Show simple item record

dc.contributor.authorTuohy, P.
dc.contributor.authorHumphreys, J.
dc.contributor.authorHolden, N.M.
dc.contributor.authorO’Loughlin, J.
dc.contributor.authorReidy, B.
dc.contributor.authorFenton, O.
dc.date.accessioned2018-09-20T16:27:11Z
dc.date.available2018-09-20T16:27:11Z
dc.date.issued2016-01-01
dc.identifier.citationTuohy, P. Humphreys, J.; Holden, N.M.; O’Loughlin, J.; Reidy, B.; Fenton, O. (2016). Visual drainage assessment: a standardised visual soil assessment method for use in land drainage design in ireland. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 55 (1), 24-35
dc.identifier.issn2009-9029
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10379/14222
dc.description.abstractThe implementation of site-specific land drainage system designs is usually disregarded by landowners in favour of locally established 'standard practice' land drainage designs. This is due to a number of factors such as a limited understanding of soil-water interactions, lack of facilities for the measurement of soil's physical or hydrological parameters and perceived time wastage and high costs. Hence there is a need for a site-specific drainage system design methodology that does not rely on inaccessible, time-consuming and/or expensive measurements of soil physical or hydrological properties. This requires a standardised process for deciphering the drainage characteristics of a given soil in the field. As an initial step, a new visual soil assessment method, referred to as visual drainage assessment (VDA), is presented whereby an approximation of the permeability of specific soil horizons is made using seven indicators (water seepage, pan layers, texture, porosity, consistence, stone content and root development) to provide a basis for the design of a site-specific drainage system. Across six poorly drained sites (1.3 ha to 2.6 ha in size) in south-west Ireland a VDA-based design was compared with (i) an ideal design (utilising soil physical measurements to elucidate soil hydraulic parameters) and (ii) a standard design (0.8 m deep drains at a 15 m spacing) by model estimate of water table control and rainfall recharge/drain discharge capacity. The VDA method, unlike standard design equivalents, provided a good approximation of an ideal (from measured hydrological properties) design and prescribed an equivalent land drainage system in the field. Mean modelled rainfall recharge/drain discharge capacity for the VDA (13.3 mm/day) and ideal (12.0 mm/day) designs were significantly higher (P < 0.001, s.e. 1.42 mm/day) than for the standard designs (0.5 mm/day), when assuming a design minimum water table depth of 0.45 m.
dc.publisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH
dc.relation.ispartofIrish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ie/
dc.subjectdesign
dc.subjectland drainage
dc.subjectsite-specific
dc.subjectvisual soil assessment
dc.subjectgravel mole drainage
dc.subjecthydraulic conductivity
dc.subjectagricultural drainage
dc.subjectfield
dc.titleVisual drainage assessment: a standardised visual soil assessment method for use in land drainage design in ireland
dc.typeArticle
dc.identifier.doi10.1515/ijafr-2016-0003
dc.local.publishedsourcehttp://www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/j/ijafr.2016.55.issue-1/ijafr-2016-0003/ijafr-2016-0003.xml
nui.item.downloads0


Files in this item

Thumbnail

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland