Water-entry value as an alternative indicator of soil water-repellency and wettability

Soil water-repellency is an increasingly important consideration in hydrology. In this paper, we relate the degree of soil water-repellency and wettability to the critical water-entry value of a soil. A water-ponding method was used for simple measurement of water-entry value in repellent soils. A tension–pressure infiltrometer method was demonstrated for measuring water-entry value in both repellent and wettable soils. The measurement techniques were used to detect a sudden breakdown of repellency under a sufficiently high water pressure. Experimental results have proven that the water-entry value, in terms of soil water potential, is positive in repellent soils, and negative in wettable soils or soil conditions. The water-entry value is shown to be an easily measured indicator of repellency or wettability that provide an assessment of hydraulic effects of soil physical, chemical and biological properties.