ABSTRACT Stony soils have been increasingly used for agriculture production; however, little is known about their hydraulic properties due to problems, such as sample deformation and hydraulic continuity between samples and suction devices when the sampling and measurements are accomplished with traditional techniques. In this study, the traditional ring sampling technique was replaced by the sampling of undisturbed soil blocks coated with paraffin wax to preserve their structure. A saturated paste of fine-grained mineral particles was used to ensure contact and hydraulic continuity between samples and suction devices (sand table and ceramic plates). This allowed us to determine 30 water retention curves for three stony soils with coarse particle contents (> 2 mm) ranging from zero to 69 %. The van Genuchten model was fitted to the measured retention data and the root mean square errors were between 0.0034 and 0.0331 m3 m–3, with no outliers or odd behavior in the retention curves. These results showed that consistent water retention curves for stony soils can be determined with the technique proposed. Fine-grained minerals sandwiched between the surface of suctions sources and sampled blocks improve hydraulic continuity between them. These techniques can be applied to determine water retention properties in structured soil samples with coarse particles where it is unfeasible to collect structured soil samples with metal sampling rings. production however problems study structure finegrained fine grained sand plates. plates . plates) 3 > ( mm 6 % 00034 0 0034 0.003 00331 0331 0.033 m m–3 proposed Finegrained Fine them rings 0003 003 0.00 0033 033 0.03 m– 000 00 0.0 03 0.

ABSTRACT The steady infiltration rate of soil profiles is commonly determined for irrigation and soil conservation planning, but the divergence of methods reduces the reliability of measurements. In this study, the steady infiltration rate measured with a double ring infiltrometer (isr-dri) in different layers of a soil profile was compared between layers and with the steady vertical saturated flow rate estimated by the Richards equation (isr-hy). The measurements of isr-dri at the top of the A, E, and Bt horizons were compared to each other and also compared with the isr-hy to detect the occurrence of lateral flow in double ring infiltrometer measurements. The isr-dri in the A horizon (236 mm h-1) was around 10 times higher than in the Bt horizon (20 mm h-1), which implies in a lateral flow of almost 90 % in the surface horizon. The occurrence of lateral flow in double ring infiltrometer measurements was also shown by comparing isr-dri with the vertical saturated flow rate estimated with the Richards equation, isr-hy. The main conclusion is that isr-dri measured at the soil surface overestimates the steady infiltration rate of soil profiles when underlying horizons are less permeable and more restrictive to water flow. In these cases, the use of an effective saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil profile would imply inaccurate planning of drainage, irrigation, and soil conservation designs.

ABSTRACT Soil water retention is among the soil hydraulic properties most routinely measured in studies of soil physics and related areas. This property is used in dynamic simulations of vadose zone processes such as soil water availability, surface boundary processes of evaporation and infiltration, and the fate of soil pollutants. The most common measurement technique consists in establishing a hydrostatic equilibrium between an initially saturated soil sample and a porous medium at a certain tension on a tension table or pressure plate. However, there is reasonable doubt about the assumed hydrostatic equilibrium, especially in the dry range at low pressure heads. In this study we compared the traditional pressure plate apparatus protocol to an inverse parameter estimation protocol based on a transient evaporation experiment. Independent pressure head measurements using a dewpoint device were also performed. We sampled a variety of soil textures typical of the Brazilian subtropical humid zones, aiming to show differences between textures in their subjection to hydraulic nonequilibrium. The performed experiments allow to conclude that the two compared protocols showed real pressure heads in samples on a pressure plate to be less negative than the assumed ones, leading to an overestimation of the soil water content in the dry range at low pressure heads, especially in fine-textured soil samples. This affects the reliability of most soil hydraulic databases, derived PTFs in the dry range, as well as the wilting point estimation. Water availability predictions based on total and readily available water are more sensitive to the water retention measurement method when the chosen lower limits of available water are closer to the wilting point. In this sense, irrigation timing criteria based on readily available water should be preferred over total available water, especially for fine-textured soils. Finally, given the low reliability of the pressure plate apparatus for low pressure heads, possibly biasing hydrological simulations and their interpretation, alternative measurement methods for the drier part of the soil water retention curve should be preferred, e.g., the proposed inverse modeling of evaporation experiments.

