Abstract
Soil salinization is a global problem that limits agricultural development and impacts human life. This study aimed to understand the dynamic changes in water and salinity in saline-alkali soil based on an indoor soil column simulation. We studied the changes in the water and salt contents of soils with different degrees of salinization under various irrigation conditions. The results showed that after seven irrigations, the pH, conductivity and total soluble salt content of the percolation samples after irrigation generally increased initially then decreased with repeated irrigation. The soil moisture did not change significantly after irrigation. The pH, conductivity, and total soluble salt content of each layer of the soil profile exhibited general declining trends. In the soil profile from Changguo Township (CG), the pH decreased from 8.21–8.35 to 7.71–7.88, the conductivity decreased from 0.95–1.14 ms/cm to 0.45–0.68 ms/cm, and the total soluble salt content decreased from 2.63–2.81 g/kg to 2.28–2.51 g/kg. In the soil profile from Zhongjie Industrial Park (ZJ), the pH decreased from 8.36–8.54 to 7.73–7.96, the conductivity decreased from 1.58–1.68 ms/cm to 1.45–1.54 ms/cm, and the total soluble salt decreased from 2.81–4.03 g/kg to 2.56–3.28 g/kg. The transported salt ions were primarily K+, Na+ and Cl-. After several irrigations, a representative desalination effect was achieved. The results of this study can provide technical guidance for the comprehensive management of saline-alkali soils.
Highlights
Soil salinization is a global problem that limits agricultural development and impacts human life
Indoor simulation experiments of soil water and salinity dynamics after irrigation demonstrated that irrigation-induced leaching decreased the salinity in the soil layers and that the content of ions that could be transported decreased with repeated irrigation
The soil conductivity, pH and total soluble salt content in each soil layer decreased slightly, and these parameters were higher in each layer of the Zhongjie Industrial Park (ZJ) profile than in the corresponding layer of the Changguo Township (CG) profile
Summary
Soil salinization is a global problem that limits agricultural development and impacts human life. Saline-alkali soil results from continuous increases in the salt and alkali metal contents in the soil or soil components. This process can cause non-salinized soil to transform into salinized soil under natural or artificial conditions. The transport of soil water and salt is a temporally and spatially dynamic process [1,2,3], and studying this process can provide a theoretical foundation for the development and utilization of saline-alkali soil in coastal zones.
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