A MODEL FOR PREDICTING THE REDISTRIBUTION OF SALTS APPLIED TO FALLOW SOILS AFTER EXCESS RAINFALL OR EVAPORATION

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Abstract
Summary: A model is described for predicting the movement of soluble unadsorbed anions (such as nitrate or chloride) in fallow freely drained soil under field conditions. The model includes routines for estimating both the downward leaching of salts (after excess rainfall or irrigation) and the capillary movement of anions to the soil surface (after evaporation). The profile is divided into layers each of which is characterized by a maximum and minimum water content (the field capacity and evaporation limit respectively). Daily amounts of rainfall and evaporation are applied to the surface and the redistribution of water and salts is calculated (on a layer‐to‐layer basis) from the initial water and salt contents of each layer by adding or subtracting water to or from the moisture content until the stated maximum or minimum value is reached. Salt transfer is calculated from the amount af water movement on a proportional basis. The predictions of the model have been tested using field data for the redistribution of nitrate and chloride in a sandy loam soil. Good agreement was obtained for chloride, but the results for nitrate showed some deviations probably due to the effects of denitrification.