Integrated Approaches towards Ameliorating A Saline Sodic Soil and Increasing The Dry Weight of Barley Plants Grown Thereon

Farid, Ihab; Hashem, AboEl-Nasr; Abd El-Aty, Esraa A.M.; Abbas, Mohamed HH; Ali, Maha

doi:10.21608/jenvbs.2020.12912.1086

Integrated Approaches towards Ameliorating A Saline Sodic Soil and Increasing The Dry Weight of Barley Plants Grown Thereon

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Soils and Water Department, Faculty of Agric., Benha University

² Soils and Water department,Benha University, Egypt

³ Soils and Water department, Faculty of Agric., Benha University

⁴ Soils and Water department, faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Egypt

⁵ Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Egypt

10.21608/jenvbs.2020.12912.1086

Abstract

Soil salinization and water scarcity are among the major threats affecting crop productivity in Egypt. To ameliorate a saline-sodic soil (EC= 8.2 dSm-1 and ESP=22.9%) under no-leaching conditions, a greenhouse experiment was conducted, including three factors [1: Arthrospira platensis bio-inoculant with two treatments (non-inoculated and inoculated seeds), 2: phosphogypsum with three rates (non; 50% of the gypsum requirements (GR) and 100% of GR) and 3: compost with three rates (none, 7.5g kg-1 and 15 g kg-1)]. The outcome evaluations of this experiment focused on evaluating efficiencies of the used treatments in increasing barley plants grown on such a soil, on one hand, and monitoring soil deterioration in terms of soil EC and ESP., on the other hand. After 75 days of incubation, Arthrospira platensis increased significantly the EC values, while decreased soil ESP. This inoculant also increased P and K uptake by plants but had no significant effect on barley dry weight. For soils treated with compost and phosphogypsum, their highest rates decreased significantly soil ESP and, at the same time, caused a significant increase in barley dry weights. Furthermore, these two amendments increased significantly NPK availability and uptake by plants. Generally, phosphogypsum seemed to be more efficient in minimizing the negative implications of soil salinity and sodicity than compost. Moreover, the outcomes of dual and triple application of the chosen amendments seemed to be more promising on both soils and plants than the single ones.

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