Soil Erosion as A ffected by Polyacrylamide Application Under Simulated Furrow Irrigation with Saline Water

The reduction of soil and water losses under furrow irrigation with saline water is important to environmental protection and agricultural production.The objective of this study was to determine the effect of polyacrylamide(PAM)application on soil infiltration and erosion under simulated furrow irrigation with saline water.Polyacrylamide was applied by dissolving it in irrigation water at the rates of 1.5,7.5,and 15.0 mg L^-1 or spreading it as a powder on soil surface at the rates of 0.3,1.5,3.0,and 6.0 g m^-2,respectively.The effectrolyte concentration of tested irrigation water was 10 and 30 mmolc L^-1 and its sodium adsorption ratio(SAR)was 0.5,10.0,and 20.0(mmol_c L^-1)_0.5.Distilled water was used as a control for irrigation water quality.Results indicated that the effectrolyte concentration and SAR generally did not significantly affect soil and water losses after PAM application.Infiltration rate and total infiltration volume decreased with the increase of PAM application rate.Polyacrylamide application in both methods significantly reduced soil erosion,but PAM application rate did not significantly affect it.The solution PAM application was more effective in controlling soil erosion than the powdered PAM application,but the former exerted a greater adverse influence on soil infiltration than the latter.Under the same total amounts,the powdered PAM application resulted in a 38.2%-139.6% greater infiltration volume but a soil mass loss of 1.3-3.4 times greater than the solution PAM application.     

聚合果属生物炭引起的咸水灌溉下土壤养分有效性和番茄生长变化

Thermally modified organic materials commonly known as biochar have gained popularity of being used as a soil amendment.Little information, however, is available on the role of biochar in alleviating the negative impacts of saline water on soil productivity and plant growth. This study, therefore, was conducted to investigate the effects of Conocarpus biochar(BC) and organic farm residues(FR) at different application rates of 0.0%(control), 4.0% and 8.0%(weight/weight) on yield and quality of tomatoes grown on a sandy soil under drip irrigation with saline or non-saline water. The availability of P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu to plants was also investigated. The results demonstrated clearly that addition of BC or FR increased the vegetative growth, yield and quality parameters in all irrigation treatments. It was found that salt stress adversely affected soil productivity, as indicated by the lower vegetative growth and yield components of tomato plants. However, this suppressing effect on the vegetative growth and yield tended to decline with application of FR or BC, especially at the high application rate and in the presence of biochar. Under saline irrigation system, for instance, the total tomato yield increased over the control by 14.0%–43.3% with BC and by 3.9%–35.6% with FR. These could be attributed to enhancement effects of FR or BC on soil properties, as indicated by increases in soil organic matter content and nutrient availability. Therefore, biochar may be effectively used as a soil amendment for enhancing the productivity of salt-affected sandy soils under arid conditions.     

约旦河谷土壤含盐量变化对其灌溉农业可持续发展的潜在危害研究

The integrated effect of irrigation and agricultural practices on soil salinity in the Jordan Valley （JV）, where over 60% of Jordan’s agricultural produce is grown, was investigated in this study during 2009-2010. Due to the differences in agricultural operations, cropping patterns, irrigation management, and weather conditions, 206 top- and sub-soil samples were taken every 1 to 3 km from representative farms along a north-south （N-S） transect with 1 to 2 km lateral extents. Soil electrical conductivity of saturated extract (EC_se), Ca, Mg, K, Na, Cl, and Na adsorption ratio （SAR） were determined in saturated paste extracts. Results indicated that about 63% of soils in the JV are indeed saline, out of which almost 46% are moderately to strongly saline. Along the N-S transect of the JV, EC_se increased from 4.5 to 14.1 dS m^-1 in top-soil samples. Similar increase was observed for the sub-soil samples. The major chemical components of soil salinity; i.e., Ca, Mg, and Cl, also showed a similar increase along the N-S transect of the valley. Moreover, compared to previous field sampling, results showed that changes in soil salinity in the JV were dramatic. In addition, it was found that Cl imposed an existing and potential threat to sensitive crops in 60% of the soils in the JV, where Cl concentrations were greater than 710 mg L^-1. Under the prevalent arid Mediterranean conditions, improving the management of irrigation water, crops, and nutrient inputs and increasing water and fertilizer use efficiencies should be indispensable to conserve and sustain the already fragile agricultural soils in the JV.     

