Applying dredged sediment improves soil salinity environment and winter wheat production

• Published in: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis Vol. 49; no. 14; pp. 1787 - 1794
• Main Authors: Mao, Weibing, Wan, Yongshan, Sun, Yuxia, Zheng, Qiankun, Qv, Xiaoling
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Taylor & Francis 06.08.2018; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agricultural practices; Crop production; Dredging; Electrical conductivity; Electrical resistivity; Fluvial sediments; Growth; hydraulic conductivity; macropores; river deltas; Rivers; Saline soils; Salinity; Salinity effects; Salinization; Salt affected soils; Sediment; Sedimentation; Sediments; Soil; Soil conductivity; soil electrical conductivity; Soil environment; Soil improvement; Soil properties; Soil salinity; Soil salinization; Triticum aestivum; Wheat; wheat growth; Winter wheat; Yellow River; Yellow River Delta; yield; Yellow River
• ISSN: 0010-3624; 1532-2416; 1532-2416; 1532-4133
• DOI: 10.1080/00103624.2018.1474915

Sedimentation and soil salinization are of serious concern in the Yellow River Delta. This study explores novel applications of dredged sediment to improve soil salinity environment and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) production. Filed trials consisted of a control and applications of sediment at 100 Mg/ha (S100) and 200 Mg/ha (S200) replicated randomly within two blocks. Wheat growth and yield were assessed along with measurements of soil properties. Results indicated that sediment application significantly improved wheat growth. Wheat economic yield for S100 and S200 was 35% and 73% more than for the control. We attributed the improved wheat growth and yield to the reduced soil electrical conductivity, which, in turn, was associated with increased soil macropores and hydraulic conductivity with the incorporation of sandy sediment into the clayey saline soil. This study reveals that incorporating dredged Yellow River sediment into the saline land is a feasible agricultural practice in the Yellow River Delta.