Integrated Watershed Management

Integrated Watershed Management

The effect of saline water and type of irrigation on soil moisture and physico-chemical properties

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 1- Associate professor, Department Soil Conservation and Water Management, Sistan Agriculture and edition Natural Resources Research Center, AREEO, Zabol, Iran.
2 Former Ph.D. Student in Watershed Management, Watershed Management Department, Faculty of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Gorgan, Gorgan, Iran.
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Introduction
With rapid population growth and increasing demand for food, water shortage is one of the challenges of development in countries, because more than 98% of the water on the earth is salt water. In addition, the use of some fresh water sources is also limited. Such a situation will worsen with time. This limitation is more in dry and desert areas that have little rainfall and their distribution is not suitable. The country of Iran, which is located on a dry belt and its rainfall is less than a third of the global amount, is one of those areas that is facing a lot of water stress. Due to the lack of rainfall in the country and, on the other hand, the lack of scientific use of the country's natural and agricultural areas, the ground has been laid for the destruction of natural ecosystems. Accordingly, due to the limited supply of fresh water for agricultural purposes in the world, especially in dry areas, saline water is widely used to irrigate crops to provide the water needed by plants. Due to the use of saline water with a high concentration of salt, especially sodium salt in the soil, it causes a decrease in production efficiency and destruction of the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Since most of the water resources are consumed in the agricultural sector, an appropriate irrigation pattern should be used to prevent soil degradation and erosion in addition to increasing crop yields. Clay pot irrigation is one of the methods that has a better performance than other irrigation methods such as surface and drip type. This type of irrigation is suitable in dry areas that have high evaporation and transpiration and are associated with water crisis.
Materials and methods
In order to carry out this research, first, 36 holes with a depth of 60 cm and a diameter of 50 cm were dug, and in 18 holes, a clay pot was placed with a height of 40 cm and a diameter of 5 cm, and 18 holes were selected as control and without clay pot. Three soil samples were taken from a depth of 50 cm at the beginning and at the end of the research period. Soil changes were made by irrigation with saline water and the characteristics of pH, EC, Na, SAR, organic matter, P, K, Ca, Mg and soil texture were measured. Considering that three types of water with different salinity (1200, 2200 and 3200 umho/cm) were used, three sources of water each with a volume of 200 liters were placed beside the location of implementation. By using the variety of saline water that existed in this area, bringing the EC of water to the level required for the research was done in the laboratory and stored in the relevant water sources. Cultivation of two plants, Rosa damascena and Hibiscus sabdariffa, was tested. Soil moisture (by weight) was measured monthly at a depth of 60 cm.
 Results and Discussion
Examining the pH of the soil samples shows that there is not much difference in the value of this characteristic of the soil of the research area, such that the range of this characteristic varied between 8-8.4. Changes in the EC of the investigated area at the beginning of the project fluctuated between 4.4 and 5.2 mg/liter. After the implementation of the saline water plan, it has been affected, such that the range of this feature has been varying between 16.5-9.7 mg/liter. Measuring the amount of Na at the time of starting the work showed that the range of changes fluctuated between 43.3-43.85 mg/liter. Total Ca and K were measured as 19.7-24.2 mg/liter, while the amount of this feature changed between 26.5-18.4 mg/liter after the completion of the project. The amount of SAR of soil samples at the beginning of the implementation of the project was between 13-3-17, but after the implementation of the project, this range changed between 12-7-18-4. The range of total cations of the soil samples collected at the beginning of the research varied between 43.5-43.5 mg/liter. But after the end of the project, this range changed to 103.5-72.8 mg/liter. Examining the texture of the soil samples at the start of the project showed that the range of clay changes varied between 14-15%, but after the completion of the research, it changed between 10-14%. The amount of silt in the soil samples at the time of starting the project was 43-47%, while this value changed to 44-48% in the samples after the end of the plan. Examining the amount of sand in the soil samples at the beginning of the research showed that the range of changes was between 42-39%, which did not change at the end of the project.
 Conclusions
In this research, the effect of two irrigation methods with saline water on soil moisture and physical and chemical properties was investigated. The results showed that compared to the average of all characteristics, clay pot irrigation performance was better. The work process in this irrigation method is such that the clay pot plays the role of a filter and suitable water is provided for the plant. In this type of irrigation, the transfer of water is limited to the area of ​​the plant's roots, which causes an increase in soil moisture in this area, and improves the plant's performance. In other words, the distribution of moisture in the soil during percolation clay irrigation is such that the water enters the root area of ​​the plant uniformly, which, in addition to meeting the water requirement, also reduces the temperature of the soil. But in drip irrigation, moisture is placed on the soil surface, after which the moisture spreads horizontally on the soil surface and the water does not penetrate deep into the soil. This situation causes evaporation and transpiration to increase and plant roots face water stress. Also, soil solutes cause the soil to become salty through evaporation. In addition, water salinity also increases the intensity of soil salinity, which leads to soil degradation and erosion. Therefore, for the continuation of exploitation in dry and desert areas, it is necessary to use the appropriate method of irrigation in order to sustainably exploit the land without harming its ecosystem components, including the soil. Therefore, according to the existing methods of irrigation, the clay pot type is more important than other types of methods. It can thus be concluded that due to the lack of fresh water resources in Sistan and the limited flow of water from Afghanistan and the existence of subsurface saline water sources, it is necessary to use them, that the use of clay irrigation method has a positive effect on the vegetation and the improvement of the environmental situation and the continuation of exploitation.
Keywords

