Combined Effect of Soil Salinity and Compaction on Some Growth Indices of Corn

Soil salinity and compaction are probably the most prevailed limitations for crop growth and yield. This research was performed to investigate the combined effect of soil salinity and soil compaction on several aspects of corn (Zea mays cv. single cross 704) growth. For this purpose a factorial pot experiment on the basis of completely randomized design with three replications was performed. The experimental factors were soil salinity at three levels (saturated extract electrical conductivity of 1.5, 2.5 and 4.5 dS/m) and soil compaction at three levels (bulk density of 1.30, 1.55 and 1.75 g/cm3). For creating salinity in the soil different amounts of NaCl dissolved in required volumes of distilled water to raise the mass water content to 16% were added to the pots, soil. For soil compaction a mass of 4.5 kg was allowed to fall from a 45 cm height over the soil surface in the pots. Increasing the soil salinity from 1.5 to 4.5 dS/m resulted in significant decline (from 10 to 24%) in plant height, shoot and root dry weight, leaf area and chlorophyll index. Increasing the soil compaction from 1.3 to 1.75 g/cm3 significantly decreased (from 11 to 63%) the mentioned growth indices. In the applied range of soil salinity and compaction, soil compaction caused more decline and suppression than soil salinity in the corn growth. Combined effect of the salinity and compaction became more significant than their individual effects and reduced drastically (22 to 73%) the growth indices specially chlorophyll index. In other words, soil compaction intensified the negative effects of salinity on corn growth.