盐碱地咸水灌溉枸杞种植条件下土壤盐分变化

In order to utilize the wasted saline-sodic soils under shallow groundwater condition,a 3-year field study was carried in a field cropped with Lycium barbarum L.and irrigated by drip irrigation with saline groundwater under the water table depth of 30-40 cm in the northern Yinchuan Plain,China.Effects of cropping duration (one,two,and three years) on soil salinity,soil solution composition,and pH in three adjacent plots were investigated in 2008.Results showed that a high irrigation frequency maintained high soil water potential and subsequently facilitated infiltration and downward movement of water and salt in the crop root zone.Salt accumulated on the edges of the ridges,and soil saturated-paste electrical conductivity (ECe) was higher in the edge.Concentrations of Na+,Ca2+,Mg2+,Cl-,and SO42- in the soil increased with the soil depth as did the ECe,while HCO3- and pH had a relative uniform distribution in soil profile.As planting year increased,the ECe and soil salts in the field had a decreasing tendency,while in the root zone they decreased immediately after irrigation and then remained relatively stable in the following growing seasons.HCO3- and pH had little change with the planting year.Results suggested that the application of drip irrigation with saline water could ameliorate saline-sodic soil and provide a relatively feasible soil environment for the growth of salt-tolerant plant Lycium barbarum L.under the saline-sodic soils with shallow groundwater.     

重复添加植物残体后土壤微生物活性和生物量对盐度的响应特征

Microbial adaptation to salinity can be achieved through synthesis of organic osmolytes,which requires high amounts of energy;however,a single addition of plant residues can only temporarily improve energy supply to soil microbes.Therefore,a laboratory incubation experiment was conducted to evaluate the responses of soil microbes to increasing salinity with repeated additions of plant residues using a loamy sand soil with an electrical conductivity in saturated paste extract（EC_e） of 0.6 dS m^-1.The soil was kept non-saline or salinized by adding different amounts of NaCl to achieve EC_e of 12.5,25.0 and 50.0 dS m^-1.The non-saline soil and the saline soils were amended with finely ground pea residues at two rates equivalent to 3.9 and 7.8 g C kg^-1 soil on days 0,15 and29.The soils receiving no residues were included as a control.Cumulative respiration per g C added over 2 weeks after each residue addition was always greater at 3.9 than 7.8 g C kg^-1 soil and higher in the non-saline soil than in the saline soils.In the saline soils,the cumulative respiration per g C added was higher after the second and third additions than after the first addition except with3.9 g C kg^-1 at EC_e of 50 dS m^₁.Though with the same amount of C added(7.8 g C kg^-1),salinity reduced soil respiration to a lesser extent when 3.9 g C kg^-1 was added twice compared to a single addition of 7.8 g C kg^-1.After the third residue addition,the microbial biomass C concentration was significantly lower in the soils with EC_e of 25 and 50 dS m^₁ than in the non-saline soil at3.9 g C kg^-1,but only in the soil with EC_e of 50 dS m^-1 at 7.8 g C kg^-1.We concluded that repeated residue additions increased the adaptation of soil microbial community to salinity,which was likely due to high C availability providing microbes with the energy needed for synthesis of organic osmolytes.     

