Using polyacrylamide with sprinkler irrigation to improve infiltration

Utilizando poliacrilamido con irrigación por aspersión para mejorar la infiltración

Bjorneberg, D.L. and Santos, F.L. and Castanheira, N.S. and Martins, O.C. and Reis, J.L. and Aase, J.K. and Sojka, R.E. (2003) Using polyacrylamide with sprinkler irrigation to improve infiltration. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 58(5):283-289.

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Abstract

Center-pivot irrigation systems often apply water at rates greater than the soil
infiltration rate. Applying high molecular weight, water-soluble, anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) to
the soil can improve infiltration and reduce soil erosion The objective of this study was to
determine whether single and multiple PAM applications with sprinkler irrigation improved
infiltration under field conditions. A two-year study conducted near Kimberly, Idaho, used a
solid-set sprinkler system, and a one-year study conducted in Monte dos Alhos near Alvalade do
Sado, Portugal, used a center pivot. At Kimberly, applying PAM with four irrigations (total
applied PAM was 2.1 kg ha-1 in 2000 and 3.0 kg ha-1 in 2001) significantly reduced total measured
runoff, from 5.9 mm (2000) and 9.2 mm (2001) for the control to 2.0 and 2.1 mm. Total measured
soil erosion was also reduced from 52 and 34 kg ha 1 for the control to 21 and 5 kg ha 1 for the
multiple PAM treatment. Applying similar or greater amounts of PAM with a single irrigation
reduced erosion, but not runoff, compared with the control. In the Monte dos Alhos study, runoff
was reduced by applying a total of 0.3 kg PAM ha 1 with a single irrigation (43 mm runoff) or
three irrigations (65 mm runoff) compared with the control (111 mm runoff). Measured soil
erosion was not significantly different among treatments. Applying PAM with multiple irrigations
extended its effectiveness as long as the application rate was great enough to adequately
stabilize the soil surface during the first irrigation.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	1116
Subjects:	Irrigation > Furrow irrigation > Infiltration > Polyacrylamide Irrigation > Sprinkler irrigation > Infiltration Polyacrylamide (PAM) > Water-soluble PAM (WSPAM) > Infiltration management Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Users 6 not found.
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:50
Last Modified:	07 Nov 2016 16:59
Item ID:	172
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/172