Open AccessSimultaneous determination of wettability and shrinkage in an organic residue amended loamy topsoil
Author(s) -
Steffen BeckBroichsitter,
Saskia M. van Ruth,
Richard Schröder,
Heiner Fleige,
Horst H. Gerke,
Rainer Horn
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
vodohospodársky časopis/journal of hydrology and hydromechanics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.784
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1338-4333
pISSN - 0042-790X
DOI - 10.2478/johh-2020-0007
Subject(s) - loam , compost , topsoil , agronomy , sugar beet , shrinkage , water content , environmental science , moisture , crop residue , soil water , sewage sludge , trampling , chemistry , soil science , sewage , environmental engineering , agriculture , materials science , ecology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , composite material , biology , engineering , grazing
In agricultural land use, organic residues such as compost, digestate, and sewage sludge are discussed as costeffective soil conditioner that may improve the water holding capacity and crop available soil moisture. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of application of digestates with different compositions in maize, sugar beet and winter wheat, compost of shrub debris and sewage sludge on shrinkage behaviour and contact angle of till-derived loamy topsoil of a Haplic Luvisol under agricultural use. Novelty is the simultaneous determination of contact angle and shrinkage of soils amended with digestates composed of different composition in maize, sugar beet and winter wheat, compost of shrub debris and sewage sludge. The results suggest that the application of organic residues impacts the air capacity, while the contact angles remained in the subcritical range between > 0° and < 90°. The relationship between CA values and moisture ratios, ϑ, during proportional shrinkage was positive and linear (r 2 of 0.98) and negative during residual- and zero-shrinkage (r 2 of 0.93).