In this paper, we outline an iterative method to calibrate the water vapour mixing ratio profiles retrieved from Raman lidar measurements. Simultaneous and co-located radiosonde data are used for this purpose and the calibration results obtained during a radiosonde campaign in summer and autumn 2011 are presented. The water vapour profiles measured during night-time by the Raman lidar and radiosondes are compared and the differences between the methodologies are discussed. Then, a new approach to obtain relative humidity profiles by combination of simultaneous profiles of temperature (retrieved from a microwave radiometer) and water vapour mixing ratio (from a Raman lidar) is addressed. In the last part of this work, a statistical analysis of water vapour mixing ratio and relative humidity profiles obtained during 1 year of simultaneous measurements is presented.

Soil thermal conductivity (λ) is a critical property influencing heat transfer in agro-environmental systems (A-ES), affecting soil temperature, water dynamics, and nutrient availability. Understanding the impact of soil management practices (SMP) and climate adaptation strategies (CAS) on λ is essential for optimizing agricultural productivity and ensuring soil sustainability. This review examines the influence of conventional and conservation tillage, crop rotation, mulching, and organic matter incorporation on soil λ. Conventional tillage practices often disrupt soil structure, reducing water retention and altering soil thermal characteristics (TCs), while conservation tillage enhances soil aggregation and moisture conservation, leading to improved λ. Crop rotation and mulching regulate soil microclimates, minimizing temperature fluctuations and contributing to thermal stability. Additionally, the review highlights the significance of soil texture, moisture content, and organic matter in determining λ. With increasing climate variability, integrating SMP and CAS can mitigate adverse effects on TCs, promoting resilience in agricultural systems. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding the long-term impacts of these strategies on λ across diverse soil types and climatic conditions. Future research should focus on developing integrated approaches that optimize SMP and CAS for improved λ, ensuring sustainable agricultural practices. Expanding studies on soil thermal dynamics will improve our ability to develop adaptive management strategies that support long-term soil health and productivity. This review underscores the necessity of sustainable soil management in the face of climate change, providing insights for future research and practical applications in agricultural systems.

Purpose: Agricultural management as tillage systems and manure application can contribute effectively to controlling physical surface crusts (SCs), improving the soil’s technical characteristics and germination rates. While agronomic practices are generally applied to winter wheat fields in southern Iraq, no previous study has explored their impact in combination with SCs and soil physical attributes on wheat productivity (WP) under different soil textures. Materials and methods: The impact of different agronomic management practices on the formation of soil physical surface crusts (SCs), soil compaction (measured by soil penetration resistance, SPR), soil volumetric water content (VWC), soil bulk density (ρb), mean weight diameter of aggregates (MWD), and WP was examined in two soil textures (clay loam, clay) during 2020 and 2022. Experimental data were subjected to an identical and randomized complete block design (RCBD) under a nested-factorial experimental design, where nine treatments with three replicates each were selected. This included three tillage practices (conventional tillage system (CT), till-plant (TP), and rotational tillage (NTCT)), alongside a sub-treatment with organic fertilizers (cattle manure (CF), and wheat straw (WR)), or without added fertilizer (WT). Results and discussion: Results showed that CT treatment increased SCs during wheat growth stages by significantly increasing aggregate stability. A significant difference in ρb and SPR and a higher distribution of VWC were seen under CT treatment when compared to TP and NTCT treatments. TP treatment showed a significantly increased in SPR and ρb, particularly in clay loam. The MWD under TP and NTCT was significantly different to CT treatment, which may be explained by an increase in soil stability due to their management practices. Additionally, both organic fertilizers (CF and WR) significantly enhanced SCs, SPR, VWC, ρb, MWD, and WP. Conclusions: These data showed a strong relationship between SCs and ρb and between VWC and SPR, which are directly affected by the soil’s water content.

Sorptivity is a parameter of primary importance in the study of unsaturated flow in soils. This hydraulic parameter is required to model water infiltration into vertical soil profiles. Sorptivity can be directly estimated from the soil hydraulic functions (water retention and hydraulic conductivity curves), using the integral formulation of Parlange (1975). However, calculating sorptivity in this manner requires the prior determination of the soil hydraulic diffusivity and its numerical integration between initial and final saturation degrees, which may be difficult in some situations (e.g., coarse soil with diffusivity functions that are quasi-infinite close to saturation). In this paper, we present a procedure to compute sorptivity using a scaling parameter, c_p, that corresponds to the sorptivity of a unit soil (i.e., unit values for all parameters and zero residual water content) that is utterly dry at the initial state and saturated at the final state. The c_p parameter was computed numerically and analytically for five hydraulic models: delta (i.e., Green and Ampt), Brooks and Corey, van Genuchten–Mualem, van Genuchten–Burdine, and Kosugi. Based on the results, we proposed brand new analytical expressions for some of the models and validated previous formulations for the other models. We also tabulated the output values so that they can easily be used to determine the actual sorptivity value for any case. At the same time, our numerical results showed that the relation between c_p and the hydraulic shape parameters strongly depends on the chosen model. These results highlight the need for careful selection of the proper model for the description of the water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions when estimating sorptivity.