Sodic soil reclamation: Modelling and field study

Soil Research ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald L. Suarez

Reclamation of sodic soils has traditionally been undertaken using calculation of gypsum or Ca requirement assuming 100% exchange efficiency and neglect of the contribution of calcium carbonate in the profile. The UNSATCHEM model is reviewed and then evaluated for its ability to predict field reclamation of a sodic saline soil. The 40-ha field site was initially at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 50 dS/m and a sodium absorption ratio (SAR) of 144 in the top 30 cm. After installation of a drainage system, 24 Mg/ha of gypsum was applied to a depth of 15 cm in the soil. Subsequently, 114 cm of water was applied by almost continuous ponding for 3 months. Model simulations were made based on infiltration of 70–80 cm of water, correcting for the estimated evaporation of 41 cm of water. These infiltration estimates are consistent with the good fit between the measured Cl concentrations after reclamation and the model predicted values after 70–80 cm of infiltrated water. Model predictions of EC and SAR after reclamation gave a satisfactory fit to the measured values. The effectiveness of mixing gypsum to various depths was evaluated in terms of the predicted SAR profiles. Alternative management practices of green manuring in presence of calcite were simulated and appeared feasible. In this instance it appears likely that the field could have been reclaimed either with less water or without the addition of gypsum.

1996 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles A. Sanchez ◽  
Jeffrey. C. Silvertooth

About 33% of all irrigated lands worldwide are affected by varying degrees of salinity and sodicity. Soil with an electrical conductivity (EC) of the saturated extract >4 dS·m−1 is considered saline, but some horticultural crops are negatively affected if salt concentrations in the rooting zone exceed 2 dS·m−1. Salinity effects on plant growth are generally osmotic in nature, but specific toxicities and nutritional balances are known to occur. In addition to the direct toxic effects of Na salts, Na can negatively impact soil structure. Soil with exchangeable sodium percentages (ESPs) or saturated extract sodium absorption ratios (SARs) > 15 are considered sodic. Sodic soils tend to deflocculate, become impermeable to water and air, and puddle. Many horticultural crops are sensitive to the deterioration of soil physical properties associated with Na in soil and irrigation water. This review summarizes important considerations in managing saline and sodic soils for producing horticultural crops. Economically viable management practices may simply involve a minor, inexpensive modification of cultural practices under conditions of low to moderate salinity or a more costly reclamation under conditions of high Na.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 2299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Karim ◽  
Marangely Gonzalez Cruz ◽  
Elma A. Hernandez ◽  
Venkatesh Uddameri

A fit for purpose (FFP) framework has been developed to evaluate the suitability of brackish water resources for various competing uses. The suitability or the extent of unsuitability for an intended use is quantified using an overall compatibility index (OCI). The approach is illustrated by applying it to evaluate the feasibility of the Dockum Hydrostratigraphic Unit (Dockum-HSU) as a water supply alternative in the Southern High Plains (SHP) region of Texas. The groundwater in Dockum-HSU is most compatible for hydraulic fracturing uses. While the water does not meet drinking water standards, it can be treated with existing desalination technologies over most of the study area, except perhaps near major population centers. The groundwater from Dockum-HSU is most compatible for cotton production, but not where it is currently grown. It can be a useful supplement to facilitate a smoother transition of corn to sorghum cropping shifts happening in parts of the SHP. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR), sodium, sulfate, and radionuclides are major limiting constituents. Dockum-HSU can help reduce the freshwater footprint of the Ogallala Aquifer in the SHP by supporting non-agricultural uses. Greater regional collaboration and more holistic water management practices are however necessary to optimize brackish groundwater use.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsiddig Eldaw ◽  
Tao Huang ◽  
Adam Khalifa Mohamed ◽  
Yahaya Mahama