ABSTRACT The soil water retention curve (SWRC) is essential for vadose zone hydrological modeling and related applications. In 2004, Groenevelt and Grant (GRT) presented a mathematical model for describing the SWRC and reported its mathematical versatility and good fit to soils from a Dutch database. In order to evaluate the application of GRT to SWRCs of Brazilian soils, we aimed to analyze the performance of GRT for 72 soils from Brazil. Besides that, the obtained results with GRT for these soils were compared to the fitting performance of the most frequently used models: Brooks and Corey (BC) and van Genuchten-Mualem (VGM). The three models were fitted to available soil water retention data by minimizing the sum of square errors. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) were used to assess the goodness-of-fit. Results showed high correlation coefficients (r≥0.95) and small values of RMSE (RMSE ≤0.03 cm3 cm-3) for all fits. The goodness-of-fit was of similar performance for the three models with a positively correlation between them. The major difference in shape among GRT, BC, and VGM occurred in the near saturated range, while they were almost identical for low matric potentials. The exponent of GRT showed to be highly correlated with exponents of BC and VGM, but the correlation between the other shape parameters is not well defined, making a direct conversion still difficult.

ABSTRACT Among the equations available to describe the relation between matric potential and soil water content, the soil water retention function, the most commonly used is the equation proposed by Van Genuchten in his 1980 landmark paper. In soil physics literature, especially in Brazil, several authors relate the inverse of the Van Genuchten parameter α to the air-entry pressure. This study aimed to show this common interpretation to be erroneous, as 1/α corresponds to water contents lower than saturation. The deviation depends on the m parameter. In fact, α is merely a scaling parameter relative to the matric potential axis. Recognizing this mathematical fact may improve the interpretation of soil hydraulic properties based on water retention parameters.

RESUMO: À medida que uma amostra de solo sofre deformação linear (h), a variação do índice de vazios em relação à deformação (dε/dh) e da respectiva variação da densidade do solo (dρ/dh) são coincidentes somente para um único valor de h. Decorrente disso, verifica-se experimentalmente que, para a mesma amostra de solo, há diferenças, tanto na pressão de preconsolidação (σp) como no índice de compressão (Ic), se forem determinados a partir das duas curvas de compressão, uma a base da ρ e outra a base do ε. A análise matemática, seguida da investigação experimental deste estudo, evidencia as causas e quantifica as diferenças na σp e no Ic, devido ao uso do ε ou ρ. A σp e o Ic foram calculados em 103 curvas de compressão de um Argissolo e em 193 de um Latossolo. A σp (kPa) com o uso da ρ (σpρ) foi maior que a σp com o uso do ε (σpε), e as diferenças dependeram menos do tipo de solo. As relações encontradas por regressão foram σpρ=0,8186 σpε+34,202 para o Argissolo e σpρ=0,8878 σpε+34,875 para o Latossolo. Diferentemente, o Ic foi afetado pela propriedade usada (ρ ou ε) para descrever a deformação e pelo tipo de solo. O Ic calculado com o uso da ρ foi maior que quando calculado com o uso do ε em quase todos os casos (96%) no Argissolo e raramente (em 12% dos casos) no Latossolo. Para uma ampla faixa de ρ, as evidências deste estudo indicam que o uso da ρ superestima a σp em relação ao uso do ε.

ABSTRACT: During linear deformation (h) in a soil sample, the variation of the void ratio with respect to deformation (dε/dh) and the respective variation of soil bulk density (dρ/dh) are identical only for a specific value of h. Consequently, if two compression curves are drawn for the same soil sample, one using ρ and the other using ε, there are differences in both the calculated precompression stress (σp) and compression index (Ic). In this study, we highlight the causes by a mathematical analysis and an experimental investigation, quantifying the differences in σp and Ic when using ε and ρ. σp and Ic were calculated for 103 compression curves of an ultisol and 193 of an oxisol. The σp (kPa) using ρ (σpρ) was greater than when using ε (σpε), and differences were rather independent of the soil type. The relations found by linear regression relating σpρ to σpε were σpρ=0.8186σpε+34.202 for the ultisol and σpρ=0.8878σpε+34.875 for the oxisol. In contrast, the used soil property (ρ or ε) as well as soil type affected Ic. Ic calculated using ρ was greater than when using ε in almost all (96%) of the cases for the ultisol, and in only 12% of the cases for the oxisol. For a wide range of ρ, evidence from this study indicated that the use of ρ overestimates σp when compared to the use of ε.

