Abstract
A field experirns.nt 011 thI reclamation of the Oark-ihra Mandy clay soil WWI el onducted. during 1981-83 on a permanent layout following the randomized complete block design with I iCC'.,t'he lit rotation being irrigated with marginal saline-tod.io tubewell water. The results indicated that. the WA:moil in g in combination with, gyp-Aura is better than gypeum alone, while autisoiling ia better than control for chemical reclamation as well as for rice productivity. For wheat, gypsum alone was al4htly better than subsolling gyp m• In terms of cost econo.nlios, subsoil ing gypau.m provi-ded the maximum gross in contra followed by gypsum., subsoiling and the control. However, gypsum treatment gave the hig,,heet net income followed by subsoiliog + gypsum, subsoiling and the control.
INTRODUCTION
Being situated in the and and semiarid subtropical zones, salinity and tiodioity are amongst. the dominant soil problems in Pakistan that cause serious reduction in crop production. The salts in such soils originate mainly from the parent material causing fossil salinitylsodicity while secondary or ruan.made galinelsodic soils have been formed due to unscientifi.c use of land water resour-ces, About &22 million. hectares of the salt-affected Boils occur in Pakistan. Nearly 80% of the salt-affected soils of the Punjab and 50% of that of Pakistan are saline-so:Lc (Muhatrimed.. 120) and. are not easily reclaimable because of low permeability to venal water. There are two possible approaches for utilizing the problem 601141 (a) me.k.e the soil environment 9uitahle for successful and healthy crop growth, (2) develop plant species that can grow successfully in inhospitable soil environ-ment_ Novertheiess, the two approaches are complementary and. are not
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Departmuct of Soil Science, University of Agtioulture, Faisalabad,
