Assessment of Salinity in the Field Soils of Azamgarh and its Relation to their Physico-chemical Properties

Abstract

Soil salinity generally decreases the plant growth by creating osmotic stress, specific ion toxicity, and imbalance of ions required for the optimal growth. Azamgarh is an agrarian district and is also one of the salinity prone zones of eastern Uttar Pradesh; hence, a detailed study on soil quality analysis was carried out to delineate soil salinity status and its relationship with soil properties. The collected soil samples were moderate to extremely alkaline in reaction and clayey in texture. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) ranged between 0.76 to 48.3 dS/m. The correlation study showed that soil salinity had a significant positive impact on soil pH, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (Cl-), sulfate (SO4 2-), carbonate (CO3 2-), and bicarbonate (HCO3 -), however, it was negatively correlated with calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) ions. Our findings revealed that all the soil samples were in general saline-alkaline in nature. Therefore, the awareness on reclamation, drainage, and improved irrigation together with sustainable agricultural practices should be encouraged among farmers to reduce the severity and further spread of salinization in the agricultural lands of Azamgarh district.