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Effect of Gypsum and Starch on Water Movement and Sodium Removal from Solonetzic Soils in Illinois¹

Sambalpur, Orissa, India; and Professor and Associate Professors, respectively, University of Illinois, Urbana

ABSTRACT

The improvement of solonetzic soils depends upon the replacement of excess exchangeable sodium and its removal by drainage. Gypsum and starch, both singly and in various combinations, were tested to determine their effect on water movement through and sodium removal from a solonetzic soil in Illinois. Significant amounts of leachate were collected and sodium was removed from columns of disturbed B2 horizon from a solonetzic soil treated with 8 tons/acre of gypsum and a combination of 8 tons of gypsum and 5 tons of starch/acre. There was less leachate and sodium removed by other treatments. Leaching and sodium removal were considerably reduced when the application rate of starch was raised to 10 tons/acre in combination with gypsum. This may be due to the low solubility of gypsum and the linkage between calcium and starch. Leachate and sodium removed were less from undisturbed cores 24 inches and 6 inches long than from columns of disturbed soil equivalent to the 6-inch cores. Results were more variable from undisturbed soil cores than from disturbed soil columns. Results indicate that soil disturbance plus appropriate treatment, especially with gypsum, increase water percolation and sodium removal from these solonetzic soils. Starch was not effective.

¹ Contribution from the Department of Agronomy, University of Illinois, Urbana.

Received for publication August 17, 1964. Accepted for publication November 23, 1964.