Modeling irrigated cotton with shallow groundwater in the Aral Sea Basin of Uzbekistan: II. Soil salinity dynamics

Years of ill-managed irrigation have triggered secondary soil salinization in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan located in the Aral Sea basin. To assess the magnitude and dynamics of secondary soil salinization, to quantify improved management strategies and to derive updated irrigation standards, the soil water model Hydrus-1D was used. Water and soil salinity dynamics in three cotton fields with different soil textures were monitored and simulated for the years 2003 and 2005. Until now in Khorezm, overall soil salinity could only be controlled by pre-season salt leaching using high amounts of water. This water, however, may not be available anymore in the near future because of global climate change and shrinking fresh water resources. Simulations confirmed that the present leaching practice is barely effective. At two out of the three locations within a sandy loam field, leaching did not remove salts from the 2 m profile. Instead, salts were only shifted from the upper (0–0.8 m) to the lower (0.8–2 m) soil layer. Strong groundwater contribution to evapotranspiration triggered secondary (re)-salinization of the topsoil during the cropping season. As a consequence, salt amounts in the top 0.8 m of soil increased from 9 to 22 Mg ha⁻¹ in the field with loamy texture, and from 4 to 12 Mg ha⁻¹ in the field with sandy texture. Management strategy analyses revealed that reducing soil evaporation by a surface residue layer would notably decrease secondary soil salinization. Here, owing to the reduced capillary rise of groundwater, post-season salt contents of the three fields were reduced by between 12 and 19% when compared with residue-free conditions. Even more effective would be improving the efficiency of the drainage system so as to lower the groundwater table. This would require a revision of the current irrigation management schemes, but could, as simulations revealed, reduce the post-season salt content in the 2 m soil profile of the three fields by between 36 and 59% when compared with unaltered conditions. For the revised irrigation management in total not more water than already foreseen by national irrigation recommendations would be needed. Increasing leaching and irrigation efficiency would help sustaining the present cotton production levels while reducing future leaching demands.     

The dynamics of groundwater table and salinity over 17 years in Khorezm

Salinization of irrigated agricultural land threatens ecological sustainability and livelihoods of people. Salinization is especially severe in the dry lowlands world-wide and in Central Asia where large amounts of salts accumulated in the soil profile, originating from shallow saline groundwater (GW). Analysis of the unique dataset of 2000 monitoring wells of GW table and salinity in lowland Khorezm region of Uzbekistan over the period of 1990 till 2006 showed shallow GW levels of 1.1-1.4 m (±0.48-0.66 m) at start of leaching periods and 0.9-1.4 (±0.43-0.63 m) in July during the annual growing seasons. While leaching efficiency is decreased, shallow GW in July is far above the optimum levels of 1.4-1.5 m. The effects of topography, soil texture, and irrigation and drainage networks were found to favor shallow GW forced by excessive water diversion. The drainage network, which is seen by many specialists as underdeveloped and its improvement necessary to arrest unacceptable GW levels, is being used under its full capacity. The solution to alleviate land degradation is not only an improved drainage, but better controlled and more flexible water management.     

Comparison and sensitivity of measurement techniques for spatial distribution of soil salinity

In Khorezm, a district of Uzbekistan situated in the Aral Sea Basin, soil salinization is an important driver of soil degradation in irrigated agriculture. The main objective of this study was to identify techniques that enable rapid estimation of soil salinity. Therefore, bulk electrical conductivity of the soil (EC_a-meas) was measured with three different devices (2P, 4P, and CM-138) and electrical conductivity of the soil paste (EC_p-meas) was measured with the so-called 2XP device. These measurements were compared with independent estimates of EC_a-calc and EC_p-calc based on laboratory measurements of the saturated extract, EC_e, of soil samples from the same sites. Soil salinity could be assessed satisfactorily with all four devices. EC_p-meas could be well reproduced by the 2XP device (R ² = 0.76), whereas EC_a-meas estimates using 2P, 4P, and CM-138 in the field were less accurate (R ² < 0.50). The sensitivity of all devices to the main ions Cl⁻ and Ca^{2 +} suggests that the measuring principles are similar for all instruments. The devices can therefore be used interchangeably. Field assessment of soil salinity was considerably enhanced by the use of CM-138, because large areas can be quickly assessed, which may be desirable in spite of the lower accuracy.     

