Comparative Evaluation of Methods for Estimation of Soil Salinity

P KUMAR; A SARANGI; D K SINGH

doi:10.21921/jas.v10i01.12251

P KUMAR Scientist-D, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
A SARANGI Principal Scientist, WTC, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi-12, India
D K SINGH Principal Scientist and Professor, Division of Agricultural Engineering, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi-12, India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21921/jas.v10i01.12251

Keywords: soil salinity, soil water extract, saturation extract, electrical conductivity.

Abstract

Different methods to estimate electrical conductivity (EC) of saturated soil paste extract (EC_e) of 1:2 and 1:5 soil: water suspensions were evaluated. Soil samples were taken from different depths (viz. 0-15, 15-30, 30-45, 45-60, and 60-90 cm) of the wheat field under irrigated saline regimes ranging from 1.5 to 12 dSm^-1. The relationship between the electrical conductivity of saturated paste extract (EC_e) and soil-water suspension extracts (i.e., EC_1:2and EC_1:5) was established beside the development of regression models and conversion factors. Regression models relating EC_e with EC_1:2, EC_1:5were developed with coefficients of determination (R²) 0.98 and 0.99 respectively. The average conversion factor between EC_e~ EC_1:2 and EC_e~ EC_1:5were 2.7 and 7.7, respectively. Methods standardized in the study can be used to estimate the EC of different saturated soil paste extract ratios, which will be less cumbersome and significantly reduce the estimation time.