The Geochemical Temporal Changes of the Salinity in Selected Agricultural Areas in Mid-Mesopotamian

Abstract

Salinity is one of the most important aspects that cause great damage to the environment and reduce the productivity of agricultural spaces. A geochemical study was conducted for several farms, located in the south of Baghdad, to determine the impact of several geological factors that contribute to the increasing soil degradation by salinity in these selected green spaces (during the year 2021). Several laboratory methods were adopted to reach accurate results, including the grain size of these agricultural soils. Grain size ranges silt 52.08% and clay 39.59%. Fine grain size is adopted for organic materials and salts on the surface of minerals or within their crystalline structure. The agricultural soils and green spaces of the Mesopotamian basin in the study area are alkaline soil and have a great organizing capacity due to the change in pH (7.2-8). The high salinity was 8.1904%. This is caused by climate change and human activity through improper use of irrigation. The temporal geochemical changes in the salinity of selected agricultural spaces are connected with the formation model. This accumulated model of the Mesopotamian basin is represented by growing over time and developing to the top to be above the water level. This occurs through direct evaporative precipitation from the action of salt buildup to act in the solution by capillary property. Organic matters concentrated in the soils of present study with range 1.2 - 4.8%, is caused by the custom of chemical fertilizers as well as animal remaining. When mixed with surface water, the role of saline groundwater in the high concentration of soil salinity. Also, the climate has an important role in increasing the salinity of the studied soils in the area.