The Effect of Conservation Agriculture on Some Soil Water Properties Using a Dual Automatic Soil Infiltro-Moisturemeter Device

Abstract

Abstract The experiment was tried in the western region of Iraq and aims to study the effects of using conservation agriculture applications in the water properties of Gypsiferous - desert soil. The study area was divided into three blocks. In each block four treatments were randomly distributed: Tillage with Covering T.C Tillage without Covering T.NC No-Tillage with Covering NT.C and No-Tillage without Covering NT.NC. The experiment was designed by using a Randomize Completely Block Design (RCBD) by 2 tillage methods 2 mulching and 3 replicates so the sum was 12 experimental units. Units were planted in two agricultural seasons Barley crop in winter and Mung bean in summer season. There was a significant effect of the interaction between coverage and the measurement stage on the mean of cumulative infiltration as its value over 1 hour at the coverage treatment in the S2 stage (between the two seasons) reached 12.53 cm. The highest mean of cumulative infiltration in the NT.C was (8.43 cm) with a non-significant difference from the lowest average (5.94) in the T.NC. As for the average unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (Kns) it did not differ from the results of the cumulative infiltration in terms of being the highest and lowest treatment as the range is 1.46 cm. hr−1 at T.NC and 2.09 cm. hr−1 at NT.C the hydraulic conductivity rating for all treatments was (moderately high). The NT.C treatment also gave the highest mean long-term cumulative infiltration and infiltration rate with greater uniformity of moisture distribution between the soil layers.