Sorptivity of Some Soils in Relation to their Physicochemical Properties

Sorptivity was determined for twelve soils, viz. Aquic Haplustalf, Aquic Ustifluvent, Typic Plinthustalf, Aquic Ustochrept I, Typic Ustipsamment, Aquic Ustochrept II, Typic Ustochrept, Vertic Ustochrept, Aeric Haplaquept, Ultic Haplustalf, Udic Haplustalf and Typic Haplustalf, occurring in Orissa. The study was carried out in laboratory at room temperature in plexiglass columns of 0.35 m length and 0.036 m diameter. Cumulative infiltration in the soils was found to be proportional to the square root of time. The highest sorptivity of 9.631 mm min^−½ was observed in Ultic Haplustalf followed by 7.542 mm min^−½ in Typic Ustipsamment and 6.589 mm min^−½ in Typic Haplustalf. Sorptivity of 0.830, 1.866 and 2.018 mm min^−½ was observed in Typic Ustochrept, Vertic Ustochrept and Aquic Ustochrept I, respectively. In the remaining soil groups, it varied from 3.030 to 4.713 mm min^−½. The sorptivity during infiltration decreased exponentially with clay, pH, EC, porosity and effective porosity.