Zeolite Effect on Two Saline Alkaline Soils and the Productivity of Some Forage Crops under Deir Azzor Governorate Conditions

Zeolite Effect on Two Saline Alkaline Soils and the Productivity of Some Forage Crops under Deir Azzor Governorate Conditions

Arij Khuder*(1) Awadis Arslan(2) and Omar Abdulrazzak(3)

(1). The General Commission for Scientific Research
(2). The Higher Commission for Scientific Research
(3). Department of soil and soil reclamation/Faculty of Agriculture DeirAzzor.
(*Corresponding author: Dr. Arij Khuder. Email: areejalkeder@gmail.com).

Received: 20/04/2016                           Accepted: 24/05/2016

Abstract

Two forage crops sorghum and barley were sown within crop rotation to study the effect of zeolite on two saline alkaline soils, in two soils differ in salinity where the ECe values of (7.92 and 14.91)  dS/m for the first and second soils, respectively. The experiment was conducted at the Third Location of Almrieih, Agricultural Research Center in Euphrates Basin, Deir Ezzor/Syria. Zeolite was added in two rates (20 and 30 t/ha) besides the control (no addition), using Randomized Complete Block Design RCBD, with three replicates. The results obtained by the end of 2009/2010 season showed a reduction in soils salinity under the effect of adding zeolite. The application of zeolite 30 t/ha was superior in ECe reduction, where it reached 15 and 23% compared with control for medium and high salinity soils, respectively that cultivated with sorghum. The reduction rates for the soils cultivated with barley were 18.8 and 17.89% for medium and high salinity soils, respectively. Also there was a reduction in the pH and the concentration of ions in the soil extracts. The analysis showed positive improvement in soil physicist, chemical and fertility characters because of zeolite addition, such as ESP reduction, which it reached 35.48 and 28.40 % compared with control for medium and high salinity soils, respectively cultivated with sorghum. The reduction rates for the soils cultivated with barley were 44.84 and 35.73% for medium and high salinity soils, respectively. The results exhibited an increase in the productivity of fresh and dry weight of sorghum and grain yield of barley, as a result of zeolite addition, where the increase in yield for medium salinity soil was double than that of high salinity soil. The addition of zeolite of 30 t/ha was significantly superior over the other treatment and the control.

Keywords: Zeolite, Barley, Sorghum, Soil salinity and alkalinity, Forage productivity, Grain yield.

Full paper in Arabic: Zeolite Effect on Two Saline Alkaline Soils and the Productivity of Some Forage Crops under Deir Azzor Governorate Conditions