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Saline-Alkali Land Reclamation for Sustainability in Agriculture and Environment

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil Conservation and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2023) | Viewed by 8043

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Shujuan Wang

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Guest Editor

Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Interests: CO₂ capture

Dr. Yonggan Zhao

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Guest Editor

Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Interests: salt-alkalization; land degradation; soil and water conservation; soil amelioration; soil fertility; recycling of wastes; water resouce; paddy field; sunflower

Dr. Wenchao Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Interests: soil salinization; water saving; water and salt migration; irrigation; drainage; soil respiration; soil nutrient cycle; enzyme activity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The problems of land salinization and secondary salinization exist worldwide. Soil salinization is an important cause of soil degradation, which deteriorates the ecological environment and hinders agricultural production. In recent years, soil salinization has continued to expand, posing a serious threat to the sustainable development of ecology, environment and agriculture, although it has attracted worldwide attention. Therefore, there is still great potential in saline-alkali land amelioration and reclamation.

For agricultural production, saline-alkali land is an important reserve land resource. The reclamation of saline-alkali wasteland and the improvement of the quality of saline-alkali farmland will contribute to ensuring global food security and promoting agricultural sustainability. In terms of the environment, preventing further soil degradation from salinity and alkalinity, increasing soil fertility and

promoting crop growth can enhance soil microbial activity and soil nutrient virtuous cycle, thus improving ecological and environmental sustainability. The sustainability of agriculture and environment is an important part of human sustainable development.

Research on the reclamation of saline-alkali land has made progress in stages. Significant obstacles still exist in saline-alkali land reclamation. The distribution of saline-alkali soil is uneven, and the causes are diverse. Secondary saline-alkalization can occur in humid and semi-humid regions, and the soil saline-alkalization is more serious in arid and semi-arid regions. The different causes result in the absence of a universal set of improvements, and a variety of approaches are required instead. Almost every reclamation method/technology has drawbacks, and the most prominent and universal contradiction is the utilization of water resources. Given the recurring nature of soil salinization, how to avoid the drawbacks and develop efficient, long-term, energy-saving ameliorant or reclamation methods has always been the research focus. In addition, field-management systems often lag behind the development of new saline-alkali land reclamation technologies. The comprehensive treatment of saline-alkali land and agricultural utilization technology research and development, application and industrial promotion have become new research directions.

This Special Issue is designed to showcase innovative research on saline-alkali land reclamation, including the discovery of new reclamation methods, new insights into existing reclamation methods, the carbon sequestration potential of saline-alkali land, the evaluation and prediction of reclamation effects, new field-management strategies, etc. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide valuable insights into saline-alkali land reclamation, with a specific interest in methods, sustainable use techniques, amendment development, empirical evidence and applications, simulations, management, policy initiatives as well as conceptual frameworks.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

New amendments, utilization of waste in saline-alkali land reclamation;
Design of new saline-alkali land reclamation methods;
Methods for the evaluation of reclamation effect;
Soil water and salt transport;
Water saving, irrigation, and drainage;
Soil fertility, nutrient cycling, and plant growth;
Carbon sequestration and emissions in saline-alkali soil;
Integrated assessment models;
Management and policy recommendations.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Shujuan Wang
Dr. Yonggan Zhao
Dr. Wenchao Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

saline-alkali land; agricultural sustainability; environmental sustainability; food security; land degradation; water resources; soil fertility; integrated technology; amendment; field management

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1914 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fertigation and Carboxymethyl Cellulose Applications Enhance Water-Use Efficiency, Improving Soil Available Nutrients and Maize Yield in Salt-Affected Soil

by Yaqi Wang, Ming Gao, Heting Chen, Yiwen Chen, Lei Wang and Rui Wang

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9602; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129602 - 15 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1167