AbstractDeterioration of groundwater quality due to drastic human interventions is rising at an alarming rate particularly in lower- and middle-income countries. Yet, limited research effort has been devoted to monitoring and ascertaining groundwater quality. The present study develops a comprehensive irrigation water quality index (IWQI) for rating water quality of shallow and deep aquifers in North Kurdufan province, Sudan. The new approach is developed to overcome the deficiencies of the existing irrigation indices and coming up with a unified decision for classifying water quality for irrigation purposes. Because of these indices like permeability index (PI), sodium absorption ratio (SAR), etc., depending on specific elements, entirely subjective, as well as the great variations in their results, particularly when classifying water quality. Thus, IWQI is created based on eight indices that are generally used to evaluate irrigation water quality, plus three physicochemical parameters have been proven an impact on water quality. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is applied to minimize the subjectivity at assign parameter weights under multiple criteria decision analysis tools (MCDA). The spatial distribution of IWQI agrees with the spatial distribution of the most parameters. The results of our approach reveal that the majority of samples are suitable for irrigation uses for both aquifers except few wells in the confined aquifer. Also, noted that there are very variations in the irrigation indices results for classifying water quality. The comparison result showed that the new index robust, fair calculations and has best classifying of water quality.


Water ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Raphael Schneider ◽  
Simon Stisen ◽  
Anker Lajer Højberg

About half of the Danish agricultural land is drained artificially. Those drains, mostly in the form of tile drains, have a significant effect on the hydrological cycle. Consequently, the drainage system must also be represented in hydrological models that are used to simulate, for example, the transport and retention of chemicals. However, representation of drainage in large-scale hydrological models is challenging due to scale issues, lacking data on the distribution of drain infrastructure, and lacking drain flow observations. This calls for more indirect methods to inform such models. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that drain flow leaves a signal in streamflow signatures, as it represents a distinct streamflow generation process. Streamflow signatures are indices characterizing hydrological behaviour based on the hydrograph. Using machine learning regressors, we show that there is a correlation between signatures of simulated streamflow and simulated drain fraction. Based on these insights, signatures relevant to drain flow are incorporated in hydrological model calibration. A distributed coupled groundwater–surface water model of the Norsminde catchment, Denmark (145 km2) is set up. Calibration scenarios are defined with different objective functions; either using conventional stream flow metrics only, or a combination with hydrological signatures. We then evaluate the results from the different scenarios in terms of how well the models reproduce observed drain flow and spatial drainage patterns. Overall, the simulation of drain in the models is satisfactory. However, it remains challenging to find a direct link between signatures and an improvement in representation of drainage. This is likely attributable to model structural issues and lacking flexibility in model parameterization.


Irriga ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egeiza Moreira Leite ◽  
Lourival Ferreira Cavalcante ◽  
Adriana Araújo Diniz ◽  
Rivaldo Vital dos Santos ◽  
Gibran Da Silva Alves ◽  
...  

CORREÇÃO DA SODICIDADE DE DOIS SOLOS IRRIGADOS EM RESPOSTA À APLICAÇÃO DE GESSO AGRÍCOLA  Egeiza Moreira Leite1; Lourival Ferreira Cavalcante1; Adriana Araujo Diniz1; Rivaldo Vital dos Santos2; Gibran da Silva Alves3; Italo Herbert Lucena Cavalcante41Departamento de Solos e Engenharia Rural, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia, PB, [email protected] de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Patos, PB3Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia, PB4Departamento de Produção Vegetal, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, SP  1 RESUMO             Uma das limitações das áreas irrigadas, nas regiões áridas e semi-áridas, ao sistema produtivo é a degradação química e física dos solos pela salinidade e sodicidade. Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito do gesso sobre a condutividade elétrica, pH, percentagem de sódio trocável, teores de cálcio, magnésio, sódio do extrato de saturação e de sódio trocável de dois solos salino-sódicos: um do Perímetro Irrigado Engenheiro Arco Verde no município de Condado-PB e o outro do Perímetro Irrigado de São Gonçalo em Sousa-PB, conduziu-se um experimento em abrigo protegido do Departamento de Solos e Engenharia Rural do CCA/UFPB, Areia, PB. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 2x5 referente a dois solos e cinco doses de gesso equivalentes a 0; 3,2; 6,3; 9,4 e 12,5 g kg-1 de cada solo. Pelos resultados a incorporação do gesso exerceu efeito positivo sobre a redução da salinidade e da sodicidade dos solos. Os valores da condutividade elétrica, percentagem de sódio trocável, pH e os teores de sódio solúvel e trocável em relação aos que os solos possuíam antes da aplicação dos tratamentos, foram sensivelmente reduzidos e os de cálcio e magnésio incrementados com a incorporação do gesso em ambos os solos. UNITERMOS: salinidade, sódio trocável, recuperação de solo.  LEITE, E. M.; CAVALCANTE, L. F.; DINIZ, A. A.; SANTOS, R. V.; ALVES, G. S.; CAVALCANTE, I. H. L. SODICITY CORRECTION OF TWO IRRIGATED SOILS IN RESPONSE TO APPLICATION OF AGRICULTURAL GYPSUM  2 ABSTRACT             The chemical and physical degradation of the soils by salinity and sodicity problems constitutes a serious obstacle in productive irrigated areas in arid and semi-arid regions. An experiment was carried out in green house at the Soil and Rural Engeneering Department in the Centro de Ciências Agrárias of the Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia, Brazil, in order to evaluate the effect of gypsum on electrical conductivity, pH, exchangeable sodium percentage, sodium, calcium and magnesium content in saturation extract and exchangeable sodium of two saline-sodic soils: one from irrigated Perimeter Engenheiro Arco Verde in the municipality of Condado and another from irrigated Perimeter of São Gonçalo, in the municipality of Sousa,  both in Paraiba State,  Brazil.  The experiment factorial design 2 x 5 referred to two soils and five gypsum levels equivalent to 0; 3.2; 6.3; 9.4 and 12.5 gkg-1 for each soil. The gypsum application had positive effects on salinity and sodicity reduction. The valued for electrical conductivity, exchangeable sodium percentage, pH and contents of soluble and exchangeable sodium in relation to soil data before the application of gypsum treatments in both soils  decreased. KEYWORDS: salinity, exchangeable sodium, soil reclamation


