Effect of Irrigation with Saline and Sodic Water on Some Soil Physical Processes

A challenge of sustainable development is related to agriculture, food security, and conservation of water and soil resource, under the current crop production paradigm. Increasing crop yields often have negative environmental impacts. Soil salinization and sodication are major environmental hazards that limit agricultural potential and are closely related to agricultural unsuitable management and water resources overexploitation, especially in arid climates. In this study, we investigated the negative impacts of saline and sodic irrigation water on soil properties that it is necessary to study the factors affecting the degradation of soil structure to implement proper land management and we intended to help the farm producer or landowner to understand the fundamental differences between these two problems. Samples of clay loam and sandy loam soils were treated in 5 wetting and drying periods with different types of water quality (which combinate different levels of EC and SAR). Soil water content of samples was achieved at soil matric suctions of 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 100, 300, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 15000 cm. Also, dispersible clay and saturated hydraulic conductivity were determined. Results showed that increasing of SAR caused dispersion of clay and saturated hydraulic conductivity was decreased with increasing of dispersed clay. Increasing SAR caused some macropores and mesopores changed to micropores and as result enhanced water retention especially at high matric suctions. Water retention capacity was enhanced by increasing in water EC as that flocculated soil particles and created new soil pores.