Reclamation of salt-affected soils using amendments and growing wheat crop

Abstract

With more pressing demands for non-agricultural sectors, availability of good-quality water is falling short of the crop water requirement, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, like Pakistan. Studies were conducted at three sites following randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments employed were: Tube well water (TW) alone; TW + Gypsum @ 50% soil gypsum requirement (TW + G50); TW–Canal water (CW) + G50; TW–CW + farm manure (FM) @ 25 Mg ha-1 (TW-CW + FM) before sowing wheat. After the harvest of wheat 2008-09, non-significant decrease in bulk density was recorded with applied treatments while infiltration rate remained unchanged. There was maximum and significant decrease in ECe and SAR with TW–CW + FM at all the three sites. Maximum decrease in ECe (72.65%) at 0-15 cm soil depth was at site 2, while maximum decrease in ECe (77.62%) at 15-30 cm soil depth was at site 1. Maximum percent decrease in SAR was 75.76% at 0-15 cm followed by 63.93% at15-30 cm at sites 2 and 3, respectively, with TW–CW + FM. Maximum wheat grain yields (3656, 3531 and 3826 kg ha-1) and straw yields (4826, 4624 and 4707 kg ha-1) were recorded at sites 1, 2 and 3, respectively, with TW–CW + FM. The net benefit was maximum with TW–CW + FM at all the three sites.

Keywords

• Salt-affected soils
• reclamation
• brackish water
• wheat