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Crop Species, Amendment, and Water Quality Effects on Selected Soil Physical Properties

Dep. of Plant and Soil Science, Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT 59717

T. A. Brock

460 N 4108 E, Rigby, ID 83442

*Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Saline and sodic soils have developed in some irrigated areas of Montana. Cropping systems that promote maximum efficacy of surface-applied amendments for reclamation need to be identified. Effects of crop species, amendment, and water quality on alteration of selected physical properties of a Haverson silty clay (fine-loamy, mixed [calcareous], mesic Ustic Torrifluvent) were compared. Crops grown in lysimeters and compared with a noncropped control were alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and sorghum-sundangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench- S. x drummondii (Steudel) Millsp. & Chase], commonly referred to as sordan. Soil amendments included a check, gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O), phosphogypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O with <1% [w/w] P), and MgCl₂. Lysimeters were irrigated with water having either a total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration of 0.75 g L^–1 and a sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) of 1.15 or TDS of 1.65 g L^–1 and SAR of 7.01 until three barely crops were successively grown. The presence of a crop caused a significant increase in bulk density in all lysimeters and a significant decrease in total porosity, compared with the uncropped control treatments. Barley caused the greatest decrease in total porosity, followed by alfalfa, then sordan. Total porosity decreased nearly 0.1 m³ m^–3. The result was a significant increase in number of micropores (<0.149 x 10^–2 mm radius) and a disproportionately greater decrease in number of macropores (>1.49 x 10^–2 mm radius). Soil water release characteristics differed among the different crop treatments. Neither amendment treatment nor irrigation water quality had a significant effect on either porosity, pore-size distribution, or bulk density. Results of this study indicate that crop selection and rotation may affect the significance of surface-applied amendments used for reclamation and leaching of Na- and salt-affected soils.

Contribution from Montana Agric. Exp. Stn. Journal Article no. J-2692.

Received for publication July 31, 1991.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. F. Vance, L. A. King, and G. K. Ganjegunte Soil and Plant Responses from Land Application of Saline-Sodic Waters: Implications of Management J. Environ. Qual., September 2, 2008; 37(5_Supplement): S-139 - S-148. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]