The influence of the soil physical properties on the infiltration rates in the salt affected soils in Makindu, Makueni District, Kenya
2000
Omulabi, J.E(University of Nairobi, Department of Soil Science, Nairobi, Kenya) | Kinyali, S.M(University of Nairobi, Department of Soil Science, Nairobi, Kenya) | Tirop, S.K.(University of Nairobi, Department of Soil Science, Nairobi, Kenya)
The influence of the soil physical properties on the infiltration rates in the salt affected soils in Makindu, Makueni District was investigated. Three different kinds of farms adjacent to one another are studied in Muhindi farm (Makindu). These were selected to represent three different kinds of treatments. These were (i) virgin land (ii) land under production, being irrigated and (iii) land completely abandoned due to salinity. The physical properties studied were saturated hydraulic conductivity (ver¬tical Ksat), bulk density, texture (sand, clay and silt), organic carbon and antecedent moisture. These were determined in the laboratory using standard procedures. Infiltration rates were done in the three dif¬ferent arms (treatments) in triplicates. This was done using a double cylinder inflitrometer. Infiltration rates varied significantly between the three treatments. It was high¬est in the virgin land and lowest in the completely abandoned farm. Relationships were then drawn between infiltration rates and the above selected physical parame¬ters. Vertical Ksat, organic carbon, bulk density and sand fraction correlated posi¬tively with infiltration rates although not significant.
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