Spatial Analysis of Infiltration Experiment

Developing correlations between various soil parameters are considered the major challenge to diminish time and cost associated with field measurements. Soil hydraulic and physical properties were extensively characterized using tension disc infiltrometer and soil sampling in a silty clay agricultural field in Kalaat El-Andalous, Tunisia. Tension disc infiltrometer experiments were conducted at 109 plots with two supply water potentials (-30,-60 mm) at each plot to determine the hydraulic conductivity, sorptivity, capillary length, and matric flux potential. In addition, soil samples were analyzed to determine the soil bulk density, and water content. From the statistical and spatial analysis for the different parameters, it was found that the soil hydraulic parameters had larger variability than bulk density. Sorptivity, capillary length, matric flux potential, and bulk density had lager variance with the distance between the plots. No correlation was found between bulk density and the soil hydraulic parameters, nor could the soil hydraulic parameters be correlated to each other.