Tuesday, 11 July 2006 - 12:00 PM

Soil Properties of Salt Affected Agricultural Lands in Arid Region of Uzbekistan.

Dilfuza Egamberdiyeva and Laziza Gafurova. Tashkent State University of Agriculture, University str. 1, Tashkent, 700140, Uzbekistan

Salinity is major problem in arid and semiarid regions of many countries as well as in Uzbekistan under irrigated agriculture where salts accumulate at the soil surface. Aral Sea catastrophe brought to the intensification of salinity and

65% of irrigated land in Uzbekistan is salinated to a moderate or extreme degree, severely reducing agricultural productivity. The resulted dust storms yearly spread dust and salt, polluted with pesticides, over the whole region. About 2,3 mln. ha of agricultural lands affected by salinity, from which 1 mln.ha with average and strong salinity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of salinization on soil chemical and biological properties in Djizak region of Uzbekistan. The Djizak province characterised with it’s high salinisation and heavy metal pollution problems. The organic matter content of the soil is lower and Ca, Mg and Na contents is higher in salinated soils.. Concentrations of exchangeable K,  Mg and Na were higher in salinated soils reflecting the presence of  Ca, Mg and Na carbonates in the soils. Soil pH varied between 7.95 and 7.77. In this region the groundwater also salinated, which shows that groundwater is salinated between 5 and 24g/l salt. The amount of salt in agricultural lands is differing in spring and autumn. In spring time the salt content in depth 0 - 1 m 179.50 t/ha, where it amounts to 139.50 t/ha in depth 1 - 2 m. In autumn the soil content increases up to 196.36 t/ha in spring (0 - 1m) and 159.78 t/ha (1 - 2m). The salinity affected on soil enzyme activities, where catalase, phosphatase, urease and invertase activities inhibited.  Soil microbial diversity has also affected by salinity, were more humane pathogenic bacteria has found in salinated sites. The biotechnological approaches how to make soil again fertile has been developed using salt tolerant bacterial inoculants. We conclude that salinisation negatively effected on soil chemical and biological properties with decreasing soil productivity, and using biotechnological approaches can lead to imrove plant production and soil fertility.


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