Study of Soil Permeability in the Fokontany of Ambohinaorina, Betafo District, Madagascar

Abstract

Since agriculture remains the backbone of the Malagasy economy, local life depends primarily on soil and water quality, as these factors are the primary determinants of crop quality. The Vakinankaratra region is one of Madagascar’s leading vegetable-producing areas. And the Betafo district, with its large land area, is one of the largest vegetable producers among the region’s seven districts. Of the 13 fokontany that make up the urban commune of Betafo—one of the communes comprising the district—the trials for this study were conducted in the fokontany of Ambohinaorina, which is inhabited primarily by farmers. Since agriculture is central to local life, the effects of climate change have a significant impact on the daily lives of the inhabitants of this fokontany. This study therefore aims to quantify the behavior of surface water in contact with the soil to establish a basis for the design of surface water management structures. During the study, it was found that the infiltration rate follows Kostiakov’s law, and the soil tested exhibits good permeability, typical of sandy loam soils. The Ambohinaorina fokontany is ideal for the installation of water infiltration structures.