Optimizing soil health in alkali water irrigated lands through suitable amendments for enhanced rice (Oryza sativa) productivity
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Authors
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Sandeep Kumar
Divison of Agronomy
ICAR-IARI, Pusa, New Delhi
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Arijit Barman
ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning
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Dr Yadav
ICAR- Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal
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Dr. K. K.
ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning
Keywords:
Alkali water, CSR-60, Gypsum, H2SO4, Leachate, Rice, RSC, Sodic SoilAbstract
Salinity-induced land degradation affects 6.73 million hectares in India, causing an annual loss of 16.84 million tons valued at ₹230.20 billion. This issue is further exacerbated by the use of high residual sodium carbonate (RSC), leading to poor soil health and reduced crop productivity. Conducting research in this area is crucial to understanding the physico-chemical properties of RSC water and identifying effective management practices. This study was conducted in 2022 and 2023 under a long-term experiment at the long-term lysimetric study, ICAR-CSSRI, Karnal. For assessing soil physico-chemical properties, soil from the same long-term lysimetric study maintained since 1998 was used. This study involved various RSC water levels: Control, RSC 5, RSC 10, RSC 10/5 gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O), and RSC 10/5 H2SO4. Experimental findings of this showed that PR 126 rice varied recorded yield reductions of 42%, 44%, 38%, and 68% under RSC 5, RSC 10/5 gypsum, RSC 10/5 H2SO4, and RSC 10, respectively, and CSR 60 rice had reductions of 33.33%, 35.42%, 37.50%, and 56.25% for the same treatments, over control. Soil analysis revealed the highest infiltration rate in control and the lowest in RSC 10. Ion concentrations (Na+, CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻) and water quality parameters (SAR, RSC, pH) were highest in RSC 10, impairing plant growth. The study recommends using gypsum or H2SO4 to amend high RSC water, improving soil and crop productivity.
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