EFFECT OF DIFFERENT WATER QUALITIES ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND PLANT GROWTH UNDER NATURAL CONDITION

Abstract

A pot experiments were conducted at the farm of Faculty of Agric. Al-Azhar University, NasrCity, Cairo, Egypt to study the effect of irrigation by water differed in their qualities (EC, SAR and RSC parameters) on soil characteristics (both physical and chemical) and plant growth. The concentrations of the above three parameter were prepared by making a series of dilutions of QarunLake water samples. Where these concentrations were 1, 2, 3, and 4 dS m-1 for EC, 6, 12, 18 and 24 meq l-1 for SAR and 1, 1.75, 2.5 and 3.25 for RSC. Some winter crops, wheat (Triticum asitivum), broad bean (Vicia faba) and Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)) and summer crops, coriander (Coriandrum saivum), sunflower (Helianthus annus) and sesame (Sesamum indicum)) were selected as indicator plants. The results could be summarized as follows:- The low quality of irrigation water had a significant hazard effect on the plant growth. This was true for all parameters (EC, SAR and RSC). Where, a significant decrease in the growth of all crops (winter and summer) was observed by increasing the levels of irrigation water parameters. The increase in the concentrations of water parameters (EC, SAR and RSC) led to an increase in EC, pH and the concentration of soluble ions (both anions and cations), exception was found in case of soluble K, where there is no effect of water quality on the K concentration. The effect of water parameters can be arranged in the following order; SAR > EC > RSC. This was true for all crops. The increase of irrigation water salinity (EC) gave a marked increase in E %, HC and MWD. On the other hand, the increase of irrigation water sodicity (SAR and RSC) gave a marked decrease for E %, HC and MWD. Exception was found in a low level RSC where a slight increase of total porosity (E %) was obtained.