Does Short-Term Combined Irrigation Using Brackish-Reclaimed Water Cause the Risk of Soil Secondary Salinization?

Brackish water has to be used to irrigate crops for harvest due to the scarcity of freshwater resources. However, brackish water irrigation may cause secondary soil salinization. Whether the combined utilization of different non-conventional water resources could relieve the risk of secondary soil salinization has not been reported. In order to explore the safe and rational utilization of brackish water in areas where freshwater resources are scarce, a pot experiment was conducted to study the risk of secondary soil mixed irrigation and rotational irrigation using brackish water and reclaimed water or freshwater. The results indicated that: (1) Short-term irrigation using reclaimed water did not cause secondary soil salinization, although increasing soil pH value, ESP, and SAR. The indices did not exceed the threshold of soil salinization. (2) Compared with mixed irrigation using brackishfreshwater, the contents of soil exchangeable Ca2+, K+, and Mg2+ increased, and the content of soil exchangeable Na+ decreased under rotational irrigation using brackish-reclaimed water. In addition, the contents of soil exchangeable Na+ and Mg2+ under mixed irrigation or rotational irrigation were significantly lower, and the exchangeable K+ content of the soil was higher compared with brackish water irrigation. The exchangeable Ca2+ content under rotational irrigation was higher than that of brackish water irrigation, while the reverse was seen under mixed irrigation. (3) For different combined utilization modes of brackish water and reclaimed water, the ESP and SAR were the lowest under rotational irrigation, followed by mixed irrigation and brackish water irrigation. The ESP under brackish water treatment exceeded 15%, indicating a certain risk of salinization, while ESPs under other treatments were below 15%. Under mixed irrigation or rational irrigation using reclaimed-brackish water, the higher the proportion or rotational times of reclaimed water, the lower the risk of secondary soil salinization. Therefore, short-term combined irrigation using brackish water and reclaimed water will not cause the risk of secondary soil salinization, but further experiments need to verify or cooperate with other agronomic measures in long-term utilization.

Automated summary

This study explores the safe and rational utilization of brackish water in areas with scarce freshwater resources. The results show that short-term irrigation using reclaimed water does not cause secondary soil salinization. Rotational irrigation with brackish-reclaimed water increases the content of exchangeable Ca2+, K+, and Mg2+ in the soil, while decreasing the content of exchangeable Na+. The risk of secondary soil salinization is lowest under rotational irrigation, followed by mixed irrigation and brackish water irrigation.