苏打盐碱水灌溉的土壤添加石膏肥和有机肥后水溶性碳和微生物碳研究

Microbial biomass carbon (MBC), a small fraction of soil organic matter, has a rapid turnover rate and is a reservoir of labile nutrients. The water-extractable carbon pools provide a fairly good estimate of labile C present in soil and can be easily quantified. Changes in soil MBC and water-extractable organic carbon pools were studied in a 14-year long-term experiment in plots of rice-wheat rotation irrigated with canal water (CW), sodic water (SW, 10-12.5 mmol c L-1 residual sodium carbonate), and SW amended with gypsum with or without application of organic amendments including farmyard manure (FYM), green manure (GM), and wheat straw (WS). Irrigation with SW increased soil exchangeable sodium percentage by more than 13 times compared to irrigation with CW. Sodic water irrigation significantly decreased hot water-extractable organic carbon (HWOC) from 330 to 286 mg kg-1 soil and cold water-extractable organic carbon (CWOC) from 53 to 22 mg kg-1 soil in the top 0-7.5 cm soil layer. In the lower soil layer (7.5-15 cm), reduction in HWOC was not significant. Application of gypsum alone resulted in a decrease in HWOC in the SW plots, whereas an increase was recorded in the SW plots with application of both gypsum and organic amendments in both the soil layers. Nevertheless, application of gypsum and organic amendments increased the mean CWOC as compared with application of gypsum alone. CWOC was significantly correlated with MBC but did not truly reflect the changes in MBC in the treatments with gypsum and organic amendments applied. For the treatments without organic amendments, HWOC was negatively correlated with MBC (r = 0.57*) in the 0-7.5 cm soil layer, whereas for the treatments with organic amendments, both were positively correlated. Irrigation with SW significantly reduced the rice yield by 3 t ha-1 and the yield of rice and wheat by 5 t ha-1 as compared to irrigation with canal water. Application of amendments significantly increased rice and wheat yields. Both the rice yield and the yield of rice and wheat were significantly correlated with MBC (r = 0.49**-0.56**, n = 60). HWOC did not exhibit any relation with the crop yields under the treatments without organic amendments; however, CWOC showed a positive but weak correlation with the crop yields. Therefore, we found that under sodic water irrigation, HWOC or CWOC in the soils was not related to MBC.     

利用作物水盐生产函数和土壤水盐动态模型制定咸水灌溉制度

Using a crop-water-salinity production function and a soil-water-salinity dynamic model, optimal irrigation scheduling was developed to maximize net return per irrigated area. Plot and field experiments were used to obtain the crop water sensitivity index, the salinity sensitivity index, and other parameters. Using data collected during 35 years to calculate the 10-day mean precipitation and evaporation, the variation in soil salinity concentrations and in the yields of winter wheat and cotton were simulated for 49 irrigation scheduling that were combined from 7 irrigation schemes over 3 irrigation dates and 7 salinity concentrations of saline irrigation water （fresh water and 6 levels of saline water）. Comparison of predicted results with irrigation data obtained from a large area of the field showed that the model was valid and reliable. Based on the analysis of the investment cost of the irrigation that employed deep tube wells or shallow tube wells, a saline water irrigation schedule and a corresponding strategy for groundwater development and utilization were proposed. For wheat or cotton, if the salinity concentration was higher than 7.0 g L^-1 in groundwater, irrigation was needed with only fresh water; if about 5.0 g L^-1, irrigation was required twice with fresh water and once with saline water; and if not higher than 3.0 g L^-1, irrigation could be solely with saline water.     

盐度和氮素对向日葵(Helianthus annuus L.)光合速率和生长状况的影响

Understanding the interactions between salinity and fertilizers is of significant importance for enhancing crop yield and fertilizeruse efficiency. In this study a complete block design experiment was performed in the Hetao Irrigation District of Inner Mongolia,China, to evaluate the effects of interactions between soil salinity and nitrogen(N) application rate on sunflower photosynthesis and growth and to determine the optimum N application rate for sunflower growth in the district. Four levels of soil salinity expressed as electrical conductivity(0.33–0.60, 0.60–1.22, 1.2–2.44, and 2.44–3.95 dS m-1) and three application rates of N fertilization(90, 135,and 180 kg ha-1) were applied to 36 micro-plots. Soil salinity inhibited the photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, plant height, leaf area, and aboveground dry matter of sunflowers. The intercellular CO2 concentration first decreased and then increased with increasing soil salinity in the seedling stage, and the instantaneous leaf water-use efficiency fluctuated with soil salinity. The stomatal and non-stomatal limitations of sunflowers alternated in the seedling stage; however, in the bud, blooming,and mature stages, the stomatal limitation was prevalent when the salinity level was lower than 2.44 dS m-1, whereas the nonstomatal limitation was predominant above the salinity level. The application of N fertilizer alleviated the adverse effects of salinity on sunflower photosynthesis and growth to some extent. During some key growth periods, such as the seedling and bud stages, a moderate N application rate(135 kg ha-1) resulted in the maximum photosynthetic rate and yielded the maximum dry matter. We suggest a moderate N application rate(135 kg ha-1) for the Hetao Irrigation District and other sunflower-growing areas with similar ecological conditions.     

