Use of saline–sodic waters through phytoremediation of calcareous saline–sodic soils

Use of poor-quality groundwater has become inevitable for irrigation to compensate rapidly increasing water demands in many arid and semiarid regions. Salinity and sodicity are the principal soil and water quality concerns in such areas. Many saline–sodic and sodic soils have saline or saline–sodic subsurface drainage waters. Amelioration of these soils needs a source of calcium (Ca²⁺) that can replace the excess exchangeable sodium (Na⁺). Most of these soils, however, contain calcite (CaCO₃) of extremely low solubility. The native calcite does not supply adequate levels of Ca²⁺ for soil amelioration as do other chemical amendments. Phytoremediation may help ameliorate such soils through cultivation of certain crops tolerant to ambient soil salinity and sodicity. This amelioration strategy works through plant root action to help dissolve CaCO₃ to supply adequate Ca²⁺ without the application of an amendment. During a 3-year field experiment conducted under irrigated conditions, we evaluated phytoremediation against soil application of gypsum and farm manure, and water treatment with sulphuric acid on a calcareous saline–sodic soil (pH_s=8.0–8.4, EC_e=24–32 dS m^?1, SAR=57–78, CaCO₃=45–50 g kg^?1 for the top 0.15 m depth; Calcic Haplosalids). A saline–sodic water (EC=2.9–3.4 dS m^?1, SAR=12.0–19.4, RSC=4.6–10.0 mmol_c l^?1, SAR_adj=15.6–18.4) was used to irrigate the rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crops grown in rotation. Active desalinisation and desodication processes were observed in all the treatments. After the final wheat crop, the 1.2 m soil profile EC_e was 7±0.5 dS m^?1 and SAR was 15±2 with non-significant treatment differences, indicating comparable soil amelioration effect of phytoremediation with other treatments. Better crop yields were obtained from the manure-treated plots, owing to its annual addition to the soil that possibly improved soil fertility. Phytoremediation needed minimum capital input because no initial investment was made to purchase the amendments.