Infiltration of water into soil is controlled by a complex set of soil and biotic factors, and may be an important factor affecting the fate of water and agrochemicals under different tillage systems. This study was conducted to assess the spatial and temporal variation of ponded infiltration as affected by plow- (PT) and conservation-tillage (CT) corn (Zea mays L.) systems under different plant and row location conditions. Ponded-infiltration rates were measured on eight dates from 3 June to 7 November. Saturated hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity, Kₛ and S, were estimated by fitting a mechanistic infiltration model to the data. Subsequently, a third parameter, the cumulative 1-h infiltration, I₁, was calculated from the model using the derived Kₛ and S values. All three infiltration parameters were used to assess treatment and sampling-position effects on infiltration. Frequency distributions for Kₛ, S, and I₁ were highly skewed with quasi-log-normal distribution. Temporal variation gave rise to a strong seasonal impact on infiltration, resulting in I₁ values under CT that were significantly greater than those under PT from June through August. An abrupt change in Kₛ occurred by early October, resulting in PT and CT then having similar infiltration characteristics.
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