Response of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorghum bicolor</Emphasis> varieties to soil salinity for feed and food production in Karakalpakstan,Uzbekistan

Water and land salinization, caused by ill-practiced irrigation and drainage is acute and widespread in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan. A crop frequently grown in these marginal areas is sorghum because of its capability to adapt to saline conditions. However, the salt uptake potential of local varieties for salt-ameliorative purposes, as well as possible income-generation benefits, have not yet been studied. Therefore, field experiments on low, medium and highly saline soils were conducted using four sorghum cultivars (S. vulgare, S. cernuum, S. durra, and S. technicum). The effect of soil salinity on biomass, stover and grain yield, the baking and feed quality, and total water soluble salt (TDS) accumulation, was assessed according to varieties, plant fractions and growth phases. Results showed that S. cernuum had the highest grain yield on the low (5.13 t ha⁻¹), medium (6.05 t ha⁻¹) and highly (3.3 t ha⁻¹) saline soil. S. technicum showed the lowest growth potential under all salinity levels. TDS accumulation varied between 406 and 185 kg ha⁻¹ depending on variety, site, plant fractions and growth stage. Irrespective of the soil salinity levels and varieties, TDS was highest in stover and leaves, while highest TDS uptake, mainly chlorides and bicarbonates, occurred between booting and flowering. Baking quality of all varieties was extremely low, whereas the in-vitro feed was assessed as of medium quality. The findings indicate the scope of local sorghum varieties for phytomelioration of marginal lands in Karakalpakstan, while concurrently satisfying a wider range of rural livelihood needs.     

Effect of irrigation methods,management and salinity of irrigation water on tomato yield,soil moisture and salinity distribution

The increasing demand for irrigation water to secure food for growing populations with limited water supply suggests re-thinking the use of non-conventional water resources. The latter includes saline drainage water, brackish groundwater and treated waste water. The effects of using saline drainage water (electrical conductivity of 4.2–4.8 dS m⁻¹) to irrigate field-grown tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill cv Floradade) using drip and furrow irrigation systems were evaluated, together with the distribution of soil moisture and salt. The saline water was either diluted to different salinity levels using fresh water (blended) or used cyclically with fresh water. The results of two seasons of study (2001 and 2002) showed that increasing salinity resulted in decreased leaf area index, plant dry weight, fruit total yield and individual fruit weight. In all cases, the growth parameters and yield as well as the water use efficiency were greater for drip irrigated tomato plants than furrow-irrigated plants. However, furrow irrigation produced higher individual fruit weight. The electrical conductivity of the soil solution (extracted 48 h after irrigation) showed greater fluctuations when cyclic water management was used compared to those plots irrigated with blended water. In both drip and furrow irrigation, measurements of soil moisture one day after irrigation, showed that soil moisture was higher at the top 20 cm layer and at the location of the irrigation water source; soil moisture was at a minimum in the root zone (20–40 cm layer), but showed a gradual increase at 40–60 and 60–90 cm and was stable at 90–120 cm depth. Soil water content decreased gradually as the distance from the irrigation water source increased. In addition, a few days after irrigation, the soil moisture content decreased, but the deficit was most pronounced in the surface layer. Soil salinity at the irrigation source was lower at a depth of 15 cm (surface layer) than that at 30 and 60 cm, and was minimal in deeper layers (i.e. 90 cm). Salinity increased as the distance from the irrigation source increased particularly in the surface layer. The results indicated that the salinity followed the water front. We concluded that the careful and efficient management of irrigation with saline water can leave the groundwater salinity levels unaffected and recommended the use of drip irrigation as the fruit yield per unit of water used was on average one-third higher than when using furrow irrigation.     

