Seventeen soil profiles representing six soil types in the command area of northwestern Rajasthan were studied for their water retention characteristics. Infiltration studies were carried out in five soil types. An increase in tension from 0.01 to 0.1 MPa released 0.78; 0.66, 0.62, 0.52, 0.56 and 0.48 water (m3 m−3) in alluvial sierozem, desert plain, intradunal, salt affected, gypsiferrous and flood plain soils, respectively. The available water capacity of respective soil was found 0.166. 0.061, 0.093. 0.154, 0.121 and 0.190 m3 m−3. Flood plain soil released considerable soil water even at high tensions. The cumulative infiltrations after three hours were 0.033, 0.077, 0.348, 0.361 and 0.440 m in flood plain alluvial sierozem, salt affected, inter dunal and desert plain soils, respectively. The functional relationship i = at∞ for cumulative infiltration wasfound bestfit.
Water retention, infiltration characteristics, command area, north-western Rajasthan
