Effect of natural and synthetic conditioners on soluble cations and water infiltration in an Aridisol

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of several conditioners on soluble cations and water infiltration on a fine clay Vertic Haplocambid soil collected on the Quibor depression, Venezuela. Solutions of two natural conditioners from dato cactus (Lemaireocereus griceus (Haw.) Br. & Rose) and lefaria cactus (Cereus deficiens Otto & Dietr), on concentrations of 2,000, 1,000 and 500 mg L-1, a synthetic polyacrilamide conditioner solution of 10 mg L-1 and local tap water were applied to the soil. All solutions and the tap water were poured in a mini flume to simulate the irrigation process on furrows. The natural conditioners increased the infiltration and produced a better Ca-Mg-Na relationship as compared with that produced by the polyacrilamide and the tap water without additives.