Response of alfalfa (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago sativa</Emphasis> L.) to diurnal and nocturnal saline sprinkler irrigations. I: total dry matter and hay quality

Little information is available on the quantitative effects on crops of saline sprinkler irrigations and the presumable beneficial effects of nocturnal versus diurnal irrigations. We measured crude protein content, carbon isotope discrimination and total dry matter (TDM) of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) subject to diurnal and nocturnal saline sprinkler irrigations. The work was carried out in Zaragoza (Spain) during the 2004–2006 growing seasons with a triple line source sprinkler system using synthetic saline waters dominated by NaCl with an irrigation water EC ranging from 0.5 to 5.6 dS m⁻¹. The quality of alfalfa hay assessed through its crude protein concentration was not significantly affected by salinity. Carbon isotope discrimination, an indicator of the effect of osmotic stress on plant water status, tended to decrease with increases in salinity. Based on a piecewise linear response model, alfalfa grown under saline sprinkler irrigation was shown to be more tolerant (threshold soil salinity, EC_e = 3.5 dS m⁻¹) than in previous experiments under surface irrigation (threshold EC_e = 2.0 dS m⁻¹) at relatively low salinity values, but became more sensitive at higher salinity values as shown by the higher absolute slope (13.4%) for sprinkler as compared to surface irrigation (7.3%). No significant differences in TDM were found between diurnal and nocturnal saline sprinkler irrigations. The recommended practice of irrigating at night for sprinkler irrigation using saline water is therefore not supported by our results in alfalfa grown under semiarid conditions.     

Soil solution and exchange complex response to repeated wetting–drying with modestly saline–sodic water

Coal bed natural gas (CBNG) extraction in the Powder River (PR) Basin of Wyoming and Montana produces modestly saline-sodic wastewater, which may have electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) exceeding accepted thresholds for irrigation (EC = 3 dS m⁻¹, SAR = 12 (mmol_c l⁻¹)^1/2. As an approach to managing large volumes of CBNG-produced water, treatment processes have been developed to adjust produced water salinity and sodicity to published irrigation guidelines and legislated in-stream standards. The objective of this laboratory study was to assess acute and chronic soil solution EC and SAR responses to various wetting regimes simulating repeated flood irrigation with treated CBNG product water, followed by single rainfall events. Fifty-four soil samples from irrigated fields in southeast Montana were subjected to simulated PR water or CBNG water treated to EC and SAR values accepted as thresholds for designation of saline × sodic water, in a single wetting event, five wetting–drying events, or five wetting–drying events, followed by leaching with distilled water. Resultant saturated paste extract EC (ECe) and SAR of soils having <33% clay did not differ from one another, but resulting ECe and SAR were all less than those for soil having >33% clay. Repeated wetting with PR water having EC of 1.56 dS m⁻¹ and SAR of 4.54 led to SAR <12, but brought ECe near 3 dS m⁻¹. Repeated wetting with water having salinity = 3.12 dS m⁻¹ and SAR = 13.09 led to ECe >3 dS m⁻¹ and SAR near 12. Subsequent inundation and drainage with distilled water, simulating rainfall-quality leaching, reduced ECe and SAR more often in coarse-textured, high salt content soils than in finer-textured, lower salt content soils. Decreases in ECe upon leaching with distilled water were of greater magnitude than corresponding decreases in SAR, reinforcing supposition of sodium-induced dispersion of fine-textured soils as a consequence of rainfall following irrigation with water having salinity and sodicity levels equal to previously published thresholds.     

A modified checkbook irrigation method based on GIS-coupled model for regional irrigation scheduling

In this study, a regional irrigation schedule optimization method was proposed and applied in Fengqiu County in the North China Plain, which often suffers serious soil water drainage and nitrogen (N) leaching problems caused by excessive irrigation. The irrigation scheduling method was established by integrating the ‘checkbook irrigation method’ into a GIS-coupled soil water and nitrogen management model (WNMM) as an extension. The soil water and crop information required by the checkbook method, and previously collected from field observations, was estimated by the WNMM. By replacing manually observed data with simulated data from WNMM, the application range of the checkbook method could be extended from field scale to regional scale. The WNMM and the checkbook irrigation method were both validated by field experiments in the study region. The irrigation experiment in fluvo–aquic soil showed that the checkbook method had excellent performance; soil water drainage and N leaching were reduced by 83.1 and 85.6%, respectively, when compared with local farmers’ flood irrigation. Using the validated WNMM, the performance of checkbook irrigation in an entire winter wheat and summer maize rotation was also validated: the average soil water drainage and N leaching in four types of soils decreased from 331 to 75 mm year⁻¹ and 47.7 to 9.3 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, respectively; and average irrigation water use efficiency increased from 26.5 to 57.2 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹. The regional irrigation schedule optimization method based on WNMM was applied in Fengqiu County. The results showed a good effect on saving irrigation water, decreasing soil water drainage and then saving agricultural inputs. In a typical meteorological year, it could save >110 mm of irrigation water on average, translating to >7.26 × 10⁷ m³ of agricultural water saved each year within the county. Annual soil water drainage was reduced to <143 mm and N leaching to <27 kg ha⁻¹ in most soils, all of which were significantly lower than local farmers’ flood irrigation. In the mean time, crop yield also had an average increase of 2,890 kg ha⁻¹ when checkbook irrigation was applied.     

