Abstract
The Kostiakov, modified Kostiakov (A), modified Kostiakov (B), Philip, modified Philip (A) and modified Philip (B) infiltration models were tested for their ability to describe water infiltration into highly permeable sandy soils from the Nsukka plains of SE Nigeria. Infiltration data were obtained on field plots with the following management systems: tilled-mulched, tilled-unmulched, untilled-mulched, untilled-unmulched and continous pasture. On all treatments, the cumulative infiltration values predicted by the classical Kostiakov, Philip and modified Philip (A) models deviated most from the experimental data. The other models produced values that agreed very well with the measured data. Considering the ease of determining the fitting parameters it is proposed that on soils with high infiltration rates, either the modified Kostiakov model (I = Kta + Ict) or modified Philip model (), (where I is cumulative infiltration, K is the time coefficient, t is the time elapsed, a is the time exponent, Ic is the steady infiltration rate and S is the soil water sorptivity), be used for routine characterisation of the infiltration process.
Soil and Tillage Research 06/1995; 34(3):199-205. DOI:10.1016/0167-1987(95)00463-3