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Addition of HPMA affects seed germination, plant growth and properties of heavy saline-alkali soil in northeastern China: comparison with other agents and determination of the mechanism

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Abstract

China has a large area of inland saline-alkali land, equivalent to 40% of the total cultivated land in the country. The principal features of these lands are high salt content, high pH, and poor soil structure with low water infiltration and poor drainage. These conditions effectively prevent the exploitation of such land for agriculture. In this study, we have compared 17 soil conditioning agents for their abilities to promote seed germination and growth under both laboratory and field conditions. One of these, Hydrolyzed Polymaleic Anhydride (HPMA), was identified as a highly effective agent for soil improvement. Laboratory germination experiments and laboratory and field cultivation of a variety of plants both showed that addition of HPMA could significantly increase the germination percentage and plant growth rate. Distinct from other Ca-carrier agents such as gypsum, HPMA increases the dissolution of CaCO3, which is abundant in the calcareous saline-alkali soils. This allows Ca2+ in soil solution to displace the over-abundant Na+ in the soil colloids. This process greatly improves soil properties such as the bulk density, which decreased, and the capillary soil rise height of water and soil water infiltration rate, which increased. Direct SEM and AFM imagery showed flocculent soil precipitation (soil aggregates) after HPMA addition, and a looser structure of those aggregates. The addition of HPMA also reduced the soil pH and EC. These changes in soil chemical and physical properties are a likely explanation for the soil improvement effected by HPMA. The high content of insoluble CaCO3 in saline-alkali land such as that in northeastern China (up to 13%) favors the further exploration of HPMA as an ameliorative agent.

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Abbreviations

HPMA:

Hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride

PAA:

Polyacrylic acid

T225:

Acrylic acid-2-hydroxypropyl acrylate copolymer

AA/AMPS:

Acrylic acid-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid copolymer

MA-AA:

Copolymer of maleic and acylic acid

ATMP:

Amino trimethylene phosphonic acid

BHMTPMPA:

Bis (hexamethylene triamine penta (methylene phosphonic acid)

HEDP:

1-hydroxy ethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid

PAPEMP:

Polyamino polyether methylene phosphonae

EDTA:

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

CA:

Citric acid

CC:

Citric calcium

NTA:

Nitrilotriacetic acid

SOM:

Soil organic matter

EC:

Electrical conductivity

ESP:

Exchangeable sodium percentage

CEC:

Cation exchange capacity

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Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology (2006BAD03A0306), Nature Science Foundation of China (40873063), China Postdoctoral Foundation (20080430126) and basic research fund from Northeast Forestry University (DL09CA17). The authors are so appreciating the great efforts from the section editor, Prof. John Cheeseman and his advice and suggestion have largely improved the scientific level of this manuscript.

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  1. Hai-Sheng He & Yu Guan

    Present address: Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, 110034, People’s Republic of China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People’s Republic of China

    Wen-Jie Wang, Yuan-Gang Zu, Zhi-Guo Liu, Zhong-Hua Zhang, Hui-Nan Xu & Xing-Yang Yu

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  1. Wen-Jie Wang
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Correspondence to Yuan-Gang Zu.

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Responsible Editor: John McPherson Cheeseman.

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Wang, WJ., He, HS., Zu, YG. et al. Addition of HPMA affects seed germination, plant growth and properties of heavy saline-alkali soil in northeastern China: comparison with other agents and determination of the mechanism. Plant Soil 339, 177–191 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-010-0565-1

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