Helmy, A. M. KH. A. Shaban and M. A. EL-Galad( 2013). Effect of gypsum and sulphur application in amelioration of saline soil and enhancing rice productivityJ.Soil Sci. and Agric. Eng., Mansoura Univ., Vol. 4 (10): 1037 - 1051, 2013
Abstract: A field experiment was carried out during the two successive seasons of 2011 and 2012 to evaluate the effect of applying gypsum and sulphur to counteract the soil salinity hazardous on vegetative growth, yield and quality of rice plants (Oriza sativa L.,cv. Sakha 101) grown in a Saline-Sodic soil (ECe=14.8 dS m-1, pH=8.20 and SAR=22.9 dS m-1,) at (Sahl El-Tina, Village 4, Gilbana, North Sinai governorate) irrigated with low water quality of El-Salam canal which was the main objective of the current study. Treatments were arranged using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Gypsum was applied at a rate of 10.7 Mg ha-1 while sulphur was added as either elemental sulphur at a rate of 4.8 Mg ha-1 or sulphuric acid at a rate of 1190 L ha-1. The crop was harvested at maturity, data of plant height (cm), number of spike plant-1, 1000-grain weight (g), grains yield (Mg ha-1) and straw yield were recorded.
The obtained results could be summarized as follows:
The highest values of rice yield and its attributes as well as nutrient contents and uptake values were obtained due to treating the investigated soil with sulphuric acid. Also, the effect of treatments showed a descending increase in the order of, sulphuric acid > sulphur > gypsum > control. sulphuric acid application was found effective and can be recommended to be used as an amendment for treating sodic soils as it not only increased the yield of rice crop but also improved soil properties by reducing pH and ECe.
Keywords: (Saline soil, gypsum, elemental sulphur, sulphuric acid, rice.)
