Saline and sodic irrigation effects on performance of wheat cultivars and soil health
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Date
2016
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
The present investigation was conducted to observe the effects of saline and alkali irrigation water on performance of six wheat cultivars and soil health. Five levels of saline (EC 0, EC 3, EC 6, EC 9 and 12 dS m-1) and four levels of alkali water (RSC 0, RSC 3, RSC 6.5 and RSC 10 me L-1) were used for irrigating six wheat cultivars (KRL 210, PBW 621, HD 2967, PBW 590, PBW 658 and Berbet ) during two years of research study. The results revealed that increasing salinity and alkalinity of irrigation water significantly increased soil pH , EC, SAR, ESP and soluble Na+, Cl- and HCO3- and decreased organic carbon , available nutrients (N, P, K and S) , DTPA-Zn and soluble ions (K+, Ca+Mg2+, SO42-) concentration in both years. Soil physical properties such as bulk density and dispersion ratio increased with increasing salinity and alkalinity in irrigation water whereas MWD, SHC, IR and WHC decreased under these treatments. Biological soil properties (MBC, MBN, DHA and CWEC) were significantly reduced to almost 50% at highest level of salinity (EC= 12 dS m-1) and alkalinity (RSC = 10 me L-1) of irrigation water in 2013-14 and 2014-15. In 84 days of incubation study cumulative respiration, MBC, NH4+ and NO3- N was low under saline and alkaline irrigated soil samples which improved on addition of carbon @ 1%. Plant and yield parameters were adversely impacted due to elevated salinity and alkalinity levels of irrigation water in both years. Pooled over two years, among different cultivars the maximum grain yield was produced by PBW 658 (4.23 t ha-1) at highest level of saline water (EC = 12 dS m-1) and by PBW 621 (5.19 t ha-1) for highest level of alkaline water (RSC = 10 me L-1) whereas the minimum yield in both cases was recorded for PBW 590 (3.82 and 3.79 t ha-1), respectively. Among all cultivars performance of HD 2967 was better at EC 9 dSm-1 and RSC 6.5 meL-1, therefore can be grown without much significant loss in grain yield at respective levels but at highest level of salinity and alkalinity of irrigation water PBW 658 and PBW 621 should be preferred to get higher yield.