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In order to design micro-catchment water harvesting systems in the Indian desert, rainwater infiltration experiments were conducted on a representative loamy sand soil for a period of six years. Plots with three slopes -0.5, 5 and 10%, and five slope lengths -5.12, 7.0, 8.5, 10.75 and 14.5 m were used. With dry antecedent soil conditions, infiltration is governed by rainfall depth, whereas with wet antecedent soil conditions, raindrop impact (intensity) which forms a crust over the soil surface, is the deciding factor. Infiltration decreases significantly with increasing slope due to reduction in the time available for rainfall to infiltrate, but slope length has no significant effect. A graphical multiple curvilinear model to predict rainfall infiltration using rainfall and basin characteristics is developed and the goodness of fit is tested.

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