Hydrodynamic characterization of a alluvial flow plain soil of Cajueiro in Tuparetama, Pernambuco State, Brazil - instantaneous profile method

The knowledge of the hydraulic properties of soil K(Θ) and h(Θ) is required to better management of water transfers in the soils. Determining these properties is highly important in solving problems related to irrigation and drainage, and the transport of nutrients and salts. The experiment was carried out in an alluvial flow plain soil of Cajueiro Dam in Tuparetama, PE. By applying the Instantaneous Profile Method, it was possible to evaluate the hydraulic conductivity of the soil. A parcel of 3.5 m x 3.5 m was delimited for the experiment of internal drainage, and instrumented with an access tube for the neutron probe (water content measurement) and ten tensiometers (measurement of water potential in the soil). The soil profile of Cajueiro Dam is classified as varying from loamy sand (0-80 cm) to sandy (80-100 cm). As to its retention curves h(Θ) and hydraulic conductivity K(Θ), it is classified according to three horizons (0-20 cm), (30-50 cm) and (60-100 cm). In addition, the determination of the hydraulic properties K(Θ) and h(Θ) of the soil gives subsidies for a more efficient handling of this flood plain starting from simulations of soil water transfer processes in the horizons under study. (author)