Combating the Negative Effect of Soil Salinity Stress at Sahl El-tina Area on Maize Growth and Productivity Using Some Fertilzation Manipultions
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: A field study was conducted on a sandy loam soil that is suffering fromsalinity stress and Zn-deficient at a newly reclaimed area of Galbana VillageNo. 7, Sahl El-Tina, North Sinai, Egypt during a growing summer season of2009 to identify some scientific approaches for alleviating the negative effect ofsoil salinity stress on the future projects in agricultural utilization. The appliedtreatments were two solid N-mineral forms (i.e., urea of 46 N% and ammoniumsulfate of 20.6 N%) were added at the recommended dose of 120 kg N/fed assoil application as well as three liquid mixtures of (1.0 g K-humate of 85 % +0.5 g Zn SO4, which dissolved in 1 L water), (0.5 g Zn SO4 dissolved in 1 L ofsoaking water extract of compost tea) and (0.75 g ZnSO4 dissolved in 1 Lwater) were added at two equal doses of 300 L/fed for each one either as foliarspray on plants or as soil application on the soil rows of growing plants. Maize(Zea mais L., Three cross 321 cv.) was undertaken as plant indicator to identifyits possible response to grow under soil salinity stress of Sahl El-Tina area aswell as the relationship between either maize yield or grain quality and theexpected amelioration process in the experimental soil properties as a result ofthe applied treatments.The obtained results indicated that the experimental soil could beclassified as "Typic Torriorthents, loamy skeletal, mixed, thermic". Also,wetness, soil texture, CaCO3, gypsum and salinity/alkalinity represent the mainlimitations for soil productivity, with an intensity degree of moderate (65-75%),for wetness, soil texture and salinity/alkalinity as well as slight (90-85 %) forthe other ones. The suitability classes for irrigated agriculture land in bothcurrent and potential conditions could be belong the marginally (S3ws1n) andmoderately (S2s1) suitable classes, respectively. Moreover, the resultantadaptations of soil suitability class for cultivating maize plants could beconsidered as marginally suitable (S3s1n), and limiting factors of soil textureand salinity/alkalinity in the current condition. Soil suitability becomes amoderately suitable (S2s1) in the potential condition, and soil texture stillbecomes a limiting factor.The obtained results showed also that the studied maize plant parameterssuch as growth characters (i.e., nutrient contents uptake by leaf tissues), earcharacters (i.e., length and diameter), biological yield (i.e., grain and stalkyields fed-1), grain quality (i.e., weight of 100 kernels and crude protein %) andgrain nutritional status (i.e., N, P, K, Fe, Mn and Zn contents) were recorded thebest values at the applied rates of ammonium sulfate as a main source of Nmineral as compared to the same applied rats of urea. In addition, the liquidfertilizer mixture of (0.5 g Zn SO4 dissolved in 1 L of soaking water extract ofcompost tea) surpassed the other applied two mixtures for the previous plantparameters. Moreover, the applied liquid fertilizer mixtures, in general, weremore effective on plant parameters when added as soil application on soil rowsof grown plants as compared with directly foliar spray on plants. Thus, fertilizing maize plants with ammonium sulfate should beenhanced soil availability of plant nutrient, due to the effective role of bothaccompanied cationic (NH4+) and anionic (SO42-) forms. However, the appliedN- NH4+ causes a N-soil potentially safe over a wide range due to lower risks ofvolatilization, leaching and de-nitrification losses as well as lowering soil pHdue to for the SO42- ions. Also, it was found that both soaking water extract ofcompost tea and K-humate as a soil liquid fertilizer are not only considered as astrategic storehouse for essential plant nutrients but also enhancing nutrientsuptake, reducing the uptake of some toxic elements and supporting Zn-deficientas well as improving the nutrients balance in the soil solution and many ofthe physiological processes in plants under soil salinity stress. Suchfavourable conditions were positively reflected on ameliorating maize growthparameters and grain yield with high quality of nutritional status.
Institution: Agricultural Research Center
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Zero hunger, Life on land
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3204770825