ABSTRACT Solute transport parameters can be determined in miscible displacement experiments, usually performed in columns with disturbed (sieved) soil samples. Experiments with undisturbed samples are uncommon, due to the difficulty of taking undisturbed samples at the size required for these experiments. Structural alteration of the disturbed material implies modifications in the pore geometry that determines hydraulic properties, including hydraulic conductivity and retention and properties related to miscible displacement. An existing model for prediction of breakthrough curves based on retention properties was tested using material from a medium-textured Ferralsol, and alterations caused by sample disturbance were investigated. Soil water retention curves and miscible displacement parameters were determined in breakthrough experiments with nitrate salts in columns filled with undisturbed and disturbed soil samples. Data obtained from the undisturbed samples showed a higher dispersion, suggesting homogenization of pore geometry and a reduction in the representative elementary volume by the disaggregation and sieving of the soil material. The transport parameters for nitrate determined in disturbed and undisturbed samples were significantly different and the model was able to simulate the observed breakthrough curves after fitting the pore connectivity parameter.

Em oposição a definições objetivas da física do solo, o termo subjetivo “qualidade física do solo” aparece com frequência cada vez maior em trabalhos publicados da área. Um suposto indicador de qualidade física do solo que recebe muita atenção, especialmente na literatura brasileira, é o Intervalo Hídrico Ótimo (IHO), definido por quatro teores-limite de água. Nesse texto, discutem-se seus quatro teores-limite à luz de propriedades físicas do solo determináveis objetivamente, apontando-se incoerências na definição e no cálculo do IHO. Discute-se a interpretação do IHO como indicador da produtividade das culturas ou da qualidade física do solo, demonstrando-se sua incapacidade de abranger condições de contorno fenológicas e pedológicas comuns. Demonstra-se, também, que as densidades críticas encontradas pelo IHO por método comumente empregado são questionáveis. Considerando a disponibilidade de modelos comprovadamente robustos para as áreas de agronomia, ecologia, hidrologia, meteorologia e outras conexas, a popularidade do IHO como indicador na física do solo brasileira não pode ser entendido pela sua eficácia, pois essa nunca foi comprovada, mas deve ser explicado pela simplicidade com que ele é tratado. A determinação dos respectivos teores-limite de forma simplificada, deixando o estudo ou a preocupação com o real funcionamento do sistema para o segundo plano, vai à contramão da construção científica e do entendimento sistêmico. Sugere-se um realinhamento da pesquisa em física do solo no Brasil com os preceitos da ciência, na direção da física do solo mecanística em detrimento da busca por correlações empíricas aquém do estado da arte em física do solo.

As opposed to objective definitions in soil physics, the subjective term “soil physical quality” is increasingly found in publications in the soil physics area. A supposed indicator of soil physical quality that has been the focus of attention, especially in the Brazilian literature, is the Least Limiting Water Range (RLL), translated in Portuguese as "Intervalo Hídrico Ótimo" or IHO. In this paper the four limiting water contents that define RLLare discussed in the light of objectively determinable soil physical properties, pointing to inconsistencies in the RLLdefinition and calculation. It also discusses the interpretation of RLL as an indicator of crop productivity or soil physical quality, showing its inability to consider common phenological and pedological boundary conditions. It is shown that so-called “critical densities” found by the RLL through a commonly applied calculation method are questionable. Considering the availability of robust models for agronomy, ecology, hydrology, meteorology and other related areas, the attractiveness of RLL as an indicator to Brazilian soil physicists is not related to its (never proven) effectiveness, but rather to the simplicity with which it is dealt. Determining the respective limiting contents in a simplified manner, relegating the study or concern on the actual functioning of the system to a lower priority, goes against scientific construction and systemic understanding. This study suggests a realignment of the research in soil physics in Brazil with scientific precepts, towards mechanistic soil physics, to replace the currently predominant search for empirical correlations below the state of the art of soil physics.

