Saving Water Using Subsurface Porous Tube Irrigation in Sandy Soil by Barrier of Porous-Alpha Layer in Mauritania.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a porous-alpha  on water holding capacity and crop growth in a sandy soil assessed by growing Tomato. Treatments consisted of one porous-alpha layer of 2 cm thickness placed 30cm depth in the soil with four irrigation levels, 50%, 75%, 100%, and 125% of potential evaporation, which was measured daily using metrological data. The control soil received no treatment. Soil water content was monitored simultaneously using SM200 sensors during experiment period at 15 cm depth.
The results show no significant differences of yield between control and porous-alpha layer under irrigation input 50%ETo and 75ETo. While under higher irrigation input 100% and 125% ETo showed significant higher yield under control compared to porous-alpha treatment. Water content was higher under porous-alpha treatment compared to control regardless of irrigation input but was not significant. This result could explain that electrical conductivity (ECe) was increased significant under porous-alpha treatment which may directly influence the tomato yield under porous-alpha treatment.
This experiment demonstrated that porous-alpha layer can be increase water content in soil but it has potential risk in increasing soil salinity which may directly influence plant as well as soil sustainability.