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Sodic Calcareous Soil Reclamation as Affected by Water Chemical Composition and Flow Rate

Institute of Soils and Water, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6 Bet Dagan 50250, Israel

*Corresponding author (vwnad{at}volcani.agri.gov.il).

ABSTRACT

Sodic soils exhibit poor physical conditions that adversely influence water and air movement, soil erodibility, and plant growth. This study investigated the efficiency of naturally occurring CaCO₃ in reclaiming a sodic loess soil (Calcic Haploxeralf) with an exchangeable sodium percentage of 16. Soil columns (50 or 100 mm high) were leached with distilled water (DW), 1 dS m^-1 tap water (TW), or CO₂-enriched TW at a flow rate of either 11.5 or 50 mm h^-1. The effluent from the columns was collected continuously, and its chemical composition was analyzed. When DW was used, CaCO₃ dissolution was the main source (85%) for replacing exchangeable Na. When TW was used, 80% of the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺) for reclaiming the sodic soil came from the leaching solution. The slow water flow rate (11.5 mm h^-1) improved reclamation by 30%, probably due to the higher concentration of (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺) from CaCO₃ and the longer time available for Ca²⁺ diffusion into soil aggregates. The CO₂-enriched TW was the most favorable treatment for CaCO₃ dissolution and thus the most efficient for soil reclamation. Our results suggest that reclamation of sodic soils can be accomplished by means of the naturally occurring CaCO₃ in the soil, providing management conducive for CaCO₃ dissolution is used.

Contribution of the Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. No. 1402-E, 1994 series.

Received for publication July 7, 1994.