A compactação do solo é uma consequência indesejável do uso agrícola do solo, sobretudo em sistemas de cultivo com mínimo revolvimento do solo, como é o caso do plantio direto (PD). Contudo, a compactação que o tráfego de máquinas causa no solo sob PD não inviabiliza a produção das culturas, indicando que mecanismos intrínsecos a ele promovem reversão da compactação. Neste estudo, avaliou-se a influência de ciclos de contração e expansão sobre a densidade do solo (ρ) de um Latossolo Vermelho argiloso (0,57 kg kg-1 de argila e 0,12 kg kg-1 de areia) e a mudança temporal da ρ no campo. Amostras de solo foram compactadas no laboratório até atingirem ρ de 1464 kg m-3 e submetidas a cinco ciclos de contração (secagem ao ar) e expansão (saturação). Durante a contração, foi monitorado o conteúdo gravimétrico de água e a ρ. A ρ foi medida também no campo, nos anos de 2010, 2011 e 2013. O decréscimo do conteúdo de água nas amostras provocou aumento da ρ conforme uma função sigmoide com duas assíntotas, e o aumento da ρ foi expressivo em conteúdos de água menores que o do ponto de murcha permanente (1,5 MPa). Embora tenha havido aumento da ρ durante a contração, os sucessivos eventos de contração e expansão reduziram gradativamente a ρ de 1713 para 1570 kg m-3 (final da contração), e de 1464 para 1385 kg m-3 (próximo à saturação). Em solo compactado no campo também foi verificado a variação decrescente de ρ (de 1406 para 1327 kg m-3) a uma taxa de -26 kg m-3 ano-1. Concluiu-se que a diminuição do grau de compactação no campo está ligada em grande parte ao mesmo mecanismo que diminuiu o grau de compactação das amostras no laboratório. Assim, no solo usado neste estudo, a contração e expansão conseguiram reverter grande parte da compactação que o tráfego de máquinas causa nele.

Soil compaction is an undesirable consequence of land use for crop production, especially under cultivation with minimum soil turnover as in the no-tillage system (NTS). However, the compaction caused by machine traffic on soils under NTS does not make crop production unviable, indicating that some intrinsic mechanisms promote the reversion of soil compaction. In this study, the influence of alternate contraction and expansion cycles was evaluated with regard to the bulk density (ρ) of a Latossolo Vermelho argiloso (clayey Oxisol) (0.57 kg kg-1 clay, and 0.12 kg kg-1 sand) and the temporal change in ρ in the field. Soil samples were compacted in the laboratory to reach a ρ of 1,464 kg m-3 and subjected to five cycles of contraction (air drying) and expansion (saturation). During the contraction process, soil gravimetric water content and ρ were monitored. Soil ρ was also measured in the field in the years 2010, 2011, and 2013. A decrease in soil water content in the samples increased the ρ according to a sigmoid function with two asymptotes, and the increase in ρ was significant at water contents lower than that of the permanent wilting point (1.5 MPa). Although there was an increase in ρ during contraction, successive contraction and expansion events steadily reduced ρ from 1,713 to 1,570 kg m-3 (end of contraction), and from 1,464 to 1,385 kg m-3 (near saturation). In the field, a decline in ρ was observed in compacted soil (from 1,406 to 1,327 kg m-3) at a rate of -26 kg m-3 yr-1. We conclude that the decrease in the state of field compaction is largely linked to the same mechanisms that cause the decrease in compaction in the samples in the laboratory. We conclude that for the soil used in this study, contraction and expansion cycles may reverse most of the compaction that machine traffic causes to the soil.

O índice S foi introduzido em 2004 numa publicação de A.R. Dexter. Esse índice foi proposto como um indicador da qualidade física do solo. Propôs-se um valor crítico para delimitar solos com qualidades físicas rica e pobre. Atualmente, o Brasil é líder mundial de citações do artigo de Dexter. Nessa publicação, a teoria do índice S é matematicamente revisitada e estendida. Demonstra-se que S se correlaciona matematicamente com a densidade e a porosidade total do solo. Como indicador absoluto, o valor de S tem demonstrado ser incapaz de predizer a qualidade física do solo. O valor crítico não permite previsões confiáveis sob diversas condições de contorno descritas na literatura. Esse fato é esperado, uma vez que o S é um parâmetro estático, portanto implicitamente incapaz de descrever processos dinâmicos. Como indicador relativo da qualidade física do solo, o índice S não possui valor adicional em relação à densidade do solo ou à porosidade do solo. A determinação da densidade ou porosidade do solo é muito mais simples que a determinação de uma curva de retenção para obtenção do S, razão pela qual se desqualifica o S como um indicador interessante da qualidade física relativa do solo. Entre as várias equações disponíveis para o ajuste da curva de retenção, a de Groenevelt-Grant é preferível para uso em combinação com o S, uma vez que um de seus parâmetros se correlaciona linearmente com S. Tendo como finalidade a descrição de processos dinâmicos, os esforços de pesquisa em física do solo deveriam se deslocar na direção da física do solo mecanística, em detrimento da busca por correlações empíricas como S, que, atualmente, representa muito mais do que deveria na física do solo no Brasil.

