Cheese whey effects on surface soil hydraulic properties

Lehrsch, G.A. and Robbins, C.W. (1996) Cheese whey effects on surface soil hydraulic properties. Soil Use and Management. 12:205-208.

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Abstract

Whey, the liquid byproduct of cheese production, can improve the physical condition of sodic soils
or those susceptible to erosion by increasing their aggregate stability. The effects of whey on soil hydraulic properties,
however, are not known. In this experiment, we used tension infiltrometers to determine whey effects on
infiltration rates of water (at suctions s 30 mm of water) and unsaturated hydraulic conductivities of Ap horizons
of a Portneuf silt loam (coarse-silts mixed, mesic Durixerollic Calciorthid) after a winter wheat crop. In the
summer of 1993 near Kimberly, ID, USA, liquid whey was flood-applied at either 0, 200, 400, or 800 t/ha to plots
planted to wheat the previous September. At suctions of 60 and 150 mm, infiltration rates decreased linearly by
about 0.7 µtm/s with each additional 100 t/ha of whey applied. As whey applications increased, hydraulic conductivities
at 60 mm suction increased slightly but as applications exceeded 400 t/ha decreased significantly. We
concluded that summer whey applications up to 400 t/ha would not adversely affect surface hydraulic properties.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	0923
Subjects:	Soil > Amendments > Whey Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Users 6 not found.
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:54
Last Modified:	22 Nov 2016 22:13
Item ID:	672
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/672