Effects of Irrigation Patterns and Nitrogen Fertilization on Rice Yield and Microbial Community Structure in Paddy Soil

Water and nitrogen (N) are considered the most important factors affecting rice production and play vital roles in regulating soil microbial biomass, activity, and community. The effects of irrigation patterns and N fertilizer levels on the soil microbial community structure and yield of paddy rice were investigated in a pot experiment. The experiment was designed with four N levels of 0 (N0), 126 (N1), 157.5 (N2), and 210 kg N ha-1 (N3) under two irrigation patterns of continuous water-logging irrigation (WLI) and water-controlled irrigation (WCI). Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis was conducted to track the dynamics of soil microbial communities at tillering, grain-filling, and maturity stages. The results showed that the maximums of grain yield, above-ground biomass, and total N uptake were all obtained in the N2 treatment under WCI. Similar variations in total PLFAs, as well as bacterial and fungal PLFAs, were found, with an increase from the tillering to the grain-filling stage and a decrease at the maturity stage except for actinomycetic PLFAs, which decreased continuously from the tillering to the maturity stage. A shift in composition of the microbial community at different stages of the plant growth was indicated by principal component analysis (PCA), in which the samples at the vegetative stage (tillering stage) were separated from those at the reproductive stage (grain-filling and maturity stages). Soil microbial biomass, measured as total PLFAs, was significantly higher under WCI than that under WLI mainly at the grain-filling stage, whereas the fungal PLFAs detected under WCI were significantly higher than those under WLI at the tillering, grain-filling, and maturity stages. The application of N fertilizer also significantly increased soil microbial biomass and the main microbial groups both under WLI and WCI conditions. The proper combination of irrigation management and N fertilizer level in this study was the N2 (157.5 kg N ha-1) treatment under the water-controlled irrigation pattern.     

Dynamics of Soil Moisture and Salt Content After Infiltration of Saline Ice Meltwater in Saline-Sodic Soil Columns

Saline ice meltwater can be used for irrigation and leaching of salts in salt-affected soil regions.A laboratory experiment was conducted using soil columns to investigate the redistribution of soil moisture, salt and sodium adsorption ratio(SAR) in saline-sodic soil under the infiltration of saline ice meltwater.Soils were treated using saline water of three irrigation volumes(1 600, 2 400 and 3 200 mL) at four salinity levels.These four salinity levels included salt free(0 g L~(-1)), low salinity level(1.4 g L~(-1)), moderate salinity level(2.7 g L~(-1)) and high salinity level(4.1 g L~(-1)).The prepared saline water was frozen into ice, and then the ice was put on the surface of soil columns.After 96 h, the infiltration rate and soil moisture content of saline ice treatments were greater than those of salt-free ice treatments, increasing with the increase of ice salinity.Infiltration of saline ice meltwater increased soil moisture content in the upper layers for all treatments.Both salt contents and SAR values in the upper soil layers decreased in all saline ice treatments and were lower than those in salt-free ice treatment.However, this trend was reversed in the deeper(below 20 cm) soil layers.The highest desalting rate and lowest SAR were observed in high-salinity treatment under three irrigation volumes in the 0–15 cm soil layer,especially under irrigation volume of 2 400 mL.These results indicate that saline ice(0–20 cm) meltwater irrigation is beneficial to saline-sodic soil reclamation, and the best improvement effect would be achieved when using high-salinity ice under optimal irrigation volume.     

TREATED EFFLUENT AND SALINE WATER IRRIGATION INFLUENCES SOIL PROPERTIES,YIELD, WATER PRODUCTIVITY AND SODIUM CONTENT OF SNOW PEAS AND CELERY

