IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/caa/jnlswr/v14y2019i4id137-2018-swr.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of soil texture and groundwater level on leaching of salt from saline fields in Kesem irrigation scheme, Ethiopia

Author

Listed:
  • Kidia K. Gelaye

    (Department of Water-Atmosphere-Environment, Institute of Hydraulics and Rural Water Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
    Samara University, Samara, Ethiopia)

  • Franz Zehetner

    (Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria)

  • Willibald Loiskandl

    (Department of Water-Atmosphere-Environment, Institute of Hydraulics and Rural Water Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria)

  • Andreas Klik

    (Department of Water-Atmosphere-Environment, Institute of Hydraulics and Rural Water Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria)

Abstract

In Ethiopia, soil salinity has become a challenge for agricultural production in irrigated arid and semi-arid areas. This research investigates the effectiveness of leaching salt remediation under different soil textures and groundwater tables. Leaching was conducted in the bare parts of three abandoned saline fields. Soil texture of Field 1 (F1) is sandy loam while Field 2 (F2) and Field 3 (F3) are clay loam. The F1, F2, and F3 groundwater was located at 1.8, 1.5 and > 3 m, respectively. The leaching requirement water levels were 15, 20, 25, and 30% higher than the evaporation of the bare field needed for four consecutive weeks, respectively. The results of this study show that, after four days of leaching, the salinity of F1 with sandy loam texture was significantly (P < 0.05) and more strongly reduced than for the other fields exhibiting clay loam texture. For F1, salinity was reduced from 16.3 to 6.2 dS/m and from 12.4 to 5.5 dS/m at depths of 0-30 and 30-60 cm, respectively. In head parts of F1 and F3, the salinity level was reduced to 2.0 dS/m. However, in F2 with shallow groundwater and clay loam texture, the salinity levels were slightly higher after leaching, i.e. from 11.2 to 12.0 dS/m and from 8.1 to 11.6 dS/m at 0-30 and 30-60 cm depths, respectively. In our experiment, effective leaching was achieved only in the field with sandy soil and deeper groundwater table. We saw that the application of leaching with surface drainage at shallow groundwater levels may further exacerbate salinity problems. For such situations, the use of subsurface drainage could sustain the groundwater depth and prevent additional salinization. On clay-textured fields with shallow groundwater table, a prolonged leaching application is necessary to reduce the salt contents.

Suggested Citation

  • Kidia K. Gelaye & Franz Zehetner & Willibald Loiskandl & Andreas Klik, 2019. "Effects of soil texture and groundwater level on leaching of salt from saline fields in Kesem irrigation scheme, Ethiopia," Soil and Water Research, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 14(4), pages 221-228.
  • Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:14:y:2019:i:4:id:137-2018-swr
    DOI: 10.17221/137/2018-SWR
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/137/2018-SWR.html
    Download Restriction: free of charge

    File URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/137/2018-SWR.pdf
    Download Restriction: free of charge

