Assessment of salinity and sodicity status of soils of Metahara Sugar Estate
1996
Girma Abejehu (Metahara Sugar Estate (Ethiopia)) | Mitiku Haile | Sahlemedhin Sertsu
This study was undertaken at Metahara sugar estate with the objective of determining important chemical properties of soils of the area and to classify them into different categories of salt affected soils based on their salt contents. Nine pedons, fifty three composite surface soil samples, eight irrigation, four drainage and two lake water samples were considered for the study of which only the results of four pedons and water samples are reported here. Analytical results of the soils indicated that some parts of the estate are highly affected by salinity and sodicity hazards. The extent of salitity (salt content) was found to be high (ECe 4 ds/m) in the first, third, and fourth pedons and low (ECe 4 ds/m) in the second pedon. SAR values were also above 13 percent in the former pedons and below this limit in the latter one. On the basis of the criteria for classification of salt affected soils, pedons 1, 3 and 4 fell under the category of saline sodic soils; and that of pedon 2 was relatively free of salts and considered to be "normal". Irrigation water samples were low both in total salts (EC) and sodium status. Drainage water samples were however, moderately high in salt content and were grouped under high salinity and low sodicity irrigation water class. Water samples from lake Beseka also met the requirements of very high salinity and very high sodicity water.
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Este registro bibliográfico ha sido proporcionado por Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research