Abstract

Conventional organic soil amendments and drip irrigation are insufficient for mitigating soil salinization. The development of a more potent soil amendment with higher water retention capability is critical. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) has excellent water retention and adsorption properties and is suitable for soil water retention and amendment; however, its effects on water and salt distribution, soil nutrients, and maize yield have not been clearly investigated. We set up five treatments with flood irrigation (CK), drip irrigation (W), drip irrigation combined with 100 kg CMC ha⁻¹ (WC1), drip irrigation combined with 200 kg CMC ha⁻¹ (WC2), and drip irrigation combined with 300 kg CMC ha⁻¹ (WC3). Our findings demonstrate that the application of CMC in conjunction with drip irrigation led to a significant surge in soil water content within the 0–40 cm layer, ranging from 3.73% to 16.46%, while simultaneously inducing a reduction in salt content of 4.08% to 16.61%. Consequently, this resulted in a desalination rate spanning from 10.32% to 12.93%. The salt was gradually washed down and formed a desalination area with the drip emitter as the center, and the salt distribution characteristics shifted from a surface accumulation type to a bottom deposition type. The drip irrigation and CMC application also increased the content of available nutrients, reduced surface evaporation, underground water loss, and maize evapotranspiration, and improved water-use efficiency, thus increasing the aboveground biomass and grain yield. In summary, CMC had a significant effect on water retention, desalination, and yield increases. It can serve as a novel soil amendment for salt-affected soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Saline-Alkali Land Reclamation for Sustainability in Agriculture and Environment)

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16 pages, 2076 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of the Salt-Tolerant Gramineous Forage Echinochloa frumentacea on Biological Improvement and Crop Productivity in Saline–Alkali Land on the Hetao Ningxia Plain in China

by Yunlong Cheng, Xiaowei Xie, Xueqin Wang, Lin Zhu, Quan-Sheng Qiu and Xing Xu

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5319; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065319 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1479

Abstract

Biological improvement is a sustainable approach for saline–alkali land amelioration and utilization. Echinochloa frumentacea (Roxb.) link is a salt-tolerant gramineous forage, which plays an important role in improving saline–alkali land. The Hetao Ningxia Plain is located in the upper–middle reaches of the Yellow River with a large area of saline–alkali soil, where E. frumentacea has potential applications for improving saline–alkali land. Three experiments were conducted on saline–alkali land in Pingluo County, Ningxia, including soil-leaching experiments in pots as well as monoculture or intercropping experiments involving E. frumentacea in fields. The results showed that: (1) E. frumentacea had a strong leaching ability of Na⁺ and SO₄²⁻ in saline–alkali soil. (2) The planting of E. frumentacea decreased soil pH and total salt; enhanced the available N, P and K; and increased plant height, stem thickness and yields compared with the control. (3) The diversity of soil bacteria and land use efficiency could be improved by the intercropping of E. frumentacea with legume forages. Overall, E. frumentacea is an important pioneer species of biological improvement for the sustainable utilization of secondary saline–alkali land produced by irrigation around the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Saline-Alkali Land Reclamation for Sustainability in Agriculture and Environment)

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13 pages, 1817 KiB

Open AccessArticle

If Sand Interlayer Acts Better than Straw Interlayer for Saline Soil Amelioration? A Three-Year Field Experiment

by Na Liu, Wenhao Feng, Hongyuan Zhang, Fangdi Chang, Jing Wang, Yuyi Li and Huancheng Pang

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4931; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15064931 - 10 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1078

Abstract

An addition of straw interlayer in the 0.40 m soil depth could effectively reduce salt accumulation in the surface soils by regulating water fluxes, thus mitigating the salt stress to the crop growth and development. However, the positive effects of straw interlayer were weakened with straw decomposition, and whether we could use sand (an indecomposable substance) instead of straw for saline soil amelioration still needs further investigation. Therefore, a three-year field experiment was established with straw and sand interlayers, as well as with no interlayer as a control. Straw interlayer demonstrated an increase of 4.85~13.10% of water content, while the sand interlayer increased 12.41~16.48% of water content in the soil layer of 0–0.40 m depth comparing to the control. Salt contents were lowered by 10.69~17.01% in the same soil layer of the straw interlayer and lowered by 7.00~7.59% in the sand interlayer treatment after irrigation. Data also shows that irrigation significantly increased water content and lowered salt accumulation in the soil plough layer, thus increasing the sunflower emergence rate of 10.49~13.54% in the straw interlayer treatment and 12.53~14.78% in the sand interlayer treatment, respectively. Both the straw interlayer and sand interlayer treatments effectively reduced the evaporation of groundwater and established a beneficial plough layer with a lower salt accumulation throughout the sunflower growth period. At harvesting stage, the evaporation fluxes of salt in the straw interlayer and sand interlayer treatments were significantly lower than that in the control treatment. Lower salt accumulation conferred a beneficial promotion for the growth of sunflower, while the grain yields in the straw interlayer treatment were increased by 8.67% in 2018, 11.00% in 2019 and 17.37% in 2020 compared to the no-interlayer soil, respectively. However, the low water content in the soil layer of 0–0.40 m depth in the sand interlayer treatment inhibited the growth of sunflower, resulting in a significant decrease in the seed yields. It is worth noting that the precipitation effectively alleviated water stress on the sunflower at the middle and late growth stage in the sand interlayer treatment. This study suggests that a maize straw burial of 0.05 m thickness at a depth of 0.40 m soil layer could be used as an effective tillage practice that could improve the distribution of water and salt in saline soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Saline-Alkali Land Reclamation for Sustainability in Agriculture and Environment)

