The influence of blue-green algae on the biological amelioration of alkali soils

Abstract

Virgin alkali (sodic) soils have a high pH and high exchangeable Na and are often barren. Blue-green algae, however, tolerate excess Na and grow extensively on the soil surface in wet seasons. Experiments using a highly degraded alkali soil (silt loam, pH 10.3, electrical conductivity 3.5 dS m-1, 90% exchangeable Na) were conducted in soil columns, with or without gypsum, in order to study the influence of waterlogging on the growth of indigenous and inoculated blue-green algae and hence, soil reclamation. The growth of indigenous blue-green algae was initially slow in alkali soil, due to the high pH and exchangeable Na, and depressed in gypsum-amended soil, due to excess Ca. Inoculation hastened the establishment of blue-green algae in both the unamended alkali soil and the gypsum-amended soil, overcoming the adverse influence of excess Na in the former and excess Ca in the latter. Gypsum was effective in amelioration (pH 9.05, electrical conductivity 1.2 dS m-1, 41% exchangeable Na after 11 weeks) but blue-green algae were ineffective even after 17 weeks. In combination with gypsum, blue-green algae had no additional effect, and the C and N increases due to the growth of indigenous or inoculated blue-green algae were insignificant. Alkali soil reclamation by biological methods requires mobilization of Ca from native soil calcite and the exchange of Ca for Na in the exchange complex. The ineffectiveness of blue-green algae was ascribed to their inability to mobilize Ca. It is argued that current theories favouring blue-green algae as a biological amendment to bring about alkali soil reclamation are untenable and are not comparable with an effective chemical amendment such as gypsum.