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Alterations in Soil Chemical Properties Induced by Continuous Rice Cultivation: A Study on the Arid Nile Delta Soils of Egypt
Author(s) -
ElShahway Ashraf Samy,
Mahmoud Mahmoud M. A.,
Udeigwe Theophilus K.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/ldr.2409
Subject(s) - soil water , oryza sativa , agronomy , salinity , nile delta , cation exchange capacity , soil fertility , soil ph , organic matter , soil salinity , chemistry , delta , environmental science , soil science , biology , ecology , biochemistry , gene , aerospace engineering , water resource management , organic chemistry , engineering
Changes in soil chemical properties resulting from continuous rice ( Oryza sativa ) cultivation on the Nile Delta soils of Egypt were examined. The eight soil profiles characterized for this study were designated as 0 (crop rotation without rice), 1 (crop rotation with rice after every 2 years), and 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 representing continuous rice cultivation for 2, 4, 8, 12, 15, and 20 years, respectively. Sampling was conducted at 0–20, 20–40, 40–60, and 60–80 cm depths for each profile and samples analyzed for a suite of chemical properties. Soil pH, salinity indicators [electrical conductivity (EC), and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP)], as well as soluble and exchangeable cations and anions such as chloride and sulfate, all tended to decrease with years of continuous rice cultivation, with a number of significant ( p < 0·05) differences observed. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) increased with years of continuous rice cultivation, with a 12% increase observed between 2‐ and 20‐year continuous rice cultivation systems. Principal component analysis conducted on soil properties within the continuous rice cultivation systems (profiles 2–7) revealed two possible components, namely F1 (pH, EC, ESP, and soluble Na + , Mg 2+ , K + , Cl − , and SO 4 −2 ) and F2 (clay, organic matter, and CEC), which could be broadly associated to soil salinity and soil fertility, respectively. Findings suggested possible alterations in soil chemical properties by continuous rice cultivation practices on these Nile Delta soils of Egypt, Africa. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.