Infiltration

as one of the fundamental physical properties

is closely related to many processes including rainfall-runoff

soil erosion and non-point pollution.It is critical to measure soil infiltration rate quickly and accurately.Soil infiltration rates were measured using four methods of double-ring

single-ring

disc permeameter

and Hood infiltrometer on the loess-derived soil with planted soybean at the Ansai Research Station of Soil and Water Conservation

which is located in the hill-gullied area of the Loess Plateau.The results were evaluated based on the measured steady infiltration rate by double-ring method and saturated conductivity by Hood infiltrometer.The results showed that the steady infiltration rates of single-ring

disc

and Hood methods were 116%

111%

and 225% of that of double-ring method

respectively.The saturated conductivities of double-ring

sing-ring

and disc method were 65.8%

75.1%

and 105% of that of Hood method

respectively.The times of reaching the steady infiltration were quite different

approximately 100

80

and 30 minutes for double-ring

single-ring and disc method

respectively.The disc permeameter was more suitable to measure soil infiltration on hillslope for not only the savings in time

labor and water

but also the accuracy in estimating the steady infiltration rate and saturated conductivity.