The integrated effect of salinity, organic amendments, phosphorus fertilizers, and deficit irrigation on soil properties, phosphorus fractionation and wheat productivity

Abstract

Soil degradation due to global warming, water scarcity and diminishing natural resources negatively impacts food security. Soil fertility deterioration, particularly phosphorus (P) deficiency, remains a challenge in the arid and semi-arid regions. In this study, field experiments were conducted in different geographical locations to investigate the effects of organic amendments coupled with P fertilization and irrigation on soil physical-chemical properties, and the growth, yield and quality of wheat. Application of P fertilizers combined with organic amendments mitigated soil salinity, increased organic matter content, available water, hydraulic conductivity and available macronutrients, but decreased soil bulk density. Application of organic amendments slightly increased total Cd, Ni and Pb in soil, but Cd and Ni concentration was below allowable limits whilst Pb reached a hazardous level. Soil P fractions were significantly increased with the combined application of mineral P and organic amendments irrespective of salinity and irrigation. Crop growth yield and quality of wheat improved significantly in response to the integrated application of mineral P and organic amendments. In conclusion, the combination of mineral P sources with organic amendments could be successfully used as a costeffective management practice to enhance soil fertility and crop production in the arid and semi-arid regions stressed with water scarcity and natural resource constraints. Saline soils are an important natural resource but the area of degraded saline soils worldwide has rapidly increased due to climate change and limited rainfall, which poses a great challenge to global food security 1,2. This problem may be solved through a targeted remediation program of such soils. Deficit irrigation (DI) is also projected to increase soil salinity and sodicity, particularly in the arid and semi-arid climatic regions 3 , requiring proper management strategies to alleviate soil degradation. Contamination of soils with heavy metals has become a global concern, due to potential hazardous impacts of these elements on soil quality, crop yield and quality 4 , and food safety and human health 5. Application of organic amendments was reported to remediate saline soils, alleviate salinity and sodicity stress on crops 6 , and reduce toxicity of heavy metals 4. Some organic amendments contain heavy metals, and their application benefits require further studies 7. Organic amendments could improve soil properties by accelerating leaching of sodium and other salts and reducing exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) 8. Moreover, organic amendments enhance soil biological and enzyme activities and increase organism

Sewage Sludge to Fertilise Durum Wheat: Effects on Crop and Soil

“…One of the main problems that affects soil productivity is a rising EC by increasing salts [9]. Applying organic amendments, including sewage sludge, has been widely reported to remediate saline soils and to alleviate salinity and sodicity stress in crops [36][37]. Our study showed that this did not happen in Villacañas, which coincides with similar studies in which EC did not only not increase, but even lowered [13], which was the case of treatments SS and CS.…”

Salt Stress in Plants and Amelioration Strategies: A Critical Review

“…Salt adsorbing ability of organic amendments is also known to be considered in lowering the EC of soils [140]. The incorporation of different organic amendments in soils had often contributed to a slight increase in EC depending on the rate and duration of incorporation [139,146]. The increase in EC after the application of organic manures could be attributed to the presence of high amounts of K and Ca [141].…”

“…The application of organic amendments in SAS is considered a useful and effective way to increase soil fertility and enhance crop growth [31,157]. The application of organic amendments in SAS increased the biomass yield of alfalfa, Medicago sativa [182]; barley, Hordeum vulgare [31]; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum [143]; maize, Zea mays [32,159,183]; onion, Allium cepa [142]; rice, Oryza sativa [31,153,184]; seepweed, Suaeda salsa [185]; sweet fennel, Foeniculum vulgare [186]; tomato, Solanum lycopersicum [187]; and wheat, Triticum aestivum [139]. The quantitative and qualitative improvements in the growth and yield attributes of crops as affected by abiotic stresses in the presence of different additives might be due to the enhanced photosynthesis, cholorophyll contents, stomatal conductance, water-use efficiency, and synthesis of metabolites [137,[188][189][190][191].…”

Application of beet sugar byproducts improves sugar beet biofortification in saline soils and reduces sugar losses in beet sugar processing

“…Increasing soil salinity level (EC > 6 dSm − 1 ) promotes ion toxicity, nutritional imbalances, oxidative stress, decreasing the soil available water, cell division and changes in metabolic processes such as photosynthesis and disrupt plant membranes (Ding et al 2020, Hasanuzzaman et al 2014. In addition, the quality of sugar beet root juice has been also found to be adversely affected under high levels of salt in the soil (Dadkhah 2008, Wu et al 2003.…”