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.17221/137/2018-SWR?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Corwin, Dennis L. & Rhoades, James D. & Simunek, Jirka, 2007. "Leaching requirement for soil salinity control: Steady-state versus transient models," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 90(3), pages 165-180, June.
    2. Van Hoorn, J. W., 1981. "Salt movement, leaching efficiency, and leaching requirement," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 409-428, December.
    3. Oster, J. D., 1994. "Irrigation with poor quality water," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 271-297, July.
    4. Devkota, M. & Gupta, R.K. & Martius, C. & Lamers, J.P.A. & Devkota, K.P. & Sayre, K.D. & Vlek, P.L.G., 2015. "Soil salinity management on raised beds with different furrow irrigation modes in salt-affected lands," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 243-250.
    5. Kidia K. Gelaye & Franz Zehetner & Willibald Loiskandl & Andreas Klik, 2019. "Comparison of growth of annual crops used for salinity bioremediation in the semi-arid irrigation area," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 65(4), pages 165-171.
    6. Awulachew, Seleshi Bekele, 2007. "Water resources and irrigation development in Ethiopia," IWMI Working Papers H040631, International Water Management Institute.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Minhas, P.S. & Ramos, Tiago B. & Ben-Gal, Alon & Pereira, Luis S., 2020. "Coping with salinity in irrigated agriculture: Crop evapotranspiration and water management issues," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    2. Shahrokhnia, Hossein & Wu, Laosheng, 2021. "SALEACH: A new web-based soil salinity leaching model for improved irrigation management," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    3. Wichelns, Dennis & Qadir, Manzoor, 2015. "Achieving sustainable irrigation requires effective management of salts, soil salinity, and shallow groundwater," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 31-38.
    4. Skaggs, T.H. & Suarez, D.L. & Goldberg, S. & Shouse, P.J., 2012. "Replicated lysimeter measurements of tracer transport in clayey soils: Effects of irrigation water salinity," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 84-93.
    5. Ghiberto, P.J. & Pilatti, M.A. & Imhoff, S. & de Orellana, J.A., 2007. "Hydraulic conductivity of Molisolls irrigated with sodic-bicarbonated waters in Santa Fe (Argentine)," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 88(1-3), pages 192-200, March.
    6. Rosa, R.D. & Ramos, T.B. & Pereira, L.S., 2016. "The dual Kc approach to assess maize and sweet sorghum transpiration and soil evaporation under saline conditions: Application of the SIMDualKc model," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 77-94.
    7. Singh, R.B. & Chauhan, C.P.S. & Minhas, P.S., 2009. "Water production functions of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) irrigated with saline and alkali waters using double-line source sprinkler system," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(5), pages 736-744, May.
    8. Srigiri, Srinivasa Reddy & Breuer, Anita & Scheumann, Waltina, 2021. "Mechanisms for governing the water-land-food nexus in the lower Awash River Basin, Ethiopia: Ensuring policy coherence in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda," IDOS Discussion Papers 26/2021, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    9. Kifle, Mulubrehan & Gebremicael, T.G. & Girmay, Abbadi & Gebremedihin, Teferi, 2017. "Effect of surge flow and alternate irrigation on the irrigation efficiency and water productivity of onion in the semi-arid areas of North Ethiopia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 69-76.
    10. Shewit Gebremedhin & Abebe Getahun & Wassie Anteneh & Stijn Bruneel & Peter Goethals, 2018. "A Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Responses Framework to Support the Sustainability of Fish and Fisheries in Lake Tana, Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-20, August.
    11. Li, Dan & Wan, Shuqin & Li, Xiaobin & Kang, Yaohu & Han, Xiaoyu, 2022. "Effect of water-salt regulation drip irrigation with saline water on tomato quality in an arid region," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    12. Chen, Ming & Kang, Yaohu & Wan, Shuqin & Liu, Shi-ping, 2009. "Drip irrigation with saline water for oleic sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(12), pages 1766-1772, December.
    13. van der Zee, S.E.A.T.M. & Shah, S.H.H. & van Uffelen, C.G.R. & Raats, P.A.C. & dal Ferro, N., 2010. "Soil sodicity as a result of periodical drought," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 41-49, January.
    14. Wasantha Athukorala & Clevo Wilson, 2012. "Groundwater overuse and farm-level technical inefficiency: evidence from Sri Lanka," School of Economics and Finance Discussion Papers and Working Papers Series 279, School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology.
    15. Peragón, Juan M. & Pérez-Latorre, Francisco J. & Delgado, Antonio & Tóth, Tibor, 2018. "Best management irrigation practices assessed by a GIS-based decision tool for reducing salinization risks in olive orchards," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 33-41.
    16. Dereje Mengistie & Desale Kidane, 2016. "Assessment of the Impact of Small-Scale Irrigation on Household Livelihood Improvement at Gubalafto District, North Wollo, Ethiopia," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-22, June.
    17. Chen, Weiping & Hou, Zhenan & Wu, Laosheng & Liang, Yongchao & Wei, Changzhou, 2010. "Evaluating salinity distribution in soil irrigated with saline water in arid regions of northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(12), pages 2001-2008, November.
    18. Amirhossein Hassani & Adisa Azapagic & Nima Shokri, 2021. "Global predictions of primary soil salinization under changing climate in the 21st century," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    19. Wang, Tianyu & Wang, Zhenhua & Guo, Li & Zhang, Jinzhu & Li, Wenhao & He, Huaijie & Zong, Rui & Wang, Dongwang & Jia, Zhecheng & Wen, Yue, 2021. "Experiences and challenges of agricultural development in an artificial oasis: A review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    20. Liu, Bingxia & Wang, Shiqin & Kong, Xiaole & Liu, Xiaojing & Sun, Hongyong, 2019. "Modeling and assessing feasibility of long-term brackish water irrigation in vertically homogeneous and heterogeneous cultivated lowland in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 98-110.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:14:y:2019:i:4:id:137-2018-swr. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Ivo Andrle (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cazv.cz/en/home/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.