Effects of Combined Application of Water Retaining Agents and Organic Materials on Water Holding Characteristics of Yellow Brown Soils in Hilly Areas

[Objective] The aim was to reduce fertilizer and water losses caused by surface runoffs in rainy season and provide scientific references for soil moisture in arid season. [Method] The application proportion of complex water-holding organic materials was determined by multi-factor mixture experiment and the curve changes of soil moisture characters were tested to analyze water-holding capacity and water availability of soils. [Result] The initial moisture content of soil with different mixture proportions improved in varying degrees. For example, when water-retention agents reached 0.4% and 0.6% of soil weight, soil moisture contents were 69.0% and70.5%, respectively, which showed significant differences with the control（S0.0）. Soil dehydration terms in different treatments all extended, prolonging in the range of4.6-14 d. [Conclusion] The applications of water-retention agent and organic material would improve water-holding capacity of hills and low mountains, and initial moisture content and dehydration cycle tend to be volatile upon mixture proportion. Therefore,it is necessary to adjust soil fertility, crop species, and irrigation to meet crop demands on fertilizer and water.

Potential Role of Feldspathic Sandstone as a Natural Water Retaining Agent in Mu Us Sandy Land,Northwest China

This paper analyzed the water-retention mechanism of feldspathic sandstone （fine-（〈 1 mm diam.） and gravel-sized （2-3 cm diam.） in Mu Us Sandy Land, Northwest China. The objective of this study is to study the effect of feldspathic sandstone amendment on water retention in sandy land. The results showed that as the proportion of fine feldspathic sandstone in the sandy land soil increased, the soil texture changed from sand to silt loam, the capillary po- rosity gradually increased from 26.3% to 44.9%, and the soil saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased from 7.10 ram/rain to 0.07 mm/min. Feldspathic sandstone gravel formed micro-reservoirs in the sandy land soil, playing the role of a ＇water absorbent＇ and ＇water retaining agent＇ in sandy land. Amendment with feldspathic sandstone can increase water retention in the arable layer of sandy land by 67%. This study provides a theoretical basis for the amelioration of sandy land on a large scale. It can be concluded that amendment with feldspathic sandstone can improve the physical properties of sandy land soil and increase soil water retention.