Search results for "Soil salinity"

Salinity and Bacterial Diversity: To What Extent Does the Concentration of Salt Affect the Bacterial Community in a Saline Soil?

2014

In this study, the evaluation of soil characteristics was coupled with a pyrosequencing analysis of the V2-V3 16S rRNA gene region in order to investigate the bacterial community structure and diversity in the A horizon of a natural saline soil located in Sicily (Italy). The main aim of the research was to assess the organisation and diversity of microbial taxa using a spatial scale that revealed physical and chemical heterogeneity of the habitat under investigation. The results provided information on the type of distribution of different bacterial groups as a function of spatial gradients of soil salinity and pH. The analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA showed differences in bacterial compositi…

The use of constructed wetlands for the treatment and reuse of urban wastewater for the irrigation of two warm-season turfgrass species under Mediter…

2017

Constructed wetlands (CWs) represent low-cost technology for the treatment and reuse of wastewater in urban areas. This study aimed to evaluate the pollutant removal efficiency of a CW system and to assess the effects of irrigation using treated urban wastewater on soil and on two warm-season turf species. The research was carried out in Sicily (Italy) on a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow system which was fed with treated urban wastewater following secondary treatment from an activated-sludge wastewater treatment plant. The pilot system was located in an open urban park and comprised two separate parallel planted units. Experimental fields of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. and Paspalum …

Environmental, Agricultural, and Socioeconomic Impacts of Salinization to Family-Based Irrigated Agriculture in the Brazilian Semiarid Region

2020

Soil salinity is one of the major abiotic factors causing a serious threat to global food security, mainly in arid and semiarid regions. Salinity brings socioeconomic impacts associated with low crop productivity and devaluation of agricultural lands. In this chapter, we approach agricultural, environmental, and socioeconomic impacts of soil salinization. We also report two case studies from irrigated areas of the Brazilian semiarid, where previously cultivated lands were abandoned due to increased soil salinity. A survey of the published literature showed that soil salinity became a global problem that is accelerated by human activities such as deforestation and lack of irrigation manageme…

Spatial microbial community structure and biodiversity analysis in "extreme" hypersaline soils of a semiarid Mediterranean area

2015

In recent years specific attention has been paid on the biotechnological potential of microorganisms in extreme soils, in particular in saline soils. Salinity is one of the most widespread soil degradation processes on the Earth, and saline soils can be defined as extreme soils or border line habitats in which several factors, as high salt content, may limit the growth of organisms. In this study, the physical, chemical and microbiological soil properties were investigated in the shallower horizon of natural saltaffected soils in Sicily (Italy). The main aim of the research was to evaluate the structure and diversity of bacterial and archaeal communities by terminal-restriction fragment len…

Salinity-induced responses and resistance in Trifolium repens L.

2015

Abstract White clover ( Trifolium repens L.) is a commonly cultivated legume with good ground cover potential often used with companion grass species in urban grassed areas. The effect of increased soil salinity on plant growth is an urgent problem in cities where NaCl is used as a de-icing material. The aim of this research was to examine the effect of different salinity levels and K supply-induced responses and tolerance in the T. repens L. variety ‘Daile’, a variety which is used in urban greenery. To analyze the impact of increased soil salinity and the antagonistic effect of K, the effect of gradually increasing NaCl (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 mM) and K (+0, +100, +200, +300 mg/L) levels …

Agriculture and grazing environments

2019

Abstract The increase in world population increases the pressure on soil resources and triggers land degradation. Agricultural and grazing environments are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems to this process. Degradation affects importantly soil fertility. Millions of hectares are affected and soil productivity is endangered. This decreases soil ability to provide ecosystem services in quantity and quality. Managers and decision-makers should be open to adopt environmentally-friendly practices and contribute to land degradation neutrality. This chapter focuses on the problems induced by some of the most common soil degradation processes caused by in agriculture and grazing activities. Rev…

Assessment of soil suitability for improvement of soil factors and agricultural management

2019

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The effect of alternating different water qualities on accumulation and leaching of solutes in a Mediterranean cracking soil

2002

The relevance of bypass flow on water flow, solute or pesticide transport is becoming increasingly recognized. Recent investigations proved that soil salinization may be influenced by bypass flow, i.e. the rapid transport of water and solutes via macropores and/or shrinkage cracks to subsoil and groundwater. This paper explores the role of bypass flow in the process of accumulation and leaching of solutes, as well as of sodium, in a Mediterranean cracking soil irrigated with saline/sodic waters. The results of bypass flow experiments performed on undisturbed soil cores showed that leaching of solutes occurred in concomitance with bypass fluxes when a low salinity solution was alternated wit…

Vineyard Compost Supplemented with Trichoderma Harzianum T78 Improve Saline Soil Quality

2016

Soil chemical and biochemical properties of a salt-marsh alluvial Spanish area after long-term reclamation

2009

Marisma, one of the largest salt-marsh alluvial areas in SW Spain, has been reclaimed since 1970 by artificial drainage and amendment with phosphogypsum (PG) so as to reduce Na+ saturation. Within the reclaimed area, two 250- × 20-m plots were treated as follows: (1) amendment with 25 Mg/ha of PG every 2 to 3 years between 1979 and 2003 (plot PY); (2) like PY but PG treatment stopped after 1997 (plot DR). A contiguous virgin Marisma salt-marsh plot (MV), neither drained nor amended, was the control. In MV, soil microbial biomass C, most enzyme activities and total organic C content were much greater than in PY and DR soils, despite the salinity stress. The decrease in soil organic matter co…