EFFECT OF WATER SALINITY ON INTER-RILL EROSION AND INFILTRATION - LABORATORY STUDY

The effect of water salinity on inter-rill erosion and infiltration rate was studied using six soils from South Africa. The soils were subjected to simulated rainstorms (22 . 3 J mm-1 m-2) using three water salinities (electrical conductivity) of 0 . 01, 0 . 7 and 2 . 5 dS m-1, respectively. The soils were divided into stable and unstable soils, depending on their susceptibility to erosion processes and seal formation. In general, infiltration rate increased and runoff and erosion decreased with increasing water salinity, for the unstable soils, while with the stable soils, water salinity had no effect, or even deleterious effects, on infiltration rate and erosion. A very high correlation was found between final infiltration rate and erosion for all the soils and water salinities.