Olive tree response to irrigation with wastewater from the table olive industry

A field experiment was conducted to examine the effect of drip irrigation using wastewater from a table olive industry on physiological, nutritional and yield parameters of olive trees (Olea europaea L.). Very limited information, if any, exists, on the potential of recycling this kind of wastewater in agriculture. Two types of wastewater were used in the experiment, the first with SAR and EC values of 12–56 and 3.5–4.2 dS m⁻¹, respectively, and the second 73–90 and 4.3–6.0 dS m⁻¹. In general, this kind of wastewater has a highly variable composition and SAR values that are too high for agricultural purposes. Olive trees rapidly responded to wastewater application. Compared to the control (fresh water), the more saline wastewater caused important decreases in leaf water potential, stomatal conductance to H₂O and the photosynthesis rate after only 15 days of irrigation, the reduction being more pronounced after 2 months of irrigation. This treatment also caused a rapid, significant reduction in leaf N concentration, as compared with the N level in the trees before irrigation. Both types of wastewater significantly reduced olive yield, compared to that obtained in the control. These results indicate that this kind of wastewater is unsuitable for application to olive orchards under irrigation. Received: 16 August 1999     

Response of alfalfa (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago sativa</Emphasis> L.) to diurnal and nocturnal saline sprinkler irrigations. II: shoot ion content and yield relationships

When using saline waters, sprinkling irrigation at night is a recommended practice to reduce evaporation, salt absorption by the wetted leaves and its negative effects on crops. We measured shoot ion concentrations (Cl⁻, Na⁺ and K⁺) and total dry matter (TDM) in alfalfa subject to diurnal and nocturnal saline sprinkler irrigations and established potential relationships among them. The work was carried out along the 2004–2006 growing seasons using EC waters from 0.5 to 5.6 dS m⁻¹. Saline sprinkling irrigations linearly increased shoot Cl⁻ and Na⁺ and decreased shoot K⁺. Even though daytime evaporation was much higher than nigh-time, shoot ion accumulation and TDM were similar in the diurnal and nocturnal irrigations. The salinity tolerance of alfalfa decreased in year 2006 due to increases in shoot Cl⁻ and, particularly, shoot Na⁺. The lower threshold for shoot Na⁺ (276 meq kg⁻¹) than for shoot Cl⁻ (726 meq kg⁻¹) shows that alfalfa is more sensitive to Na⁺ than to Cl⁻, and that Na⁺ accumulation is the preponderant cause of alfalfa yield decline after 3 years of sprinkling with saline waters.     

Leaching irrigated saline sandy to sandy loam apedal soils with water of a constant salinity

With the optimization of irrigation, more salts accumulate in the root zone of soils, due to less over-irrigation. On-farm irrigation management requires a certain amount of leaching to ensure sustainability. The objective is to quantify the pore volume of water required to efficiently leach excess salts from two saline soils, widely irrigated in central South Africa. A total of 30 lysimeters, 15 per soil type arranged in two parallel rows under a moveable rain shelter, were used. Five different salinity profiles per soil type, replicated three times, were leached using irrigation water with a 75 mS m⁻¹ electrical conductivity. During irrigation the residual more saline pore water was displaced from the top downward through the root zone. The mean salinity of the soil profiles approached an equilibrium concentration equal to that of the irrigation water after 0.9 pore volume of soil was displaced by drainage water. For the sandy soil 0.2 and for the sandy loam soil 0.3 pore volumes were required to efficiently remove 70% of the excess salts. The remainder of the water was needed to leach the remaining 20% of the excess salts. This, however, was not efficient in terms of the amount of water required.     

