The Effects Of Different Levels Of Irrigation Water Salinity And Leaching On The Amount And Distribution Pattern Of Soil Salinity And Ions In An Arid Region

Soil salinity is a major environmental factor limiting the productivity of agricultural lands. To determine the effects of irrigation water salinity and leaching on soil salinity and ion concentrations, a field experiment was conducted on a silty-clay soil. The experiment consisted of three irrigation water salinity levels (2, 8, and 12 dS/m) with/without leaching levels of 4, 19, and 32% under two irrigation water management scenarios. Using factorial design, four replications for each treatment were used. Under leaching, more salts were accumulated at the lower depths of soil. The distribution pattern of different ions was drawn by using measured data. Then the results were simulated by a calibrated SWAP (Soil, Water, Atmosphere and Plant) model. The R-squared value showed that SWAP is usable to predict soil salinity and ion amounts. This should allow users to examine efforts aimed at sustainable agricultural production and profitable yield in arid regions.