Reclamation of Highly Calcareous Saline Sodic Soil UsingAtriplex Halimusand by-Product Gypsum

Abstract

The removal of sodium salts from saline soils by salt tolerant crops, as alternative for costly chemical amendments, has emerged as an efficient low cost technology. Lysimeter experiments were carried out on a highly saline sodic soil (ECe = 65.3 dS m(-1), ESP = 27.4, CEC = 47.9 cmole+ kg(-1), and pH = 7.7) and irrigated with canal water (EC = 2.2 dSm(-1), SAR = 4.8) to investigate reclamation efficiency under four different treatments: control (no crop and no gypsum application) (C), gypsum application equivalent to 100% gypsum requirement (G100), planting sea orach (Atriplex halimus) as phytoremediation crop (Cr), planting sea orach with gypsum application equivalent to 50% gypsum requirement (CrG50). Soil salinity (ECe) and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) were significantly reduced compared to the control. Average ESP and ECe (dS m(-1)) in the top layer were 9.1, 5.8 (control), 4.8, 3.7 (Cr), 3.3, 3.9 (CrG50), and 3.8, 3.1 (G100), respectively. Atriplex halimus can be recommended as phytoremediation crop to reclaim highly saline sodic clay loam soils.

Leaching and reclamation of a biochar and compost amended saline–sodic soil with moderate SAR reclaimed water

“…These results suggest that application of organic amendments can facilitate efficient replacement of Na + on the exchange sites by adding significant amounts of divalent cations and may further prevent the entry of Na + onto the exchange phase, when low SAR water is used as a leaching solution. Similar results of enhanced Na + leaching were observed in other studies when saline-sodic soils were treated with various amendments (Ahmad et al, 2006;Ghafoor et al, 2012;Gharaibeh et al, 2011;Jalali and Ranjbar, 2009). It should be noted that the cumulative amounts of cations given in mmolc column −1 (Figs.…”

“…All treatments were effective in reducing the soil ESP to <15 after leaching with 7 pore volumes of reclaimed water including the control. Koo et al (1990) and Gharaibeh et al (2011) reported similar results with saline-sodic soil being reclaimed with irrigation water and attributed this effect to 'valence dilution' (Reeve and Doering, 1966), where adsorption of divalent cations is preferred at the expense of monovalent cations when soil solution is diluted by added water. ESP reductions were still significantly greater (P < 0.01) in soils amended with organic amendments than in the control soils (Fig.…”

First and second-year assessments of the rapid reconstruction and re-vegetation method for reclaiming two saline–sodic, coastal soils with drip-irrigation

“…5), and nearly 30 species of landscape plants, including some salinity-sensitive species, were proposed with survival up to 90% after one or two years. Meanwhile, the approach is applicable to the field condition, which is very different from the traditional reclamation methods mainly used in soil columns, lysimeter experiments, laboratory experiments or greenhouse conditions (Ammari et al, 2013;Gharaibeh et al, 2011Gharaibeh et al, , 2009Hanay et al, 2004;Mahmoodabadi et al, 2013;Miranda et al, 2011;Nayak et al, 2008;Oster et al, 1999;Qadir et al, 1996;Sidhu et al, 2004;Siyal et al, 2010;Somani, 1981).…”

“…Phytoremediation is a technology that can improve plantnutrient availability, extend the depth of the ameliorated zone, and may promote stability of soil aggregates and soil hydraulic properties (Gharaibeh et al, 2011;Qadir and Schubert, 2002). However, biological methods for utilization or vegetative bioremediation of salt-affected soils are limited by the growth environment and salinity tolerance of plants, and are usually combined with chemical amendments and/or leaching methods in reclamation of highly saline-sodic soils.…”

Effect of Salinity and Temperature on Germination of Lygeum spartum

“…Yet, in many arid environments, highquality water is not available to support the establishment of plants for revegetation projects. The removal of sodium salts from saline soils by tolerant plants, as an alternative for costly chemical amendments, has emerged as an efficient low-cost technology [9].…”