Systematic use of Saline Water with Leaching Fraction for Improving Soil Health under Arid Conditions

Water scarcity is major constraint toward achieving sustainable agriculture in developing countries like Pakistan. Shortage of good quality water compels the farmers to use brackish water. Use of saline water along with leaching fraction could be useful by keeping low concentration of salts in the root surrounding area. This study assessed the role of leaching in alleviating the negative effect of saline water on soil characteristics. Results of the studies indicated that 6.57% reduction in soil pH (7.6), 46.06% reduction in EC (1.3 dS m^-1), and 46.41% reduction in SAR (5.3) while 17.34%, 5.4% and 5.66% increase in soil organic matter, soil available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content respectively were obtained using canal water with 20% leaching fraction (T₇). It was found that under scenario of good quality water scarcity, systematic use of saline water with 20 % leaching fraction could be successfully used for betterment of impaired soil chemical properties (EC, pH, SAR). Our results showed that the leaching fraction was found to be effective to alleviate the negative effects of saline water on the soil properties. However, verification of this work at different agro-ecological zones and for other field crops will be required for future implementation.