Effect of straw-incorporation on soil infiltration characteristicsand soil water holding capacity

Soil infiltration process and soil water retention curve were determined for soils incorporated with wheat straws in different manners, i.e. comminuted, aminated or blended with inorganic soil amendment, and their effects on soil infiltration characteristics, soil water retention capacity were compared and analyzed. Results showed that long straw could decrease soil infiltration apparently. Straws comminuted and aminated were better than that of control and the comminuted straw at raising stable infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration, while its bulk density after 30 days of incubation was smaller by 7.13% than that of control. The inorganic soil amendment could considerably increase stable infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration. However, its effects on decreasing soil bulk density and raising the overall porosity were not greater than that of straw comminuted and aminated. The straw and inorganic soil amendment tended not to play a positive interaction when they were used together. The difference of the soil water holding capacity of all the treatments was indistinctively. However, the finely comminuted straw could keep higher water holding capacity