Water repellency of sandy soil as a function of hydrophobic concentration

Abstract

Soil water repellency has been reported worldwide being most extremes cases observed in sandy soils. Soil  water repellency is accepted to be caused by recovering  of soil particles by hydrophobic compounds originated  from plant decomposition. This work aimed to evaluate  the influence of concentration of hydrophobic extracts  from a forest soil under Pinus taeda on water repellency  of sandy soil with different organic matter  content. Hydrophobic compounds were extracted from a  everely hydrophobic Lithosol, using chloroform:acetone, followed by isopropanol:ammonia. The water drops penetration time test (WDPT) was applied in dried samples under four temperatures, seven treatments (sand with 0%; 3%; 6.5%; 6.5% + 10% of humic acid (AH); 6,5% + 30% of AH; 6.5% + 50% of AH; and 10% of charcoal as organic matter), and three levels of hydrophobic extract. The extracted material induced hydrophobicity in all treatments, in variable intensity, but lower than those found in the original Lithosol. Treatments with extract level 1 (2.88 g kg^-1) presented the highest times of water repellency.