The S-index was introduced in 2004 in a publication by A.R. Dexter. S was proposed as an indicator of soil physical quality. A critical value delimiting soils with rich and poor physical quality was proposed. At present, Brazil is world leader in citations of Dexter's publication. In this publication the S-theory is mathematically revisited and extended. It is shown that S is mathematically correlated to bulk density and total porosity. As an absolute indicator, the value of S alone has proven to be incapable of predicting soil physical quality. The critical value does not always hold under boundary conditions described in the literature. This is to be expected because S is a static parameter, therefore implicitly unable to describe dynamic processes. As a relative indicator of soil physical quality, the S-index has no additional value over bulk density or total porosity. Therefore, in the opinion of the author, the fact that bulk density or total porosity are much more easily determined than the water retention curve for obtaining S disqualifies S as an advantageous indicator of relative soil physical quality. Among the several equations available for the fitting of water retention curves, the Groenevelt-Grant equation is preferable for use with S since one of its parameters and S are linearly correlated. Since efforts in soil physics research have the purpose of describing dynamic processes, it is the author's opinion that these efforts should shift towards mechanistic soil physics as opposed to the search for empirical correlations like S which, at present, represents far more than its reasonable share of soil physics in Brazil.

Foram desenvolvidas funções de pedotransferência (PTFs) para estimar os parâmetros (α, n, θr and θs) do modelo de van Genuchten (1980), utilizados para descrever curvas de retenção de água no solo. Os dados usados foram provenientes de diversas fontes, principalmente de estudos realizados na Região Nordeste pelas universidades, pela Embrapa e Codevasf, totalizando 786 curvas de retenção, que foram divididas em dois conjuntos de dados: 85 %, para desenvolvimento das PTFs, e 15 %, para teste e validação, considerados como dados independentes. Além do desenvolvimento das PTFs de caráter geral para todos os solos conjuntamente, desenvolveram-se PTFs específicas para as classes Argissolos, Latossolos, Neossolos e Planossolos, utilizando técnicas de regressão múltipla, com o uso do procedimento stepwise (forward e backward), para selecionar os melhores preditores. Dois tipos de PTFs foram desenvolvidos: o primeiro inclui todos os preditores, densidade do solo, teores de areia, silte, argila e de matéria orgânica, e o segundo, apenas com os teores de areia, silte e argila. A avaliação da adequação das PTFs foi com base no coeficiente de correlação (R) e índice de Willmott (d). Para avaliar as PTFs, para o teor de água em potenciais matriciais específicos, utilizou-se a raiz do erro médio quadrado (RMSE). A predição da curva de retenção por PTF é relativamente fraca, exceto para o teor de água residual. A inclusão do teor de matéria orgânica como preditor da PTF melhora a predição do parâmetro a de van Genuchten. Não houve melhora de desempenho das PTFs específicas por classe de solo, em comparação com uma PTF geral. Exceto no caso do teor de água do solo saturado, estimado pela distribuição granulométrica, modelos para a predição do teor de água em potenciais matriciais específicos são bons. Predições do teor de água em potenciais matriciais mais negativos do que -0,6 m, usando uma PTF contendo a distribuição granulométrica, são somente um pouco inferiores àquelas obtidas por PTFs, que incluem densidade do solo e teor de matéria orgânica.

