Ion partitioning among soil and plant components under drip, furrow, and sprinkler irrigation regimes: Field and modeling assessments

• Published in: Journal of environmental quality Vol. 31; no. 5; pp. 1684 - 1693
• Main Authors: WANG, D, SHANNON, M. C, GRIEVE, C. M, SHOUSE, P. J, SUAREZ, D. L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison, WI Crop Science Society of America 01.09.2002; American Society of Agronomy
• Subjects: Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; Agriculture; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Calcium - analysis; Calcium - chemistry; Calcium chloride; Chlorine - analysis; Chlorine - chemistry; Deficiencies. Phytotoxicity of elements. Salinity; Drainage water; Environmental Monitoring; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Furrow irrigation; General agronomy. Plant production; Glycine max - chemistry; Ions - analysis; Irrigation water; Irrigation. Drainage; Models, Theoretical; Saline soils; Salinization; Salts; Sodium - analysis; Sodium - chemistry; Sodium chloride; Soil; Soil profiles; Soil salinity; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Solute transport; Soybeans; Sprinkler irrigation; Water resources; Water Supply; California; United States; North America; America; Partition; Cultivated soil; Soil quality; Model study; Inorganic ion; Glycine max; Modeling; Ion composition; Field experiment; Grain legume; Leguminosae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Trickle irrigation; Water engineering; Spermatophyta; Furrow irrigation; Sprinkler irrigation; Soil plant relation; Oil plant (vegetal)
• ISSN: 0047-2425; 1537-2537
• DOI: 10.2134/jeq2002.1684

Soil and water resources can be severely degraded by salinity when total salt input exceeds output in irrigated agriculture. This study was conducted to examine partitioning of Ca2+, Na+, and Cl- between soil and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] plants under different irrigation regimes with both field and modeling assessments. In drip and sprinkler treatments, the irrigation water was salinized with NaCl and CaCl2 salts to simulate a Cl- and Na+ dominant saline drainage water. In the furrow irrigation treatment, the soil was salinized, prior to planting, with NaCl and CaCl2 salts to simulate a Cl- and Na+ dominant saline soil. A total of 756 soil and 864 plant samples were collected and analyzed for the salt ions to obtain ion partitioning and mass balance assessments. Modeling of salt ion uptake by plants and distribution in the soil profile was performed with a two-dimensional solute transport model for the three irrigation regimes. Results indicated that about 20% of the applied Ca2+ was recovered in harvested soybean biomass in all treatments. Plant uptake of either Na+ or Cl- was less than 0.5% in the drip and furrow, and about 2% in the sprinkler irrigation treatment. Significant increases in soil salinity were found in the sprinkler plot that received the highest cumulative amount of salts. Simulated ion distributions in the soil were comparable with the measurements. Compared with the total seasonal salt input, mass balances between 65 and 108% were obtained. Most salt inputs accumulate in the soil, and need to be removed periodically to prevent soil salinization.