ANTECEDENT WATER-CONTENT AND RAINFALL ENERGY INFLUENCE ON SOIL AGGREGATE BREAKDOWN

Stability of soil aggregates under rainfall plays an important role in determining the magnitude of soil loss from cultivated fields. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of soil water condition, aggregate size, and rainfall intensity and duration on aggregate breakdown. Five soils ranging in texture from sandy loam to clay were studied. Results of this study indicate that an increase in initial water condition increases the resistance of an aggregate to the forces of raindrops and flowing water, thereby lessening particle detachment (if other hydraulic variables are held constant). -from Authors