Comparative reclamation efficiency of gypsum and sulfur for improvement of salt affected

Dr. khalil ahmed, Ghulam Qadir, Abdul-Rehman Jami, Amar Iqbal Saqib, M. Qaisar Nawaz, Muhammad Asif Kamal, Ehsan-Ul-Haq

Abstract: Salinization of soils or water is among the salient environmental stresses which impair productivity of all the arable crops. Damages induced by such stresses could be decreased by the application of certain soil amendments. Hence, a four-year field study was conducted to investigate comparative reclamation efficiency and economic feasibility of two sulfur sources i.e elemental sulfur and gypsum. Rice wheat crop rotation was adopted in a saline-sodic field (electrical conductivity of soil extract = 6.10 dS m-1, pH of soil saturated paste = 9.21, sodium absorption ratio = 41.67 (mmol L-1)1/2, SO4¬-S = 16.0 (mg kg-1) and soil gypsum requirement of 9.10 t ha-1 for 0-15 cm soil depth). The treatments included were: control, gypsum application @ 100% of soil gypsum requirement, sulfur application @ 25, 50, 75, 100 & 125% of soil gypsum requirement. Analysis of four-year pooled data indicated that varying levels of sulfur and gypsum significantly improved soil chemical properties and rice-wheat yield. Results showed that sulfur @ 125 & 100% of soil gypsum requirement gave similar results as that of gypsum @ 100% of soil gypsum requirement in terms of growth and yield of both tested crops and reducing pH, electrical conductivity and sodium absorption ratio of soil. However economic analysis proved the supremacy of gypsum @ 100% of soil gypsum requirement with second best treatment of sulfur @ 100% of soil gypsum requirement which could also use an alternative but slightly expensive amendment for improving the different qualities of salt affected soils and rice-wheat yield.

Keywords: Amendments, economics, rice, wheat, crop rotation, salinity

Date published: 2017-02-24