Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Abdelmonem M. AMER Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Soil and Water Science Author-Name: Kamal H. AMER Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt Title: Surface irrigation management in relation to water infiltration and distribution in soils Abstract: Water infiltration and storage under surface irrigation are evaluated, based on the initial soil water content and inflow rate as well as on the irrigation parameters and efficiencies. For that purpose, a field experiment was conducted using fruitful grape grown in alluvial clay soil at Shebin El-Kom in 2008 grape season. To evaluate the water storage and distribution under partially wetted furrow irrigation in comparison to the traditional border irrigation as a control method, two irrigation treatments were applied. They are known as wet (WT) and dry (DT) treatments, at which water was applied when the available soil water (ASW) reached 65% and 50%, respectively. The coefficient of variation (CV) was 6.2 and 10.2% for WT and DT respectively under the furrow irrigation system as compared to 8.5% in border. Water was deeply percolated as 11.9 and 18.9% for wet and dry furrow treatments respectively, as compared with 11.1% for control with no deficit. The application efficiency achieved was 86.2% for wet furrow irrigation achieving a high grape yield (30.7 t/ha). The relation between the infiltration (cumulative depth, Z and rate, I) and opportunity time (t0) in minutes for WT and DT treatments was: ZWT = 0.528 t00.6, ZDT = 1.2 t00.501, IWT = 19 t0-0.4, IDT = 36 t0-0.498. Also, empirical power form equations were obtained for the measured advance and recession times along the furrow length during the irrigation stages of advance, storage, depletion, and recession. Keywords: grape yield, infiltration parameters, irrigation evaluation, linear distribution, soil water storage, surface irrigation (furrow/border), water use efficiency Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 75-87 Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/47/2009-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/47/2009-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-201003-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:5:y:2010:i:3:id:47-2009-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jana Podhrázská Author-Name: Jana Konečná Author-Name: Pavel Novák Title: The International Conference of the European Society for Soil Conservation (ESSC),Průhonice, the Czech Republic, June 22-25, 2009 Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 88-89 Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/36/2010-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/36/2010-SWR.html File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:5:y:2010:i:3:id:36-2010-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Ľubica Pospíšilová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Microbiology and Plant Nutrition, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: Naděžda Fasurová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Physical and Applied Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: Veronika Petrášová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Microbiology and Plant Nutrition, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Humus content and quality under different soil tillage systems Abstract: The main objective of our study was to compare the contents and quality of humic substances in selected soil types under different tillage regimes (deep, reduced, minimum). Non destructive spectroscopic methods such as UV-VIS and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy were applied. After three years of experiments, no statistically significant differences in the total carbon content, labile carbon content, and humic substances carbon content were found. Humic substances quality and the absorbance in UV-VIS spectral range was the highest in Haplic Chernozem (minimum tillage). Fluorescence intensity varied in dependence on the soil types, however, the same main fluorophores in all samples were detected. Fluorescence of humic substances was the highest in Haplic Chernozem (minimum tillage). The determination of HS spectroscopic characteristics was found as a sensitive indicator for HS quality assessment. Keywords: soil humic substances, tillage regimes, UV-VIS and SFS spectroscopy Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 90-95 Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/20/2009-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/20/2009-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-201003-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:5:y:2010:i:3:id:20-2009-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Lazar BIREESCU Author-Workplace-Name: Biological Research Institute Iasi, Romania Author-Name: Geanina BIREESCU Author-Workplace-Name: Biological Research Institute Iasi, Romania Author-Name: Cristinel CONSTANDACHE Author-Workplace-Name: Focsani Station, Forest Research and Management Institute, Focsani, Romania Author-Name: Michele Vincenzo SELLITTO Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italia Author-Name: Mihail DUMITRU Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Bucharest, Romania Author-Name: Iulia ANTON Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Bucharest, Romania Title: Ecopedological research for ecological rehabilitation of degraded lands from Eastern Romania Abstract: The assessment study of the global ecological impact tries to highlight the main factors and negative ecological determinants, due to a lack or excess, and it also focuses on highlighting the main negative ecological effects with the aim to rehabilitate and restore the ecological balance within degraded ecosystems. The methodology used in the assessment process was based on graphs, tables in the shape of Leopold matrix, considerably improved by authors. In order to assess qualitatively the negative ecological effects, a reliability scale with 3 indicators and 3 graduations was used, designed to underline the importance of the impact (minor, medium, and major), the quality of the impact (neutral, negative, and positive) and the certainty of the appearance of a negative impact (improbable, probable, and certain). Our research was accomplished in the pasture ecosystem degraded by pluvial erosion from the Tutova Hills, located in the Eastern part of Romania. This ecosystem is characterized through active geo-morphological processes in the depth and on the surface and it drew attention to the presence of 8 negative ecological factors grouped in 3 main categories: geo-climatic, pedological, and anthropogenic. 