Quantifying the preferential flow by dye tracer in the North China Plain

The preferential flow plays a vital role on the infiltration of irrigation or rainfall. The objective of this study was to quantify preferential flow in the processing of irrigation infiltration in the field scale. Tests of different initial soil water contents and irrigation intensities were conducted using Brilliant Blue FCF (C.I.42090) dye tracer in Luancheng County of the North China Plain. The results showed that the percentages of infiltration by the preferential flow for irrigation depth of 25, 50, and 75 mm were 16.67%, 43.67%, and 34.17%, with 19.72%, 61.42%, 66.64% of dyed areas in the soil profile, respectively, which indicated that preferential flow was enhanced with increasing irrigation intensity, but reduced when the irrigation intensity was over 50 mm. The percentages of preferential flow for 75 and 180 mm previous irrigation producing different initial soil water contents were 23.26% and 18.97%, with 53.23% and 39.94% of dyed areas in the soil profile, respectively. Compared with the 75 mm without previous irrigation, the results indicated that higher initial soil water contents restrained the preferential flow in the field. Therefore, intermittent irrigation and low irrigation intensity patterns, and larger depth of plowing would be suggested to reduce the preferential flow which would increase the soil water utilization efficiency and reduce pollution risk of pesticide and fertilizer to groundwater.