Leaching of a highly saline-sodic soil

Abstract

Leaching curves both with respect to desalinization and desodification of a highly saline-sodic soil, were determined experimentally using large-size-ring infiltrometers. These curves were useful in knowing the amount of water of a given composition needed to reduce the harmful levels of salinity and sodicity to the lower desirable values. Different theoretical models were also tested by comparing the calculated and experimental desalinization leaching curves. It was found that there is a reasonably good agreement between theoretical and experimental curves upto nearly 10% of the initial salinity. New empirical relationships on the lines of Reeve's equation were also attempted to fit the experimental data. From the desodification leaching curve it was concluded that in the reclamation of these soils there was no need of application of any amendment like gypsum. The infiltration data were also collected to help calculate the amount of water evaporating during reclamation and to predict the time of reclamation.