Effect of soil structure on soil water status

Although the need for research into soil structural features responsible for water loss from soil is recognised, the research has been hampered by the lack of suitable techniques for measuring in situ soil macrostructure. Therefore, in a field experiment, structural parameters obtained from eight differently tilled (loam) soils in winter and spring were correlated with gravimetric soil water content (at 5 and 10-cm depths) and evaporative water loss during daylight hours. Percentage of voids and aggregates of different sizes, mean aggregate size, mean void size and macroporosity percentage were all calculated from structural data obtained from sectioned blocks of soil that were impregnated with paraffin wax in the field.Significant negative correlations were observed between soil water content, and percentage of 4–8 and 8–16-nm voids, mean aggregate size and macroporosity percentage, especially in winter when there are long periods without precipitation. However, inverse relationships were detected between evaporative water loss during daylight hours on selected days and mean aggregate size, mean void size and macroporosity percentage. But evaporative water loss during daylight hours apparently did not influence water content of bare soil with coarse structure at the surface.