Pedotransfer functions (PTF) were developed to estimate the parameters (α, n, θr and θs) of the van Genuchten model (1980) to describe soil water retention curves. The data came from various sources, mainly from studies conducted by universities in Northeast Brazil, by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and by a corporation for the development of the São Francisco and Parnaíba river basins (Codevasf), totaling 786 retention curves, which were divided into two data sets: 85 % for the development of PTFs, and 15 % for testing and validation, considered independent data. Aside from the development of general PTFs for all soils together, specific PTFs were developed for the soil classes Ultisols, Oxisols, Entisols, and Alfisols by multiple regression techniques, using a stepwise procedure (forward and backward) to select the best predictors. Two types of PTFs were developed: the first included all predictors (soil density, proportions of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter), and the second only the proportions of sand, silt and clay. The evaluation of adequacy of the PTFs was based on the correlation coefficient (R) and Willmott index (d). To evaluate the PTF for the moisture content at specific pressure heads, we used the root mean square error (RMSE). The PTF-predicted retention curve is relatively poor, except for the residual water content. The inclusion of organic matter as a PTF predictor improved the prediction of parameter a of van Genuchten. The performance of soil-class-specific PTFs was not better than of the general PTF. Except for the water content of saturated soil estimated by particle size distribution, the tested models for water content prediction at specific pressure heads proved satisfactory. Predictions of water content at pressure heads more negative than -0.6 m, using a PTF considering particle size distribution, are only slightly lower than those obtained by PTFs including bulk density and organic matter content.

A difusividade térmica do solo sob condições de campo pode ser estimada a partir de dados da sua temperatura, mas pode também ser estimada por meio das propriedades individuais dos seus componentes junto com a sua organização espacial. A difusividade térmica foi determinada com base em dados de temperatura do solo registrados de meia em meia hora num Nitossolo Vermelho, empregando-se três procedimentos de cálculo (o da razão das amplitudes, da defasagem e do proposto por Seemann), bem como a partir das propriedades individuais dos seus componentes, fazendo-se comparação entre procedimentos e métodos. Para a determinação da difusividade para períodos de onda curtos (um dia), o procedimento da defasagem apresentou-se mais confiável do que o da razão de amplitudes ou o do Seemann, especialmente para a determinação em camadas mais profundas, onde as variações térmicas são pequenas, pois apresentou valores coerentes para a difusividade térmica. O método que utiliza propriedades individuais dos componentes do solo, com os valores da condutividade térmica para arenito e caulinita, resultou em estimativas da difusividade térmica da mesma ordem de grandeza. Ao longo da faixa de teores de água observada, de 0,26-0,34 m³ m-3, o valor médio da difusividade térmica foi de 0,034 m² d-1 na camada superficial (0,05-0,15 m) e de 0,027 m² d-1, na camada subsuperficial (0,15-0,30 m).

Under field conditions, thermal diffusivity can be estimated from soil temperature data but also from the properties of soil components together with their spatial organization. We aimed to determine soil thermal diffusivity from half-hourly temperature measurements in a Rhodic Kanhapludalf, using three calculation procedures (the amplitude ratio, phase lag and Seemann procedures), as well as from soil component properties, for a comparison of procedures and methods. To determine thermal conductivity for short wave periods (one day), the phase lag method was more reliable than the amplitude ratio or the Seemann method, especially in deeper layers, where temperature variations are small. The phase lag method resulted in coherent values of thermal diffusivity. The method using properties of single soil components with the values of thermal conductivity for sandstone and kaolinite resulted in thermal diffusivity values of the same order. In the observed water content range (0.26-0.34 m³ m-3), the average thermal diffusivity was 0.034 m² d-1 in the top layer (0.05-0.15 m) and 0.027 m² d-1 in the subsurface layer (0.15-0.30 m).

O tensiômetro de polímeros é um equipamento recentemente desenvolvido que permite medir o potencial matricial da água no solo desde a saturação até condições mais secas do que o ponto de murcha permanente. Nesta nota descreve-se a utilização de tensiômetros de polímeros em experimentos de evaporação de cilindros com solo deformado, para determinar as propriedades hidráulicas do material. Nos experimentos foi utilizada terra da camada superficial de um Nitossolo Vermelho. O uso de tensiômetros de polímeros em experimentos de evaporação com colunas de solo permitiu a determinação das relações entre condutividade hidráulica, teor de água e potencial matricial na faixa de potenciais matriciais entre -1 e -150 m.

The polymer tensiometer is a newly developed instrument to measure soil water pressure heads from saturation conditions to drier than the permanent wilting point. In this note we describe how the hydraulic properties of disturbed soil samples were determined in laboratory evaporation experiments with these polymer tensiometers. Soil material from the surface layer of an Ultisol was used. The relation among hydraulic conductivity, water content and pressure heads in the range from -1 to -150 m could be determined using polymer tensiometers in evaporation experiments.