To determine the effects of irrigation water quality, plants were irrigated with normal potable water [0.25 dS m^?1 electrical conductivity (EC), 25 mg L^?1 sodium (Na), 55 mg L^?1 chloride (Cl)], treated effluent (0.94 dS m^?1 EC, 122 mg L^?1 Na, 143 mg L^?1 Cl) and saline water with low salinity (1.24 dS m^?1 EC, 144 mg L^?1 Na and 358 mg L^?1 Cl) and high salinity (2.19 dS m^?1 EC, 264 mg L ^?1Na and 662 mg L^?1 Cl) for snow peas, and high salinity (3.07 dS m^?1 EC, 383 mg L^?1 Na and 965 mg L^?1 Cl) and very high salinity (5.83 dS m^?1 EC, 741 mg L^?1 Na and 1876 mg L^?1 Cl) for celery. The greater salts build up in the soil and ion toxicity (Cl and Na) with saline water irrigation contributed to significantly greater reduction in root and shoot biomass, water use, yield and water productivity (yield kg kL^?1 of water used) of snow peas and celery compared with treated effluent and potable water irrigation. There was 8%, 56% and 74% reduction in celery yield respectively with treated effluent, high salinity and very high salinity saline water irrigation compared with potable water irrigation. The Na concentration in snow peas shoots increased by 54%, 234% and 501% with treated effluent, low and high salinity saline water irrigation. Similarly, the increases in Na concentration in celery shoots were 19%, 35% and 82%. The treated effluent irrigation also resulted in a significant increase in soil EC, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content compared with potable water irrigation. The heavy metals besides salts build up appears to have contributed to yield reductions with treated effluent irrigation. The study reveals strong implications for the use of saline water and treated effluent for irrigation of snow peas and celery. The salt build up within the root zone and soil environment would be critical in the long-run with the use of saline water and treated effluent for irrigation of crops. To minimize the salinity level in rhizosphere, an alternate irrigation of potable water with treated effluent or low salinity level water may be better option.     

Saline water and municipal solid waste compost application on tomato crop: Effects on plant and soil

A field experiment was conducted in Southern Italy to evaluate the effects of different water quality and fertilizers on yield performance of tomato crop. In mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizer and irrigation with fresh water (Electrical Conductivity, EC, = 0.9 dS m^?1) (FWF); mineral N fertilizer and irrigation with saline water (EC = 6.0 dS m^?1) (SWF); municipal solid waste (MSW) compost and irrigation with fresh water (EC = 0.9 dS m^?1) (FWC); MSW compost and irrigation with saline water (EC = 6.0 dS m^?1) (SWC). At harvest, weight and number of fruits and refractometric index (°Brix) were measured, total and marketable yield and dry matter of fruit were calculated. The results indicated that MSW compost, applied as amendment, could substitute the mineral fertilizer. In fact, in the treatments based on compost application, the tomato average marketable yield increased by 9% compared with treatments with mineral fertilizer. The marketable yield in the SWF and SWC treatments (with an average soil EC in two years to about 3.5 dS m^?1) decreased respectively of 20 and 10%, in respect to fresh water treatments. At the end of the experiment, application of compost significantly decreased the sodium absorption rate (SAR) of SWC treatment in respect of SWF (?29.9%). Significant differences were observed among the four treatments both on soil solution cations either exchangeable cations. In particular compost application increased the calcium (Ca) and potassium (K) contents in saturated soil paste respect to the SWF ones (31.4% and 59.5%, respectively). At the same time saturated soil paste sodium (Na) in SWC treatment recorded a decrease of 17.4% compared to SWF.     

Response of soil microbial community and diversity to increasing water salinity and nitrogen fertilization rate in an arid soil

The scarcity of fresh water has forced farmers to use saline water (SW) for irrigation. It is important to understand the response of the soil microbial community and diversity to saline irrigation water. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of irrigation water salinity and nitrogen fertilization rates on soil physicochemical properties, microbial activity, microbial biomass, and microbial functional diversity. The field experiment consisted of a factorial design with three levels of irrigation water salinity (electrical conductivities (ECs) of 0.35, 4.61 or 8.04?dS?m^?1) and two nitrogen rates (0 and 360?kg?N?ha^?1). The results showed that the 4.61 and 8.04?dS?m^?1 treatments both reduced soil microbial biomass C (MBC), microbial biomass N (MBN), basal respiration, total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), bacterial PLFA, fungal PLFA, and fungal:bacterial ratios. In contrast, the SW treatments increased the MBC:MBN ratio. Nitrogen fertilization increased soil MBC, MBN, basal respiration, total PLFA, bacterial PLFA, and gram-negative bacterial PLFA. In contrast, N fertilization decreased gram-positive bacterial PLFA, fungal PLFA, and fungal:bacterial ratios. Average well color development, Richness, and Shannon's Index were always lowest in the 8.04?dS?m^?1 treatment. Carbon utilization patterns in the 8.04?dS?m^?1 treatment were different from those in the 0.35?dS?m^?1 treatment. In conclusion, five years of irrigation with brackish or SW reduced the soil microbial biomass, activity, and functional diversity, which may cause the deterioration of soil quality. Thus, the high-salinity water (EC?>?4.61?dS?m^?1) is not appropriate as a single irrigation water resource. Proper N fertilizer input may overcome some of the negative effects of salinity on soil microbial.     

