Abstract:
A field study was conducted on a Lyallpur saline-sodic variant soil at Proka Farm II, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and economic viability of using low quality water with or without gypsum for reclamation of sandy clay loam saline-sodic soil (pHs = 8.35-8.53, ECe = 6.23-6.79 dS m-1, SAR = 47.67-51.24, CEC = 3.61-5.15 cmolc kg-1, organic matter = 0.23-0.28% and lime =6.25-6.87%). Tube well (EC = 3.94 dS m-1, SAR =19.73, RSC = Nil) and canal (EC = 2.86 dS m-1, SAR = 11.81, RSC = Nil) waters were used for irrigation as per treatment plan. The treatments were: Tube well water (TW) alone, TW, Canal water (CW) alone, TW, CW + Gypsum @ 50% soil gypsum requirement (SGR) and TW,CW + Gypsum @ 100% SGR. Treatments were replicated thrice. After harvesting sorghum and berseem crops, signi?cantly the greatest decrease in pHs, ECe and SAR occurred with TW, CW + G100. The highest net benefit (Rs.) from sorghum and berseem in rotation for two years was obtained with TW, CW + G100 (268293), while lowest with TW (82452) during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. The results obtained from the two year study show that TW,CW + G100 could be used to reclaim saline-sodic soils by following sorghum-berseem rotation
Page(s):
640-648
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, Volume: 15, Issue: 4, Year: 2013