The effects of saline irrigation water by drip irrigation on salt distribution in soil

Abstract

Depending on the increase in the salt amount in irrigation water in many arid and semi-arid regions of the world, salinity problems in agricultural soils appears and agricultural production is inhibited by excessive salt concentrations. This type of salinity occurs in topographical lowlands near the sea where intrusion of seawater to the aquifer is inevitable [1]. The reason why salinity is high in the areas near the sea, or in areas gained from the sea, is due to seawater intrusion. The salt composition of these soils is the same with that of the seawater [2]. The salinity of the seawater is accepted as approximately 0.35 %. The concentrations of main ions in seawater are 19.35 me L^-1 Cl^-, 10.752 me L^-1 Na⁺, 2.701 me L^-1 SO₄ =, 1.295 me L^-1 Mg⁺² and 0.39 me L^-1K⁺ [3]. Approximately 70% of the world’s population lives near, or at, the seaside. The rise in the population and the settlement in these areas increase the agricultural and industrial activities, hence a pressure on water sources takes place. The greatest effect of this pressure is on the change in the quality of underground water sources [4]. Various factors affect the salinity of underground water sources. The most important reason for the salinity in the aquifers at the seaside is the seawater intrusion [5].