Different Levels of Irrigation Water Salinity and Biochar Influence on Faba Bean Yield,Water Productivity,and Ions Uptake

Greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of irrigation water salinity (0.5, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 dS m^?1) and wheat straw biochar (0%, 1.25%, 2.5%, and 3.75% w/w) on growth and yield of faba been using complete randomized design with three replications. Stomatal conductance (green canopy temperature) of faba bean increased (decreased) by application of biochar at each salinity level. The results showed increasing salinity to 2.5 dS m^?1 at zero biochar application increased the seed yield through osmotic adjustment, while by declining the osmotic potential, the nutritional values of biochar caused the seed yield to increase by increasing salinity to 5 dS m^?1. The root length density and root dry weight density in 0–8 cm soil layer declined under application of 3.75% w/w biochar in all salinity levels in comparison with that obtained in 2.5% w/w biochar, due to higher saline condition of the soil as result of higher biochar application. The results showed that addition of 2.5% w/w biochar can significantly mitigate salinity stress due to its high salt sorption capacity and by increasing potassium/sodium ratio in the soil. In general, since 2.5 % w/w biochar and salinity of 5 dS m^?1 increased dry seed yield and irrigation water productivity compared with that obtained in control (B₀S_0.5), these levels are recommended to improve faba bean growth and yield; however, these levels have to be evaluated under field conditions.     

Pomegranate Growth Affected by Arbuscular Mycorrhizae,Phosphorus Fertilizer,and Irrigation Water Salinity

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF) is a strategy in saline soils. In this study, two AMF (+AMF and –AMF), two phosphorus (P) fertilizer (+ P and –P), and three irrigation salinity (1, 4, and 8 dS m^?1) treatments were studied. The highest salinity level decreased the root colonization by hyphae. Plant growth parameters including shoot dry weight, leaf surface area, and plant height were negatively affected by salinity. However, the growth parameters improved in AMF treatments. Salinity decreased the shoot P concentration and increased the shoot chlorine (Cl). The root and shoot sodium (Na) concentrations were the greatest in unfertilized and P-fertilized treatments, respectively. AMF treatment improved the root and shoot P concentration and reduced the negative effect of salinity on shoot Cl concentrations. In conclusion, the effects of AMF symbiosis on growth and tissue elements concentration depend on irrigation water salinity and P fertilization.     

INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF SALINITY AND N ON PEPPER (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L.) YIELD,WATER USE EFFICIENCY AND ROOT ZONE AND DRAINAGE SALINITY

The aim of this study was to determine the salt tolerance of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) under greenhouse conditions and to examine the interactive effects of salinity and nitrogen (N) fertilizer levels on yield. The present study shows the effects of optimal and suboptimal N fertilizer levels (270 kg ha^?1 and 135 kg ha^?1) in combination with five different irrigation waters of varying electrical conductivity (EC) (EC_iw = 0.25, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 4.0, and 6.0 dS m^?1) and three replicates per treatment. At optimal N level, yield decreased when the irrigation water salinity was above EC_iw 2 dS m^?1. At the suboptimal N level, a significant decrease in yield occurred only above EC_iw 4 dS m^?1. At high salinity levels the salinity stress was dominant with respect to yield and response was similar for both N levels. Based on the results it can also be concluded that under saline conditions (higher than threshold salinity for a given crop) there is a lesser need for N fertilization relative to the optimal levels established in the absence of other significant stresses.     