Model-based evaluation of low-cost drip-irrigation systems and management strategies using saline water

A drip-irrigation module was developed and included in an ecosystem model and tested on two independent datasets, spring and autumn, on field-grown tomato. Simulated soil evaporation correlated well with measurements for spring (2.62 mm d⁻¹ compared to 2.60 mm d⁻¹). Changes in soil water content were less well portrayed by the model (spring r ² = 0.27; autumn r ² = 0.45). More independent data is needed for further model testing in combination with developments of the spatial representation of below-ground variables. In a fresh-water drip-irrigated system, about 30% of the incoming water was transpired, 40% was lost as non-productive evaporative flows, and the remainder left the system as surface runoff or drainage. Simulations showed that saline water irrigation (6 dS m⁻¹) caused reduced transpiration, which led to higher drainage and soil evaporation, compared with fresh water. Covering the soil with plastic mulch resulted in an increase in yield and transpiration. Finally, two different drip-irrigation discharge rates (0.2 and 2.5 l h⁻¹) were compared; however the simulations indicated that the discharge rate did not have any impact on the partitioning of the incoming water to the system. The model proved to be a useful tool for evaluating the importance of specific management options.

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Net changes of main ions in the soil profile of irrigated field plots in central Spain

Implementation of improved irrigation schedules in some semiarid zones improve water efficiency and can be recommended where occasional periods of heavy rainfall may remove some of the accumulated salts. We hypothesized, however, that the leaching pattern of the main ions may differ regarding their potential contribution to the total salt discharge. The experiment was conducted near Madrid in Spain on a typical Xerofluvent soil with sandy-loam texture in the first 0.5 m. For 4 years, a traditional crop rotation of corn–wheat–corn–oat (Zea mays L.–Triticum aestivum L.–Zea mays L.–Avena sativa L.) was planted and two irrigation treatments (traditional and improved) were applied only to the corn. In an experimental set-up of 24 plots, samples of the soil solutions were extracted 61 times during the experiment at soil depths of 0.4, 0.9 and 1.4 m. During the experiment, drainage volume was estimated in plots under the two irrigation schedules. Main ions in the soil solution were SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, Ca²⁺, Na⁺ and HCO₃⁻. These solutes accounted for 88% of total salt discharge under the two irrigation treatments. Two main patterns of salt leaching were observed. For most main ions, except HCO₃⁻, the input to discharge ratio was lower than one. Also for HCO₃⁻ , the irrigation treatment did not affect the leaching pattern (higher input than discharge under the two irrigation treatments). Improved irrigation schedules can be implemented without increasing the total salt load, but attention should be paid to specific leaching patterns of individual ions.     

Analysis of salinization dynamics by remote sensing in Hetao Irrigation District of North China

Remote sensing can provide base information for documenting salinity change and for predicting its future evolution trend. The spatial and temporal distributions of soil salinization of Jiefangzha Irrigation Sub-district, the western part of Hetao Irrigation District of Inner Mongolia in northern China, were determined through analysis of satellite-based remote sensing images. Three Landsat TM/ETM+ satellite images taken during 14 years (1991 ∼ 2005) coupled with field observations were chosen as the basic data sources. Supervised classification and visual interpretation were used to analyze salinity classification and statistical method was applied to analyze the relationship between salinity and groundwater depth. From 1991 to 2005 the area of heavy saline land decreased from 191 to 136 km², or 3.9 km² per year; the moderate saline land decreased from 318 to 284 km², or 2.5 km² per year; the slight saline land decreased from 510 to 394 km², or 8.2 km² per year. Therefore, soil salinization in Jiefangzha Irrigation Sub-district is decreasing in general. The electrical conductivity (EC) values measured from field have the following relationship with the reflectance composition obtained from LANDSAT Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data: EC = 5.653(band5 − band7)/(band5 + band7) + 0.246. In addition, an r² value between EC values and groundwater depth is 0.72, which indicates groundwater depth is the major factor for the regional soil salinity control. The paper can serve as a theoretical reference for optimal allocation of irrigation water resource and salinization control in Hetao Irrigation District.     

