Abstract

This work is part of a project to obtain field data for the calibration of a regional water quality model which describes the processes of pesticide transport to open water. This part should provide the necessary soil physical and physico-chemical characteristics of the experimental fields used to obtain pesticide data. These fields are part of the experimental farm "Kooyenburg". Characteristics studied are horizontal thickness and depth, and per (sub)horizontal organic matter content, texture, pH, bulk density, porosity and field moisture content. Results indicate that soils on the experimental farm are marked by a high degree of heterogeneity, especially with respect to the thickness of the illuvial horizontal and with respect to the occurrence and depth of the boulder clay. The organic matter content is an important model parameter. Determination of the organic matter content, especially of layers with low contents, could not be realized with enough accuracy, due to analytical problems.