Abstract
A pot experiment was carried out to monitor the growth characteristics of wheat Blue Silver and rice KS 282 during reclamation of a saline-sodic soil (pHs 8.6, EC 21 dS m-l, SAR 183.7, GR 5.6 me 100 g-l) using brackish waser (EC 2 dS mol SAR 12, RSC 3 meL-I) having Ca:Mg ratios of 1:4 and 1:6. The soil received ph osphogypsum @ 50 and 100% of soil GR or FYM @ 10 and 20 tons per acre. Canal water alone served as the control. The results showed that high Mg in irrigation water tended to adversely affect the growth components of wheat and rice. Application of phosphogypsum at both the rates and with both the Ca:Mg ratio waters counteracted the ill-effects of Mg in water better than [he FYM~Concentnltlon of Na, Mg and Cl increased but that of Ca decreased with irrigation water having Ca:Mg ratio of 1:6 in both grain and straw of wheat and rice. The application of phosphogypsum antagonized the assimilation of the ions by plants in a better way than . the IFYM. These ions were in much higher concentration in the straw than that in grain or paddy but remained lower than their critical levels in both the plant organs.
