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-012-0392-7
  29. 29. Hassan D, Thamer T, Mohammed R, Almaeini A, Nassif N. Calibration and evaluation of AquaCrop model under different irrigation methods for maize (Zea mays L.) in central region of Iraq. In: Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland; 2020. p. 43–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43803-5_10
  30. 30. Mahmoud S, Hundi H, Razzaq R, Hamid M. Effect of zinc and potassium humate spraying on growth and yield of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Plant Sci Today. 2025;12(4). https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.11104
  31. 31. Fattah AA, Shihab RM. Comparison of hydraulic conductivity estimation using falling head and mini disk infiltrometer in gypsiferous soil. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci. 2023;1259(1):012017. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1259/1/012017
  32. 32. Shihab RM, Fattah AA, Muhawish NAM. Modeling of NO3 transport in gypsiferous soil under unsaturated flow. J Al-Muthanna Agric Sci. 2021;8(3). https://doi.org/10.52113/mjas04/8.3/47h

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.