Abstract
This paper focused on the use of electromagnetic induction measurements in order to investigate soil salinization caused by irrigation with saline reclaimed water. An experimental activity was carried out during the growing season of tomato crop in order to evaluate expected soil salinization effects caused by different saline agro-industrial wastewaters used as irrigation sources. Soil electrical conductivity, strictly related to the soil salinity, has been monitored for three months by means of Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) measurements, and evident differences in the soil response have been observed. The study highlighted two aspects that can improve soil investigation due to the utilization of geophysical tools. First, EMI data can map large areas in a short period of time with an unprecedented level of detail by overcoming practical difficulties in order to massively sample soil. At the same time, repeated measurements over time allow updating real-time soil salinity maps by using accurate correlations with soil electrical conductivity. This application points out how integrated agro-geophysical research approaches can play a strategic role in agricultural saline water management in order to prevent soil salinization risks in medium to long-term periods.
Highlights
Irrigated agriculture is the main user of water in Europe and plays a pivotal role in the European economic contest
Reclaimed water is considered a non-expensive and reliable source; nutrients and organic matter present in this water can result in benefits for both crops, soils and the economy of the growers because it can reduce the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers
The use of reclaimed water as irrigation source can represent an efficient strategy in agriculture to reduce anthropogenic pressure on freshwater, to limit the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers and to produce benefit to crops by providing organic matter and nutrients
Summary
Irrigated agriculture is the main user of water in Europe and plays a pivotal role in the European economic contest Water scarcity regions, such as the Mediterranean region, require innovative and sustainable approaches to enhance the use of non-conventional water sources in agriculture as a component of effective water conservation strategies. The need for affordable, efficient and reliable water reclamation reuse has, become imperative In light of these considerations, large-scale monitoring of the main changing factors in microclimate, such as crop water requirements, crop and soil parameters and soil water dynamisms, is needed in order to adequately estimate reclaimed water-use efficiency in the context of irrigation water management for sustainable agrosystem production and as actions for tackling climate changes
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