Effect of Chemical Amelioration on the Physicochemical Properties of Chernozem Soils in Irrigated Fruit Nurseries

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study on the effects of long-term use of drip irrigation with mineralized or, in other words, saline waters on the physicochemical properties of black chernozem soils in a fruit nursery. Irrigation induced local accumulation of water-soluble salts in the main wetted zone, alkalinization of the soil, and saturation of the soil-absorbing complex with Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ cations and Ca²⁺ depletion. The introduction of phosphogypsum in a dose of 2 t/ha for chemical reclamation reduced high alkalinity of the soil and increased the content of exchangeable calcium in the soil-absorbing complex. The application of phosphogypsum seems to be an effective method to restore the fertility of chernozem soils under conditions of long-term use of drip irrigation with mineralized waters.