Development of methodology to obtain soil hydraulic properties assisted by evaporation experiment in laboratory

• Grant number: 20/00145-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: June 01, 2020
• End date: February 28, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Quirijn de Jong van Lier
• Grantee: Leonardo Inforsato
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 21/10520-8 - Uncertainty assessment of soil hydraulic parameterization by inverse modelling of evaporation experiments, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The determination of the hydraulic properties of the soil lacks a method that is fast with accuracy and precision. In the absence of a reference as the standard method for measurements of matrix potential curves and hydraulic conductivity, the indirect methods present good academic and market acceptance. The computational advances and the optimization strategies make possible the improvements in the fitting processes of the hydraulic parameters by Evaporation Methods (EM). The objective of the project is to test and compare different measurement principles in EM and static methods, such as Hyprop, pressure chambers and tension table, attenuation of gamma radiation and psychrometer; showing their limits and uncertainties. A new method will be proposed for the estimation of initial parameters for inverse modeling, making use of soil texture. It is also the goal of the project to analyze the improvements obtained by combining different methods and principles. It will be carried out the analysis of the propagation of the errors and uncertainties of the parameters by stochastic process. The stochastic process will make use of the SWAP eco-hydrological model, considering the sensitivity to macroscale indicators, such as evaporation, drainage rate and field capacity. At the end, it is expected to obtain consolidated methods evidencing the main positive and negative characteristics of each one and the characteristics of the combinations between them. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

INFORSATO, LEONARDO; VAN LIER, QUIRIJN DE JONG. Polynomial functions to predict flux-based field capacity from soil hydraulic parameters. Geoderma, v. 404, DEC 15 2021. (20/00145-2, 18/20902-2)

INFORSATO, LEONARDO; IDEN, SASCHA; DURNER, WOLFGANG; PETERS, ANDRE; VAN LIER, QUIRIJN DE JONG. Improved calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity with the simplified evaporation method. VADOSE ZONE JOURNAL, v. 22, n. 5, p. 9-pg., 2023-07-25. (18/20902-2, 20/00145-2, 21/10520-8)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

INFORSATO, Leonardo. An improved methodology for obtaining soil hydraulic properties by laboratory evaporation experiments. 2023. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/STB) Piracicaba.