J.D.Oster

Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521

Dear Sir. Concerning your issue about your preparation for seminar on phytoremediation of sodic and saline sodi soils. Sodicity-induced soil degradation is a major environmental constraint with severe negative impacts on agricultural productivity and sustainability in arid and semiarid regions. As an important category of salt-affected soils, sodic soils are characterized by excess levels of sodium ions (Na+) in the soil solution phase as well as on the cation exchange complex, exhibiting unique structural problems as a result of certain physical processes (slaking, swelling, and dispersion of clay) and specific conditions (surface crusting and hardsetting). Saline-sodic soils, another category of salt-affected soils, are generally grouped with sodic soils because of several common properties and management approaches. Sodic and saline-sodic soils occur within the boundaries of at least 75 countries, and their extent has increased steadily in several major irrigation schemes throughout the world. The use of these soils for crop production is on the increase as they are a valuable resource that cannot be neglected, especially in areas where significant investments have already been made in irrigation infrastructure. It is imperative to find ways to improve sodic and saline-sodic soils to ensure that they are able to support highly productive land-use systems to meet the challenges of global food security. I think the following below links may help you in your sminar:

https://www.iasj.net/iasj?func=fulltext&aId=80354

http://www.pakbs.org/pjbot/PDFs/39(7)/PJB39(7)2601.pdf https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-90-481-9370-7_15

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-3084-0_14

http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/AJAR/article-full-text-pdf/9C0C93B38634 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S006521130796006X

 http://oar.icrisat.org/4006/

Thanks            

This issue , we have debated number of times. However , here are some good work:

Phytoremediation of Sodic and Saline‐Sodic Soils (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2113(07)96006-X,Advances in Agronomy, Volume 96, 2007, Pages 197-247)

Abstract: odicity‐induced soil degradation is a major environmental constraint with severe negative impacts on agricultural productivity and sustainability in arid and semiarid regions. As an important category of salt‐affected soils, sodic soils are characterized by excess levels of sodium ions (Na+) in the soil solution phase as well as on the cation exchange complex, exhibiting unique structural problems as a result of certain physical processes (slaking, swelling, and dispersion of clay) and specific conditions (surface crusting and hardsetting). Saline‐sodic soils, another category of salt‐affected soils, are generally grouped with sodic soils because of several common properties and management approaches. Sodic and saline‐sodic soils occur within the boundaries of at least 75 countries, and their extent has increased steadily in several major irrigation schemes throughout the world. The use of these soils for crop production is on the increase as they are a valuable resource that cannot be neglected, especially in areas where significant investments have already been made in irrigation infrastructure. It is imperative to find ways to improve sodic and saline‐sodic soils to ensure that they are able to support highly productive land‐use systems to meet the challenges of global food security.

Restoration of sodic soils involving chemical and biological amendments and phytoremediation by Eucalyptuscamaldulensis in a semiarid region (Environmental Geochemistry and Health,June 2015, Volume 37, Issue 3, pp 575–586)

Abstract:Salt-affected soils in semiarid regions impede the agricultural productivity and degrade the ecosystem health. In South India, several hectares of land are salt-affected, where the evapotranspiration exceeds the annual precipitation. This study is an attempt to ameliorate sodic soils, by an experiment involving chemical treatment (addition of gypsum), organic amendments (decomposed bagasse pith and green manuring with Sesbania rostrata) and phytoremediation by plantation of Eucalyptuscamaldulensis. The prime focus is to minimize the use of gypsum and improve the soil health in terms of nutrients, microbial population and enzyme activity in addition to sodicity reclamation. At the end of the third year, a reduction of 10 % in soil pH, 33 % in electrical conductivity and 20 % in exchangeable sodium percentage was achieved compared to the initial values. Three- to fourfold increases in organic carbon content were observed. Significant improvement in the available major and micronutrients of soil, microbial growth and enzyme activity was observed, suggesting phytoremediation by E. camaldulensis as a sustainable option for restoration of similar kind of degraded lands.

J.D.Oster

Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521