Subjects


Ataee, A., Akbari, M., Neyshabouri, M. R., Zarehagi, D. & Onnabi Milani, A. (2019). Pistachio response to water and salinity distribution in surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems. Iranian Journal of Irrigation & Drainage, 13(1), 115-128.
Bainbridge, D.A., Tiszler, J., McAller, R. & Allen, M.F. (2001). Irrigation and surface mulch effects on transplant establishment. Native Plants Journal, 2(1), 25-29.
Cheraghi, A. M. & Dehghanisanij, H. (2017). Drip Irrigation under Saline Water Use. Water Management in Agriculture, 4(1), 1-8.
Choudhary, B. S., Ghuman, Josan, A.S. & Bajwa, M.S. (2006) Effect of alternating irrigation with sodic and non-sodic waters on soil properties and sunflower yield" Journal of agricultural water management, 85, 151–156.
Dayana, P., Lakshmi, K., Manikandan, D., Leninraja, M. & Pushpam, K. (2022). Effect of Saline and Sodic Water Irrigation on Physico-Chemical Properties of Inceptisols. Biological Forum, an International Journal, 14(2a), 517-520.
Hanafiah, M.M., Xenopoulos, M.A., Pfister, M., Leuven, R.S. & Huijbregts, M.A. (2011). Characterization factors for water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions based on freshwater fish species extinction. Environ. Sci. Technol, 45, 5272–5278.
Haj-Amor, Z., Hashemi, H. & Bouri, S. (2018). The consequences of saline irrigation treatments on soil physicochemical characteristics. Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, 3(22), 1-12.
Hussain, Z., Khattak, R. A., Irshad M., Mahmood, Q. & An. P. (2016). Effect of saline irrigation water on the leachability of salts, growth and chemical composition of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in saline-sodic soil supplemented with phosphorus and potassium, Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 16 (3), 604-620.
Hati, K.M., Biswas, A.K., Bandyopadhyay, K. & Misra, A.K. (2007). Soil properties and crop yields on a vertisol in India with application of distillery effluent. Soil and Tillage Research. 92, 60–68.
Greenlee, L.F., Lawler, D.F., Freeman, B.D., Marrot, B. & Moulin, P. (2009) Reverse osmosis desalination: Water sources, technology, and today’s challenges. Water Res, 43, 2317–2348
Jahantigh, M. (2021). Effects of irrigation methods of subsurface, clay pot and drop on Mulberry growth in dry land region (Case study: Sistan area). Water and Soil Management and Modelling, 1(2), 25-35. (In Persian)
Jahanthigh, M., Najafinejad, A., jahantigh, M. & Hosseinalizadeh, M. (2022). Effect of sand mulch and nano-clay in buried clay pot irrigation on soil moisture, temperature and aggregate stability variations in arid region, case study: Nimroz City. Watershed Engineering and Management, 14(2), 260-281. (In Persian)
Li, J.G., Qu, Z.Y., Chen, J., Wang, F. & Jin, Q. (2018). Effect of different thresholds of drip irrigation using saline water on soil salt transportation and maize yield. Water, 10, 1855.
Lucieta, G., Martorano, A., Araya, A., Berhe, J., Cabral, S., Moraes, A., Rayanne, A., Lima, S., Costa, D.A., Michelle, A., Barbosa, S. & Marques, M.C. (2018). Water Replenishment in Agricultural Soils: Dissemination of the Irrigation Pot Technology, http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80605
