Determination of water flow direction and corn roots-induced drying in an irrigated Beauce CALCISOL, using electrical resistivity measurements.

Soil electrical resistivity decreases with water saturation. During irrigat ion of a soil of Beauce with a corn crop cover, a nondestructive multi-elec trode 2D electrical method, spatially integrative, was tested jointly with TDR measurements (Time Domain of Reflectometry) of water content to realise a study of soil water flow with time. The results presented show that the method employed is well suited to the question investigated. The soil volum es dried up by corn roots, the wetting front movement and the preferential flow directions were identified and located, (C) 2001 Academie des sciences / Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.