Effect of cover crops on hysteresis and anisotropy of soil hydraulic properties

POLICH, NICOLÁS GUILLERMO; LOZANO, LUIS ALBERTO; VILLARREAL, RAFAEL; SALAZAR, MARÍA PAZ; BELLORA, GUIDO LAUTARO; BARRACO, MIRIAM RAQUEL; SORACCO, C. GERMÁN

Geoderma Regional

Elsevier

Año: 2022 vol. 31

2352-0094

No till is the main management system for soil conservation world-wide. In Argentina is frequently implementedin simplified crop sequences, which has negative effects on soil physical quality (SPQ). Among the suggestedpractices to preserve the physical fertility of soils under no till have been cited winter cover crops (CC).Generally, the estimation of pore distribution parameters and capacity SPQ indicators has been conducted fromthe relationship between water content (θ) and matric potential (h) obtained from desorption experiments.However, the water retention curve is considered as hysteretic. The objectives of this study were to incorporatethe wetting curve (WWRC) to assess the impact of the incorporation of rye (Secale cereale L.) as CC on hydraulicproperties in the first 10 cm of a Typic Hapludol and to analyze if the values are affected according to thesampling direction. The incorporation of CC increased the hysteretic behavior in the near and the mediumsaturation region. The sample direction did not affect significantly any capacity indicators, manifesting theisotropic character of the porosity. The inclusion of the WWRC analysis can give additional information whenassessing the impact of different management on soil hydraulic properties.