Khademolhosseini, Z., Jafarian, Z., Rowshan, V. & Ranjbar, G. (2021).The effect of salinity levels of irrigation water on some biochemical characteristics of medicinal plant of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L). j.plant proc. func. 10 (41), 97-113. (In Persian)
Kamali Maskooni, E. & Afzali, S. F. (2019). Effect of irrigation with different salinities on some soil characteristics and salt concentration factor (Case study: Bighard, Khonj). Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 21(4), 141-152. doi: 10.22034/jest.2019.24499.3370
Khamidov, M., Ishchanov, J., Hamidov, A., Donmez, C. & Djumaboev, K. (2022). Assessment of Soil Salinity Changes under the Climate Change in the Khorezm Region, Uzbekistan. Int J Environ Res Public Health, (14), 8794. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19148794. PMID: 35886646; PMCID: PMC9321814.
Mansouri, H. (2011). Management methods of using saline water in sustainable agriculture, the second national conference of applied research on water resources of Iran, Zanjan, Zanjan Regional Water Company, Zanjan, Iran. (In Persian)
Naik, B.S., Panda, R.K., Nayak. S.C., Sharma. S.D. & Sahu, A.P. (2013). Impact of pitcher material and salinity of water use donflowrate, wetting frontadvance, soil moisture and salt distribution in soil in pitcher irrigation. Journal of irrigation and drainage, 62, 687-694.
Taghizadehghasab, A., Safadoust, A. & Mosaddeghi, M. R. (2019). Effects of Saline and Sodic Water on Hydraulic Properties of Clay Loam and Sandy Loam Soils. Iranian Journal of Soil Research, 33(1), 115-125. doi: 10.22092/ijsr.2019.119060. (In Persian)
Tedeschi, A. & Dell’Aquila, D. (2005). Effects of irrigation with saline waters, at different concentrations, on soil physical and chemical characteristics. Agricultural Water Management, 77, 120-140.
Wei, C.C., Li, F.H., Yang, P.L., Ren, S.M., Wang, S.J., Wang, Y., Xu, Z., Xu, Y., Wei, R. & Zhang, Y.X. (2019). Effects of Irrigation Water Salinity on Soil Properties, N2O Emission and Yield of Spring Maize under Mulched Drip Irrigation. Water. 11, 1548, doi: 10.3390/w11081548.                   
Vafaei, G., Babazadeh, H., Ashrafi, S. & Pazira, E. (2022). The study of permeability of sub-surface irrigation porous clay pipes under warer quality and soil texture point source. Iranian Journal of Irrigation & Drainage, 14(4), 1487-1498. (In Persian)
Varjavand, P., Andarzian, S. B., Mokhtaran, A. & Mosadeghi, A. (2022). Investigation of irrigation by sugarcane drainage water on soil quality specifications and yield of 20 genotypes of wheat in south of Khuzestan. Environmental Stresses in Crop Sciences, 15(3), 719-730. doi: 10.22077/escs.2021.
Vasudaven, P. Ka., Bhumija, S., Tandon, R.K., Mamta, S. & Sen, P. K. (2011). Buried clay pot irrigation using saline water. Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research (JSIR) JSIR, Vol.70.
Zhang, P. & Shen, J. (2022). Effect of Brackish water irrigation on the movement of water and salt in salinized soil. Open Geosciences. 14(1), 404- 13.https://doi.org/10.1515/.

  • Receive Date 25 January 2023
  • Revise Date 17 February 2023
  • Accept Date 06 March 2023