8 main negative effects were identified and quantified by means of 3 qualitative indicators with 3 graduation scales. The analysis of the current state of the effects of the complex ecological impact upon the degraded ecosystem ask for a series of urgent measures elaborated by scientists, researchers, and representatives of the local administration system. The aim of these measures is to improve the ecological balance and to eliminate the negative anthropogenic impact that augments and aggravates the action of the negative geo-climatic and pedological factors, in of with the protection of soil quality. Keywords: assessment of ecological impact, degraded soils, Eastern Romania, ecological remediation, impact matrix Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 96-101 Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/33/2009-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/33/2009-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-201003-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:5:y:2010:i:3:id:33-2009-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: György VÁRALLYAY Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry (RISSAC) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary Title: Role of soil multifunctionality in sustainable development Abstract: Each society wishes to create favourable living conditions for its members. Life quality criteria are formulated in different ways by various societies or individuals, depending on the given geographical and socio-economic conditions, living standards; national, ethnical, and religious traditions; history, policy; age, sex, educational level, position in the social hierarchy; etc. Sustainable development is a global objective that includes efficient multifunctional agriculture: using environment-friendly, energy- and material-saving technologies and paying special attention to quality; and a socially acceptable rural development, simultaneously. The given land resources have to be used and managed in harmony with the production and protection. Keywords: soil functions, soil resources, sustainable development Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 102-107 Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/37/2009-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/37/2009-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-201003-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:5:y:2010:i:3:id:37-2009-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Bořivoj ŠARAPATKA Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic Author-Name: Marek BEDNÁŘ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic Author-Name: Pavel NOVÁK Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Prague-Zbraslav, Czech Republic Title: Analysis of soil degradation in the Czech Republic: GIS approach Abstract: In our work, we have evaluated the available data on the individual types of soil damage, which has been processed in the Czech Republic in recent decades. The individual types of degradation (water erosion, wind erosion, soil compaction, extreme soils (clay soils), loss of organic matter, acidification, dryness impact, and intoxication) were classified in one of three groups: physical degradation, desertification and chemical degradation. Each type of degradation was assigned a specific weight reflecting the importance of this kind of soil degradation. The maps of individual areas of degradation were processed by overlay and assigning weighting techniques in ArcView Spatial Analyst GIS environment to create the final maps for each class of the degradation threat. The same technique was used to create the final map showing the most troubled areas in the Czech Republic, threatened by soil damage. Keywords: degradation, GIS, modelling, soil Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 108-112 Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/487-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/487-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-201003-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:5:y:2010:i:3:id:487-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Pavel NOVÁK Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jan VOPRAVIL Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jitka LAGOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Assessment of the soil quality as a complex of productive and environmental soil function potentials Abstract: Soil quality is a measure of the ability of soil to carry out particular ecological and plant productive functions. It reflects the combination of chemical, physical, and biological properties. Some of the soil properties are relatively more important than the others and unchangeable. Others can be significantly changed by human activity. Nowadays, three groups of soil functions are usually defined: soil utility function (productive function, infrastructure area, source of materials); functions of soil in the environment (non-productive functions such as: water infiltration and water retention, transport of matter, buffering and sanitary functions); soil cultural function (history of nature and humans). The cultural function is, from our point of view, different from the others. The complex assessment of the soil quality is the topic of this paper and includes both the productive and environmental functions. The productive function (productive potential) of Czech soils has been long studied and is ± known. It is expressed by means of a one-hundred-point scale in the Czech Land Evaluation System. Its point values depend on different soil and local characteristics together with the natural conditions and their influence on the plant production. A similar principle was used for the assessment of the non-productive soil functions. The importance of the individual soil characteristics is defined. The values of the environmental soil function potentials are determined from the common soil characteristics and are compared with the values of the soil productive potential. Total soil quality can be then expressed as the average or as the sum of the points for all individual functions. Some selected function can be preferred by increasing its value coefficient for a specific land use area (for example, an area for obtaining underground water). Three texturally different forms of Chernozem (middle textured, clayic, arenic) which correspond to the Main Soil Units of the Czech Land Evaluation System are given as an example of the assessment. The evaluation of the total soil quality would then involve not only the agricultural and locality determined financial values but also an assessment of all environmental functions of the soil. Keywords: ecological soil functions, points scale, soil characteristics, soil value assessment Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 113-119 Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/39/2009-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/39/2009-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-201003-0007.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:5:y:2010:i:3:id:39-2009-SWR