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16 pages, 1032 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Biochar Application on Soil Fertility, Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Balance in Coastal Salt-Affected Soil under Barley–Maize Rotation

by Chong Tang, Jingsong Yang, Wenping Xie, Rongjiang Yao and Xiangping Wang

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 2893; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15042893 - 6 Feb 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2066

Abstract

Coastal lands are often affected by salinization, which leads to a deterioration of soil structure and a decrease in land productivity. As a widely used soil amendment, biochar has been proven to improve poor soil properties and promote crop growth and N adsorption and utilization. However, the effects of biochar on soil fertility, N use efficiency (NUE) and balance in coastal salt-affected soil have rarely been reported. Therefore, we conducted a field micro-plot experiment to study the improvement effects of different biochar rates (0, 13.5, 20.25 and 27 t/ha, corresponding to CK, B1, B2 and B3 treatments, respectively) on coastal salt-affected soil. The results showed that biochar application increased soil water content (SWC) in seasons with abundant rainfall but decreased SWC in seasons with strong evaporation, and the increase or decrease in SWC was greater with the increase in biochar rates. Biochar application increased soil salinity and decreased soil pH, although high rates of biochar increased soil salinity to a lesser extent, while low rates of biochar decreased soil pH most. Biochar application was able to reduce soil bulk density, while B1and B2 treatments decreased it to a higher degree. Moreover, biochar application increased soil macro-aggregates (>0.25 mm) and organic matter, while B2 and B3 treatments increased it to a higher degree. Biochar application improved soil fertility to an extent that crop grain increased yield by 2.84~19.88% in barley season and 12.27~16.74% in maize season. Meanwhile, biochar application also increased NUE because it promoted the increase of yield. In particular, the calculation of N balance between soil and plant systems suggested that biochar application could reduce the apparent N loss during crop planting, and B1 treatment was better at reducing apparent N loss. Overall, our study indicates that biochar application has great potential to improve poor physicochemical properties and N nutrient utilization in coastal salt-affected soil. More importantly, we suggest that biochar application rates should be controlled in coastal salt-affected soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Saline-Alkali Land Reclamation for Sustainability in Agriculture and Environment)

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11 pages, 495 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

Amendment of Saline–Alkaline Soil with Flue-Gas Desulfurization Gypsum in the Yinchuan Plain, Northwest China

by Jing Wang, Aiqin Zhao, Fei Ma, Jili Liu, Guoju Xiao and Xing Xu

Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8658; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118658 - 26 May 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1297

Abstract

The effective and safe use of FGD gypsum in agricultural land is still debated in some countries even though its effectiveness in soil management has been reported in many studies. Thus, the changes in the levels of soil salinity, alkalinity, crop yield, and other physicochemical properties in different soil types and crops after reclamation and planting with FGD gypsum over four years are evaluated in this paper. The main aim of this paper is to review the effects of six treatment technologies in addressing soil salinity and sodicity and crop production in soils, with a focus on the basic theory, key technologies, and industrialized applications. This paper also shows that soil conditions can be improved and crop yields can be increased by using FGD alone or in combination with humic acid or fertilizer. FGD gypsum plus K–Zn–Mn fertilizer increased the yield of rice by 135%. In alkaline, salinized, and secondary salinized soils, FGD gypsum combined with organic fertilizer or organic plus chemical fertilizer increased the yield of rice by 21.2% and 60.4%, the yield of sunflower by 2.4% and 23.6%, and the yield of medlar by 18.81% and 20.78%, respectively. The application of FGD gypsum also increased the salt tolerance of salt-tolerant plants. Combined with drainage, laser field levelling and tillage decreased soil salinity by more than 63.76% and increased the yield of oil sunflower by up to 96.96%. This study provides convincing evidence of the benefits of the application of the six treatments to reclaim saline–alkali soils. It is suggested that comprehensive measures should be taken to improve saline–alkaline soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Saline-Alkali Land Reclamation for Sustainability in Agriculture and Environment)

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