Sodic soil reclamation with saline water in conjunction with organic and inorganic amendments

Abstract

Abstract A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of soil amendments on the growth, yield, and mineral composition of rice and wheat grown in a highly sodic soil (pH 10.6, exchangeable Na+ 95%). The soil amendments were gypsum at 50% gypsum requirement (GR), pyrite 50% GR on equivalent sulfur basis, farmyard manure (FYM) 1%, gypsum 50% GR + FYM1%, pyrite 50% GR + FYM 1%, and control (no amendment). Saline (EC 4 dS m‐1) and nonsaline (EC 0.4 dS m‐1) water was used for irrigation. Irrespective of the amendments used, soil pH and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) decreased due to an initial 10 days submergence, and more with saline water. Application of amendments significantly enhanced the yield of both crops and decreased ESP, irrespective of the quality of irrigation water used and followed the order gypsum + FYM > pyrite + FYM > gypsum > pyrite > FYM > control. The magnitude of increase in the yield of wheat was higher as compared to rice following amendments application. Use of saline water resulted in significantly higher yield of both crops. Decrease in soil pH and ESP was greater after rice than wheat, particularly when nonsaline water was used. However, irrigation of wheat with saline water further decreased the soil pH and ESP.