Use of Saline Water in Agriculture. II. Crop Growth and Response to Fertilizer Application under Saline Water use in Cultivators' Fields

Abstract

The results of a three year study On crop growth under saline to highly saline sodic water irrigation in cultivators, fields in an arid environment are reported. These show that with B.C. of irrigation water less than 10.0 mmhos/cm and that of saturated extract of soil less tban 11.5 mmbos/cm average to good yields of 'Kbarchia' wheat i.e. between 10' to 20 q/ha and even higher are obtained. With irrigation water beyond 10.0 mmhos/cm but soil salinity average i.e. 10 to· 15 q/ha. With soil salinity higher than 11.5 mmbos/cm yields arc generally poor irrespective of the salinity of irrigation water. No effect of SAR is seen on crop -growth. Presence of naturally occurring nitrate in irrigation water has been found to be beneficial. Within the range 6 to 12 mmhos/cm B.C. of water, sites having more than 2.5 m.sq./1, No' 3 in water generally had good crop growth. Where waters have lower values of nitrate, application of fertilizer has higher yields with an average response of 13 kg of grain for every kilo of nitrogen on net harvested area basis.