Utilization of brackish and canal water for reclamation and crop production

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/03/2018
Views (301) Download (10)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Utilization of brackish and canal water for reclamation and crop production

Muhammad Anwar Zaka, Helge Schmeisky, Hafeezullah Rafa, Muhammad sarfraz, Khalil Ahmed
Int. J. Biosci.12( 3), 7-17, March 2018.
Certificate: IJB 2018 [Generate Certificate]

Abstract

In Pakistan farmers are being forced to use the underground water reserves which are 60 to 70% brackish in nature. The blind use of this resource without any management practice is building up salinity even in the soil that has high potential for crops.  However this precious natural reserve can be an effective alternate for soil reclamation. In present study a saline-sodic field (pHs = 9.30, ECe = 10.4 dS m-1 and SAR = 121.96 (mmol L-1)1/2, GR =3.40 t. ha-1} was selected, leveled and prepared. Gypsum was applied @ 0, 75, 100 and 125 % of GR. Each of this treatment was combined with brackish and canal water separately in split plot design. Gypsum was applied, mixed and leaching was provided either with brackish (EC =1.80 dS m-1 RSC = 5.8 mmol L-1 and SAR = 9.8 (mmol L-1 )1/2 or canal water (ECiw = 0.23 dS m-1  RSC= nil  and SAR =  0.14 (mmol L-1 )1/2 as per treatments. Rice and wheat crops were grown in sequence for two years. Paddy and wheat grain yield data were recorded at maturity. The recorded increase over control with gypsum (125 % GR) was 294 % in paddy and 182 % in wheat with brackish water while corresponding values for canal water were 177 and 143 %. The end value of ECe recorded after two year was lesser than critical limit of 4 dS m-1 in all treatments except control even in brackish water. The pHs and SAR also reduced with brackish water + gypsum application @125 % GR. The bulk density decreased from 7.1 to 20.0 % in brackish water and 11.18 to 19.08 % with canal water. More over an increase of 278 to 610 % in hydraulic conductivity was recorded with brackish water whereas the enhancement of this parameter with canal water varied from 370 to 576 %. It was concluded that brackish water can be utilized for reclamation of sandy clay loam soil and subsequent crop production provided that the application of gypsum is increased by 25 % of soil GR.

VIEWS 13

Ali MS, Mahmood S, Chaudhry MN, Sadiq M. 2009. Irrigation Quality of twenty villages in Lahore district. Soil and Enviornment28(1),17-23.

Aslam M. 2002. Salt affected soils: Option for rehabilitation. Pakistan Journal of Soil Science21, 119-126.

Chhabra R. 1996. Soil Salinity and Water Quality. AA. Balkema Publishers. Brooksfiel, Vermont, Pp. 284. tension. 7/ 03.

Ghafoor A, Qadir M, Qureshi RH. 1991. Using brackish water on normal and salt affected soil in Pakistan: A review. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences 28, 273-288.

Hussain N, Mahmood A,  Rana MA. 1997. Use of sewage and high RSC groundwater for rice production and restoration of physical properties of saline sodic soil. Int. Symposium: Water for the 21th century. June 17-19, 1997.

Hussain N, Hassan G, Arshad Ullah M, Mujeeb F. 2001. Evaluation of amendments for the improvement of physical properties of sodic soil. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology 3, 319-322.

Kashif SR, Akram M, Yasin M, Ali S. 2009. Studies on heavy metals status and their uptake by vegetables in adjoining areas of Hudiara drain in Lahore. Soil and Environment 28(1),7-12.

Khan GS. 1998. Soil salinity/sodicity status in Pakistan. Soil Survey of Pakistan. 20-25 p.

Keshavarzi A, Etesami H, Jamei M, Nadi M. 2010. Effect of indiscriminate removing ground water on irrigation waters salinity in arid area, Central Iran. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Science 4, 5283-5290.

Klute A. 1986. Methods of soil analysis (Part I). Physical and mineralogical methods (2nd Ed.) Agronomy 9. SSSA, Madison. WI, USA.

Mehboob I, Shakir MS, Mehboob A.2011.Surveying tubewell water suitability for irrigation in four tehsils of district Kasur.Soil & Environment 30(2),155-159.

Peters J, Kelling K. 2002. Should calcium be applied to Wisconsin Soils? Focus on Forage 4 (3), 1-3.

Government of Pakistan. 2002. Pakistan Statistics Year Book 2002. Federal Bureau of Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Qadir M, Ghafoor A, Murtaza G, Ahmad HR. 1998. Cycling tile drain water for crop production and reclamation of Aquic Haplargid Soil. J.ournal of Arid Land Studies 7, 179-182.

Qadir M, Ghafoor A, Murtaza G. 2001. Use of saline sodic waters through phytoremediation of calcareous saline-sodic soils. Agricultural Water Management 16,1-14.

Qadir M, Schubert S. 2002. Degradation processes and nutrient constraints in sodic soils. Land Degradation and  Development 13, 275-294.

Saifullah, Ghafoor A, Murtaza G, Qadir M. 2002. Brackish tube well water promotes growth of rice and wheat and reclamation of saline sodic soil. Pakistan Journal of Soil Science 21(4), 83-88.

Saleem M, Ahmad M, Hussain N, Niazi BH. 2002. Role of soil amendments in saline agriculture. Prospects for saline agriculture. Kluwer  Academic  Publishers, Netherland. 433-438 p.

Shainberg, I, Summer ME, Miller WP, Farina MPW, Paran MA, Few MA. 1989. Use of gypsum on soils: a review. Advances in Soil Science 1, 1-111.

Sriramachandrasekaran MV, Ravichandran M. 1995. Effect of organic manures on the nutrient availability, uptake, yield and NUE in lowland rice. In: National symposium on organic farming, TNAU, Madurai, 27-28, Oct. p.1.

Steel RGD, Torrie JH, Dickey DA. 1997. Principles and Procedures of Statistic: A Biometrical Approach. 3rd edition, pp: 400-428.

McGraw Hill book Co. Inc. New York. Troeh, F.R., J.A. Hoobs and R. L. donabue. 1999. Soil and Water Conservation Productivity and Environmental Protection. 3rd Edition Prentice Hall Upper Saddle  River. New Jersey. 610 p.

Troeh FR, Hoobs JA, Donabue RL. 1999. Soil and water conservation productivity and environmental protection. 3rd Edition Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River. New Jersey. 610 p.

US Salinity Laboratory Staff. 1954. Diagnosis and Improvement of Saline and Alkali Soils. USDA Handbook 60, Washington, DC., USA.

Waheed A, Khalid R, Mahmood T, Siddique MT, Javed AS. 2010. Quality of groundwater for irrigation in tehsil Taxila of district Rawalpindi, Punjab. Soil and Environment 29(2), 167-171.

Yaduvanshi NPS, Swarup A. 2006. Long term effect of gypsum, farm yard manure, press mud and fertilizer on soil properties and yields of rice and wheat under continuous use of sodic water. Paper presented in Inter. Conf. on sustainable crop production on salt affected land. Dec. 4-6. Univ. Agri. Faisalabad, Pakistan.