An alternative water source and combined agronomic practices for cotton irrigation in coastal saline soils

The field experiment for cotton crop (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was conducted at the Zhongjie Farm, Huanghua city of Hebei province in the coastal salinity-affected areas in North China Plain, to determine the effects of an alternative of irrigation water sources/methods and agronomic practices on seedling emergence and yields of cotton, soil water–salt distributions, and soil pH changes during cotton growth stages. The experiment was setup using split-plot design with two water sources as main treatments (well water/desalinized sea-ice water); two irrigation methods (+PAM (Polyacrylamide)/−PAM); and four fertilization modes: check (CK), mineral fertilizer (F), mineral + organic fertilizer (FM), and mineral fertilizer + gypsum (FG). Using desalinized sea-ice water irrigation showed the same effects on top-soil salt leaching and desalinization as using well water did. There was no significant difference in seedling emergence and cotton yields between two irrigation water sources for cotton irrigation. Using PAM-treated irrigation, the 10-cm top-soil salinity significantly decreased to about 2.3–3.9 g kg⁻¹ from 4.6 to 8.6 g kg⁻¹ (PAM untreated). The PAM-treated irrigation increased seedling emergence by about 13, 29 and 36% and yields by about 50, 49, and 70%, with F, FM, and FG, respectively, as compared with CK. PAM-treated irrigation, either using well water or desalinized sea ice, especially in combination with gypsum-fertilization, shows the best practice for both seedling emergence and cotton yields. In conclusion, the desalinized sea-ice water used as an alternative water source, integrated with better agronomic practices of soil water-salt management could be acceptable for cotton irrigation in the coastal saline areas.     

Modeling irrigated cotton with shallow groundwater in the Aral Sea Basin of Uzbekistan: I. Water dynamics

In Khorezm, a region located in the Aral Sea basin of Uzbekistan, water use for irrigation of predominantly cotton is high whereas water use efficiency is low. To quantify the seasonal water and salt balance, water application, crop growth, soil water, and groundwater dynamics were studied on a sandy, sandy loam and loamy cotton field in the years 2003 and 2005. To simulate and quantify improved management strategies and update irrigation standards, the soil water model Hydrus-1D was applied. Results showed that shallow groundwater contributed a substantial share (up to 399 mm) to actual evapotranspiration of cotton (estimated at 488–727 mm), which alleviated water stress in response to suboptimal quantities of water applied for irrigation, but enhanced concurrently secondary soil salinization. Thus, pre-season salt leaching becomes a necessity. Nevertheless, as long as farmers face high uncertainty in irrigation water supply, maintaining shallow groundwater tables can be considered as a safety-net against unreliable water delivery. Simulations showed that in 2003 around 200 mm would have been sufficient during pre-season leaching, whereas up to 300 mm of water was applied in reality amounting to an overuse of almost 33%. Using some of this water during the irrigation season would have alleviated season crop-water stress such as in June 2003. Management strategy analyses revealed that crop water uptake would only marginally benefit from a permanent crop residue layer, often recommended as part of conservation agriculture. Such a mulch layer, however, would substantially reduce soil evaporation, capillary rise of groundwater, and consequently secondary soil salinization. The simulations furthermore demonstrated that not relying on the contribution of shallow groundwater to satisfy crop water demand is possible by implementing timely and soil-specific irrigation scheduling. Water use would then not be higher than the current Uzbek irrigation standards. It is argued that if furrow irrigation is to be continued, pure sandy soils, which constitute <5% of the agricultural soils in Khorezm, are best to be taken out of annual cotton production.     

