Plant Nutrient Behaviour with Reference to Barley Growing (Salt-Affected) Soils under Sullage Reclamation

In the usar soils under sullage reclamation exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) in 0 to 15 and 15 to 30 cm depths was positively correlated with pH, ECe, water soluble or exch. Na, and water soluble HCO₃⁻, P, Fe and Cu and negatively correlated with water soluble or exch. Ca, exch. Mg, ammonium acetate (pH 3) extractable Fe and total soil N. In 15 to 30 cm depth, soil ESP was also positively correlated with water soluble B and Mn and Morgan's reagent extractable S and negatively correlated with ammonium oxalate-oxalic acid (pH 3.3) extractable Mo. Depression in plant growth was associated with increase in soil ESP, the effect of ESP in the 15 to 30 cm depth being more marked than that of 0 to 15 cm depth. Increase in the ESP of soil, more so in 15 to 30 cm depth, caused an increase in the tissue concentration of Na, Fe and B in both young and old growths oj plants, Cu in the old growths and that of N and Mo in the young growths and decreased the concentration of K and Ca and to some extent Mn and Zn in both young and old growths and of Mg in the older growths. The tissue levels of Ca, Mg, Fe, B, Mn, Cu and Zn in barley indicated their deficiencies in the soils under study. Significant positive correlations were found between tissue Na and water soluble and exch. Na, tissue Ca and water soluble and exch. Ca, tissue Mg and water soluble Mg, tissue S and Morgan's reagent extractable S, tissue Fe and water soluble Fe, tissue Cu and water soluble Cu, tissue Mo and water soluble Mo and tissue B and hot water extractable B in soils.