Effects of Irrigation Water Salinity and Leaching Fraction on Yield and Evapotranspiration in Spring Wheat

To determine the effects of irrigation water salinity and leaching fraction on crop evapotranspiration (ETc), grain yield, straw yield, shoot sodium (Na), and chloride (Cl) concentrations of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar ‘Onfarom 9,’ a pot experiment was conducted using saline soil with electrical conductivity of soil paste extract (ECe) of 13.2 dS m^?1. A factorial experiment with a completely randomized design replicated seven times was used with three levels of saline irrigation water (4, 9, and 12 dS m^?1) and four leaching levels (0, 17, 29, and 37%) included as the factors. The results showed that ETc significantly decreased as a result of an increase in irrigation water salinity (ECi) and decrease in leaching level. Crop evapotranspiration deficit and decreasing irrigation and drainage water effectively resulted in grain and straw yield reduction. Increase in ECi increased accumulation of Cl and Na in crop shoot, but application of leaching decreased this accumulation.     

Salinity and drought affect yield response of bell pepper similarly

Abstract

There is a growing realization that an increasing number of countries are approaching full utilization of their conventional water resources and that the quantity of good-quality water supplies available to agriculture is diminishing. Effects of irrigation regime and irrigation water salinity on bell pepper including yield, fruit number and quality, vegetative and root growth, evapotranspiration and water use efficiency were investigated in this study by conducting two different experiments. Six different salinity levels of irrigation water and four different irrigation regimes were used as treatments. Considering the results from irrigation water salinity experiment, it can be concluded that as soil salinity increases, water consumption, water use efficiency, yield and other vegetative growth parameters of bell pepper were decreased. A polynomial relationship between soil salinity and water consumption was observed. It was found that bell pepper is moderately sensitive to salinity with a 1.2 dS m^?1 threshold and a 10.9% slope value. In the irrigation regime experiment, limited irrigation caused decreases in water consumption, yield and vegetative growth of bell pepper. Yield response factors were close in the cases of irrigation regime (1.50) and irrigation water salinity (1.40). Total soluble solids of bell pepper were increased due to both irrigation water salinity and water application rate but not dry matter ratio. Considerable water consumption decreases because of salinity were determined. Therefore, the effect of irrigation water salinity should be considered in irrigation management to prevent excess saline water application and to protect the environment.     

Leaching and reclamation of calcareous saline‐sodic soil by moderately saline and moderate‐SAR water using gypsum and calcium chloride

Lysimeter experiments were conducted with sandy‐clay‐loam soil to study the efficiency of two amendments in reclaiming saline‐sodic soil using moderately saline and SAR (sodium‐adsorption ratio) irrigation water. Gypsum obtained from industrial phosphate by‐products and reagent grade Ca chloride were applied to packed soil columns and irrigated with moderately saline (ECe = 2.16 dS m^–1), moderate‐SAR water (SAR = 4.8). Gypsum was mixed with soil prior to irrigation at application rates of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 32 Mg ha^–1, and Ca chloride was dissolved directly in leaching water at application rates of 4.25, 8.5, 12.75, 17.0, and 21.25 Mg ha^–1, respectively. The highest application rate in both amendments resulted in 96% reduction of total Na in soil. The hydraulic conductivity (HC) of soils receiving gypsum increased in all treatments. The highest HC value of 6.8 mm h^–1 was obtained in the highest application rate (32 Mg ha^–1), whereas the lowest value of 5.2 mm h^–1 was observed with the control treatment. Both amendments were efficient in reducing soil salinity and sodicity (exchangeable‐sodium percentage, ESP); however, Ca chloride was more effective than gypsum as a reclaiming material. Exchangeable Na and soluble salts were reduced with gypsum application by 82% and 96%, and by 86% and 93% with Ca chloride application, respectively. Exchangeable Ca increased with increasing amendment rate. Results of this study revealed that sodium was removed during cation‐exchange reactions mostly when the SAR of effluent water was at maximum with subsequent passage of 3 to 4 pore volumes. Gypsum efficiently reduced soil ESP, soil EC, leaching water, and costs, therefore, an application rate of 20 Mg ha^–1 of gypsum with 3 to 4 pore volumes of leaching water is recommended for reclaiming the studied soil.