Determining percolation losses of packed clay soil from tensiometer data

The measurement or prediction of percolation losses in field situations is of great practical significance for efficient irrigation and for determination of the leaching requirement, particularly of clayey soils where impeded percolation occurs. Hydraulic properties and water losses in packed Ashutia clay soil were determined under prevented-evaporation and free-evaporation conditions using lysimeter and tensiometric techniques. Hydraulic conductivity was determined as a function of soil moisture content using percolation flux computed. An exponential relationship between hydraulic conductivity and soil water content K = ae^bθ, was found. The percolation and evaporation-plus-percolation fluxes estimated from tensiometer readings under prevented-and free-evaporation conditions, respectively, matched with profile water losses from lysimeter measurements. The error ranged between 0.01 and 0.82 mm day⁻¹ with high correlation coefficient indicating that water loss from a soil profile can be estimated from tensiometer readings.