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Use of soil and climatic data to predict hydraulic loading behaviour of Irish soils
Author(s) -
Gardiner M. J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
soil use and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.709
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1475-2743
pISSN - 0266-0032
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-2743.1986.tb00699.x
Subject(s) - soil water , environmental science , water content , hydrology (agriculture) , effluent , moisture , soil science , geology , geography , environmental engineering , geotechnical engineering , meteorology
. The purpose of this study was to try to estimate from soil and climate data both absolute and temporal individual soil hydraulic loading limits under Irish conditions. The two concepts cumulative soil moisture deficit (CSMD) and winter rain acceptance potential were used. Cumulative soil moisture deficit (1956–75) ranged from 116 mm in the southeast to 2 mm in the northwest. Four regions were delineated with mean cumulative maximum deficits (mm) of 105.3, 57.7, 20.0, and 2.0 respectively. Consequently, except for Region 4, hydraulic overloading is unlikely to occur under normal farm practices during soil moisture deficit period. Soil moisture deficit was present in Region 1 from early April through October, in Region 2 from early May through September, in Region 3 from early May through August and in Region 4, only in July. The concept of winter rain acceptance potential (WRAP) has been used to assess the possibilities for farm effluent disposal outside of the SMD period. Some 49% of Irish soils have a very high to moderate WRAP, 36% have a low to very low WRAP. These latter categories are likely to exhibit problems if effluents are applied outside of the SMD period. Regional farm slurry storage duration requirements have been estimated from SMD and WRAP data. These are 11.3, 14.0, 16.7 and 20.0 weeks respectively for regions 1, 2, 3 and 4.