Effect of improved cultural practices on crop yield and soil salinity under relatively saline groundwater applications

The salinity in the root zone increases with the application of relatively saline groundwater. Therefore, a limited water supply coupled with high pumping cost and salinity hazards, makes it more important than ever that irrigation water be used efficiently and judiciously. In the present study, farmer's practices of irrigation application methods (Field 1) were compared with the water saving techniques (Field 2) for crop yield and salinization for two years with maize–wheat–dhanicha cropping pattern. For maize crop, regular furrow method of irrigation was used in Field 1 and alternate furrow method of irrigation was used in Field 2. For wheat experiments, basin irrigation method of water application was compared with bed and furrow method. For dhanicha, basin irrigation was applied in both the fields. The results showed that about 36% water was saved by applying irrigation water in alternate furrows in each season without compromising the maize crop yield. The salt accumulation in root zone in alternate furrow field was less than that in regular furrow field. The salinity level near the surface increased substantially in both the fields. The water saving in wheat crop under bed and furrow was 9–12% in both seasons. The salinization process in both fields during wheat crop was almost same except redistribution of salts throughout the root zone in basin field of wheat. The salinity developed in root zone during two major growing seasons was leached in monsoon.     

新疆盐碱地长期利用盐水灌溉土壤盐分变化

在地下水位3～5m、壤质土壤条件下,利用盐碱地时用2～5g/L盐化水灌溉,土壤1m剖面均为脱盐状况。灌溉盐化水15年后,1m土壤残留阴离子浓度较小,多点平均为3.709毫克当量/100克土。其中HCO-3相对较多,1m多点平均为0.404毫克当量/100克土。K++Na+浓度很大,1m多点平均为2.492毫克当量/100克土。这时,土壤1m全盐多点平均为0.248%,在灌溉水矿化度不直接危害作物生长时,不影响耕作和作物正常生长。由此可见,盐化水在盐碱地上无排灌溉,是可行的。     

新疆盐渍化灌区水盐平衡现状及对

以新疆农七师127团灌区为研究对象，通过区域水盐监测、水盐平衡计算与分析，对现有水盐状况是否满足盐分控制要求作出评价，并提出对策措施。研究结果表明，现状的水盐平衡条件不能满足控制盐分要求，其中引进的盐分只有大约40%从平衡区内排出，有60%左右的盐分滞留在平衡区内，其结果势必加重区域内土壤盐渍化的程度。如果按现状灌排条件和灌溉用水水质状况预测，每年1.5m深土壤剖面的平均积盐量约为0.037%。 为保持研究区水盐的持续平衡状态，水量排引比需达到0.3左右。为此，在进一步加强明沟排水系统建设的同时，需增设田间暗管排水。     

渭-库绿洲土壤剖面盐分分布特征及驱动因子分析

[目的]监测渭-库绿洲土壤盐渍化的空间分布特征,探究驱动因子作用机理,对当地因地制宜进行土壤盐渍化调控。[方法]采用决策树、克里金插值和灰色关联度分析研究了渭-库绿洲土壤盐渍化的剖面分布特征,着重分析了样本点海拔、植被覆盖度、地下水位、TW( I 地形湿度指数)、地下水矿化度5个驱动因子对土壤盐渍化的影响。[结果]①研究区表层土壤(0~10 cm)属于重度盐渍化土壤,10~20、20~40、40~60 cm各深度剖面土壤属于中度盐渍化土壤。土壤EC1:5有强的空间变异性,其分布格局受灌溉等人为驱动因素的影响较大。②绿洲内部(即耕作区)表层土壤属于非盐渍化区域,绿洲东部10~20、20~40、40~60cm土层有轻、中度的盐渍化现象。绿洲内部表层以下土壤盐分高于表层,绿洲存在潜在的盐渍化风险。耕作区外围绿洲-荒漠交错带区域各剖面层均属于盐渍化区域,随着剖面深度的增加,盐渍化程度在不断减弱。③样本点海拔、植被覆盖度、地下水位、TWI、地下水矿化度与土壤EC1:5的灰色关联度大小次序为:0~10 cm土层:地下水矿化度>TWI>样本点的海拔>植被覆盖度>地下水位;10~20、20~40 cm土层:地下水矿化度>样本点的海拔>TWI>植被覆盖度>地下水位。[结论]渭-库绿洲土壤盐渍化主要分布在绿洲-荒漠交错带区域,土壤盐分表聚强烈,地下水矿化度是造成该研究区土壤盐渍化问题的首要原因。