Water shortage is a real problem in many parts of the world and finding alternative solutions such as the application of saline water in cropping systems is highly appreciated. Research on drip irrigation and soil salinity is still inadequate, and their effect on crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE) is a huge challenge for small farmers. The present study was conducted in Malir, a semiarid region in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The purpose was to estimate the effects of two different qualities of irrigation water including fresh quality water (IT1 0.56 dS m−1) and saline groundwater (IT2 2.89 dS m−1) on WUE using drip irrigation technology in 2018–19. The experimental design was complete randomized block design (RCBD) with two treatments of irrigation: (1) freshwater (IT1) with 0.56 dS m−1 electrical conductivity and (2) saline water (IT2) with 2.89 dS m−1 electrical conductivity. The average biomass and crop yield under IT1 were 10.2 t.ha−1 and 7.4 t.ha−1, respectively, and were found higher than those under IT2 (7.3 t−1 and 4.2 t.ha−1, respectively). Hence, both the treatments remained equally effective in season 1 as compared to season 2 (
p
≤
0.05
). The WUE of bitter melon under IT1 was 1.60 and 1.56 kg.m−3 in seasons 1 and 2, respectively, and was higher than those under IT2 which were observed 1.21 and 1.07 kg.m−3 in seasons 1 and 2, respectively.
The salinity of soil is a crucial challenge for growers irrigating in semi-arid zones. To accomplish salinity, growers require information about salt's basis and processes of the salt mobility through the root zone. Soil salinity can be managed by exceptional irrigating farming practices including irrigation scheduling to leach down salts through the root zone. This study aimed at examining the salts movement in saline soil in a semi-arid region in Sindh, Pakistan. This field experiment was conducted during the summer of 2017 on a salt-affected land by using three irrigation treatments of canal water including T1 (7 day irrigation interval), T2 (14 day irrigation interval) and T3 (21 days irrigation interval) under 10, 9 and 8 cm depths of irrigation water, respectively. The texture of soil was silty clay loam having an electrical conductivity (EC) ranging from 7.73 to 20.69 dS/m. However, the pH of the soil ranged from 7.89 to 8.04. The findings of a two-way analysis of variance were consistent with the statistical examination of EC and pH data day- wise (7, 14 and 21 days) and depths-wise (10, 9 and 8 cm). Average reductions in the EC and pH of the soil were observed at 7 days interval and 10cm depth at P<0.05. Overall, the findings exhibited that, compared to the 14 and 21 day intervals, a 7 day irrigation interval was more effective in terms of salt leaching from the soil profile.
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