Prevention and Management of Soil Secondary Salinization in Paddy Field Irrigation Area

By analyzing the process of soil salt accumulation in irrigation area, and discussing the change of irrigation and drainage methods for drought transformed into water, the control scheme of soil secondary salinization in Wujiazi Irrigation Area was analyzed concretely, and the experience was summarized. After in-depth discussion, the importance of irrigation and drainage methods in the prevention and control of soil secondary salinization in irrigation areas was analyzed.

Effect of EM Bokashi application on control of secondary soil salinization

In order to ameliorate saline-alkaline soil, EM Bokashi has been applied to rice production in conjunction with subdrainage in Ningxia Autonomous Region and Zhejiang Province. The preliminary results can be summarized as follows： EM Bokashi can increase soil organic matter content, improve soil porosity and permeability, and raise the soil＇s levels of available nutrients; and EM Bokashi combined with subdrainage treatment is more effective in controlling secondary soil salinization and raising the grain yield and quality than other treatments. The results suggest that EM Bokashi can reduce the necessary amount of chemical fertilizer application, thereby improving the agricultural environment, and that the introduction of EM Bokashi into systems of secondary soil salinization control systems has resulted in significant benefits.

Carbon storage in a wolfberry plantation chronosequence established on a secondary saline land in an arid irrigated area of Gansu Province,China

Carbon（C） storage has received significant attention for its relevance to agricultural security and climate change. Afforestation can increase C storage in terrestrial ecosystems, and has been recognized as an important measure to offset CO_2 emissions. In order to analyze the C benefits of planting wolfberry（Lycium barbarum L.） on the secondary saline lands in arid areas, we conducted a case study on the dynamics of biomass carbon（BC） storage and soil organic carbon（SOC） storage in different-aged wolfberry plantations（4-, 7-and 11-year-old） established on a secondary saline land as well as on the influence of wolfberry plantations on C storage in the plant-soil system in an arid irrigated area（Jingtai County） of Gansu Province, China. The C sequestration and its potential in the wolfberry plantations of Gansu Province were also evaluated. An intact secondary saline land was selected as control. Results show that wolfberry planting could decrease soil salinity, and increase BC, SOC and litter C storage of the secondary saline land significantly, especially in the first 4 years after planting. The aboveground and belowground BC storage values in the intact secondary saline land（control） accounted for only 1.0% and 1.2% of those in the wolfberry plantations, respectively. Compared to the intact secondary saline land, the SOC storage values in the 4-, 7-and 11-year-old wolfberry plantations increased by 36.4%, 37.3% and 43.3%, respectively, and the SOC storage in the wolfberry plantations occupied more than 92% of the ecosystem C storage. The average BC and SOC sequestration rates of the wolfberry plantations for the age group of 0–11 years were 0.73 and 3.30 Mg C/（hm^2·a）, respectively. There were no significant difference in BC and SOC storage between the 7-year-old and 11-year-old wolfberry plantations, which may be due in part to the large amounts of C offtakes in new branches and fruits. In Gansu Province, the C storage in the wolfberry plantations has reached up to 3.574 Tg in 2013, and the C sequestration potential of the existing wolfberry plantations was 0.134 Tg C/a. These results indicate that wolfberry planting is an ideal agricultural model to restore the degraded saline lands and increase the C sequestration capacity of agricultural lands in arid areas.

Soil salt leaching under different irrigation regimes: HYDRUS-1D modelling and analysis

Field irrigation experiments were conducted in the Hetao Irrigation District of Inner Mongolia,China,to study the effects of irrigation regimes on salt leaching in the soil profile.The data were used to calibrate and validate the HYDRUS-1D model.The results demonstrated that the model can accurately simulate the water and salt dynamics in the soil profile.The HYDRUS-1D model was then used to simulate 15 distinct irrigation scenarios.The results of the simulation indicated that irrigation amount did not have a significant effect on soil water storage but that increases in irrigation amount could accelerate salt leaching.However,when the irrigation amount was larger than 20 cm,the acceleration was not obvious.Compared with irrigating only once,intermittent irrigation had a better effect on increasing soil water storage and salt leaching,but excessive irrigation times and intervals did not improve salt leaching.In addition,we found that the irrigation regime of 20 cm,irrigated twice at 1-d intervals,might significantly increase salt leaching in the plough layer and decrease the risks of deep seepage and groundwater contamination.

Characteristics and Development of Agricultural Soil in Hetao Irrigation District,Inner Mongolia

Hetao Irrigation District is located in the cold and arid region of Hetao Plain,Inner Mongolia,where the agricultural soil has unique characteristics.Although the agricultural soil properties in Hetao Irrigation Districts have been reported,the overall characteristics remain unclear.Through literature review and investigation,the overall characteristics,development patterns,and related reasons were explored,consequently providing theoretical support for enhancing soil utilization and formulating sustainable soil development strategies.The results showed that the agricultural soil in Hetao Irrigation District originated from the sedimentary layer and anthropogenic mellowing produced by the diversions of the Yellow River.The soil has periodic secondary salinization characteristics,accompanied by a slightly increasing pH value over time.It has low soil organic contents with a stable changing trend,low nitrogen,and phosphorus contents but high potassium and sulfur content,uneven nutrient distribution,diverse production performance,weak but stable ecological performance,and heterogeneous soil quality with a stable change trend.These findings indicate that this kind of soil can be used to plant diverse crops tolerant to different saline-alkali and requiring various nutrients.This agricultural soil is sustainable,but it is also faced with the problems of increased saline-alkali,nutrient loss,and pollution.

Improving the Facility Soil by Combining Soil Amendment with Agronomic Measures

[Objectives]To study the remediation methods of secondary salinization and cadmium pollution in facility soil.[Methods]Two kinds of soil amendments,potassium fulvic acid and limestone powder,were selected to be applied alone or combined together to plant maize to carry out field experiments.Their effects on watermelon yield,watermelon cadmium content,soil available nitrogen,phosphorus,potassium and water-soluble salts were studied.[Results]The application of potassium fulvic acid,limestone powder and their combined application increased the yield and soluble solids of watermelon to different degrees.The contents of seven heavy metals including cadmium,copper,zinc,arsenic,lead,mercury and chromium in the watermelon of all treatments were all lower than the food safety limit stipulated in the national standard.During the harvest period of maize seedlings,all treatments could increase soil pH and decrease soil cadmium availability.In particular,3000 kg/ha of limestone powder and 1500 kg/ha of potassium fulvic acid had the best effect on reducing soil available cadmium content.In reducing soil available cadmium content,there were significant differences between single application of amendment and combined application treatments.In addition,compared with the control CK,all treatments decreased soil available nitrogen,phosphorus,potassium and water-soluble salt content.[Conclusions]Potassium fulvic acid,limestone powder and their combined application can increase the yield of watermelon,and can significantly reduce the available cadmium,nitrogen,phosphorus,potassium and water-soluble salt content in the facility soil of maize cultivation.

Soil Salinization and Its Improvement in Arid Hetao Plain,Inner Mongolia:Irrigation Roles

This paper analyzes the impacts of physical background and human activities on secondary soil salinization in arid Hetao Plain,overviews the adopted amelioration strategies,and suggests the corresponding strategies dealing with water shortage in the Yellow River.