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sihem Hedjal ◽  
Derradji Zouini ◽  
Abdelwaheb Benamara

AbstractThe wetland complex of Guerbes-Sanhadja (north-eastern Algeria), has experienced in recent years a certain economic expansion, particularly agricultural, about 47% of the useful agricultural area marked by several varieties of crops ranging from market gardening to speculative crops, requiring large quantities of water for irrigation purposes, however the swampy areas are the main sources used for irrigation purposes in this practice. It is therefore necessary for this water to have physicochemical properties adapted to plants, in particular the absence of salinity. This study was done to evaluate the status of the swamps areas quality and its suitability for irrigated agriculture. To achieve this objective, water samples from ten swamps areas water were collected from Guerbes-Sanhadja in February and June of 2016. The water quality of these swamps was estimated from different water quality parameters such as pH and electrical conductivity (EC), the chemical parameters like Na+, K+, Ca2+, HCO3−, SO42−, Cl−, BOD5, NO3−, NO2−, NH4+ and PO43−. Based on the physico-chemical analyses, irrigation quality parameters like sodium absorption ratio (SAR), percent sodium (% Na), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), permeability index (PI), magnesium hazard (MH) were calculated. The results showed that the overall concentration of nitrate was very high. About 60 percent of the swampy areas had suitable water quality for chloride, and they had a concentration below the permissible limit for crop irrigation. From the Richards diagram, it is observed that most of the samples from the study area fall in the good to permissible classes for irrigation purpose.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 10151-10204 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Miller ◽  
G. Mackin ◽  
P. Lechler ◽  
M. Lord ◽  
S. Lorentz

Abstract. The management of sediment and other non-point source (NPS) pollution has proven difficult, and requires a sound understanding of particle movement through the drainage system. The primary objective of this investigation was to obtain an understanding of NPS sediment source(s), transport, and storage within the Mkabela basin, a representative agricultural catchment within the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands of southeastern South Africa, by combining geomorphic, hydrologic and geochemical fingerprinting analyses. The Mkabela Basin can be subdivided into three distinct subcatchments that differ in their ability to transport and store sediment along the axial valley. Headwater (upper catchment) areas are characterized by extensive wetlands that act as significant sediment sinks. Mid-catchment areas, characterized by higher relief and valley gradients, exhibit few wetlands, but rather are dominated by a combination of alluvial and bedrock channels that are conducive to sediment transport. The lower catchment exhibits a low-gradient alluvial channel that is boarded by extensive riparian wetlands that accumulate large quantities of sediment (and NPS pollutants). Fingerprinting studies suggest that silt- and clay-rich layers found within wetland and reservoir deposits are derived from the erosion of fine-grained, valley bottom soils frequently utilized as vegetable fields. Coarser-grained deposits within both wetlands and reservoirs result from the erosion of sandier hillslope soils extensively utilized for sugar cane, during relatively high magnitude runoff events that are capable of transporting sand-sized sediment off the slopes. Thus, the source of sediment to the axial valley varies as a function of sediment size and runoff magnitude. Sediment export from the basin was limited until the early 1990s, in part because the upper catchment wetlands were hydrologically disconnected from lower parts of the watershed during low- to moderate flood events. The construction of a drainage ditch through a previously unchanneled wetland altered the hydrologic connectivity of the catchment, allowing sediment to be transported from the headwaters to the lower basin where much of it was deposited within the riparian wetlands. The axial drainage system is now geomorphically and hydrologically connected during most events throughout the study basin. The study indicates that increased valley connectivity partly negated the positive benefits of controlling sediment/nutrient exports from the catchment by means of upland based, best management practices.


