MEASUREMENT OF INFILTRATION RATE OF SOIL IN ALVAN IKOKU FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION OWERRI FARM

Abstract

This study measured the rate at which water infiltrates into the soil in the teaching and research
farm ofAlvanIkoku Federal College of Education (AIFCE)Owerri. The soil type of the study
site was identified to be sandy loam. The farm site was divided into three sections under
different uses namely: section A, B, and C and infiltration tests were carried out in the sections
respectively. The Double ring Infiltometer was used in conducting the experiment. Values of
readings of the time and the corresponding head of water in the Infiltrometer during the
measurement were recorded, collated and tabulated. The values were plotted on a graph and the
curve showed the rates of infiltration. The computation of the field data gave simple linear
models for Sections A , B and C to be y = 28.93 – 0.006x, y = 17.01 – 0.01x and y = 29.46 –
0.021x respectively, for the estimation of infiltration in the three locations, where y is depth and
x is time. The rate of infiltration was faster at location C followed by B, while location A
recorded the lowest rate. Though the infiltration rates in the three sections are generally within
acceptable rates, the differences between the infiltration rates may be traceable to the land use
activies in the different sections of the site.