Soil Research ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 869 ◽  
Author(s):  
GW Ford ◽  
JJ Martin ◽  
P Rengasamy ◽  
SC Boucher ◽  
A Ellington

This paper gives a broad overview of the distribution and agricultural importance of sodic soils in Victoria. Sodic soils are estimated to occupy at least 13.4 Mha, representing at least 73% of Victoria's agricultural land. Most of this land is used for dryland farming; about 85% of the cropped land and 66% of the land sown to dryland pastures occurs on sodic soils. The largest sodicity class is 'alkaline sodic', dominated by a diverse range of soils (red duplex, yellow duplex, calcareous earths and self-mulching cracking clays). Alkaline sodic soils comprise half of the total agricultural land area, or about 24% of the area of land currently used for dryland cropping and 21% of the land under sown pasture. Land degradation problems are recognized as affecting most agricultural land in Victoria, and to be substantially limiting its productivity. The nature, extent and severity of the various forms of land degradation are a consequence of both intrinsic soil properties and of management practices. There is an urgent need to improve current farming practices to prevent further deterioration of the soil resource. Existing knowledge of the behaviour of sodic soils under both dryland and irrigated agriculture is reviewed. It is concluded that substantial gains in productivity are possible, but will require effective collaboration between soil scientists, agronomists, and land managers. Collation and integration of current knowledge on the properties and management of sodic soils in Victoria, and the acquisition of additional relevant information by targeted long-term research is required. Key issues for future research are identified.


2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Nixon ◽  
P. A. Davies

This paper outlines a novel elevation linear Fresnel reflector (ELFR) and presents and validates theoretical models defining its thermal performance. To validate the models, a series of experiments were carried out for receiver temperatures in the range of 30–100 °C to measure the heat loss coefficient, gain in heat transfer fluid (HTF) temperature, thermal efficiency, and stagnation temperature. The heat loss coefficient was underestimated due to the model exclusion of collector end heat losses. The measured HTF temperature gains were found to have a good correlation to the model predictions—less than a 5% difference. In comparison to model predictions for the thermal efficiency and stagnation temperature, measured values had a difference of −39% to +31% and 22–38%, respectively. The difference between the measured and predicted values was attributed to the low-temperature region for the experiments. It was concluded that the theoretical models are suitable for examining linear Fresnel reflector (LFR) systems and can be adopted by other researchers.


1995 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances Drake

For almost half a century it was widely believed that the photochemistry of the stratosphere and hence ozone distribution were well understoood. As observations revealed a gap between observed and predicted values it was recognized that a number of substances acted as catalysts thereby increasing the destruction of ozone and that humanity could augment those catalysts and affect the ozone layer. Initial concern focused on nitrogen oxides from the exhausts of supersonic transport, but attention switched in the mid-1970s to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Although the theory of anthropogenic ozone depletion by CFCs found widespread scientific support the perceived threat was minimized in particular by successive model predictions downgrading the amount of depletion. The appearance of the ozone hole over Antarctica in the mid-1980s reopened the debate as to whether such depletion was anthropogenic or natural in origin. It also highlighted the model's inadequate treatment of the processes occurring in the stratosphere and the importance of dynamics and radiative transfer in stratospheric ozone destruction. Scientific consensus again favours the anthropogenic depletion of the ozone layer. In conclusion it is considered that the degree of consensus outweighs the image of scientific uncertainty that is often portrayed in relation to the issue of stratospheric ozone depletion.


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