<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Land use in arid and semi-arid regions is a serious challenge for sustainable production, owing not only to drought and climate change but also to water availability. Irrigated perimeters in these regions are subject to secondary salinization that negatively impacts soil quality and agricultural productivity. Monitoring and diagnosing the extent of soil contamination requires a more innovative approach to optimize rehabilitation of affected areas. In the present study, diagnosing of saline soil degradation is conducted by using two key indicators: electrical conductivity of saturated paste extract (ECe) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (HCs). The results of the study reveal that the value of ECe in 85% of the Lower Chellif Plain area (north-west Algeria) is ECe &lt; 2 dS m<sup>−1</sup>, while 78% of the area is moderately permeable. These findings underscore high spatial variability in salinity distribution, indicating that the process of salinization has not yet reached a critical stage. Furthermore, it is concluded that ECe and HCs are appropriate indicators for diagnosing salinity of soil in relation to its structural and permeability characteristics.</p>
</abstract>

Land use in arid and semi-arid regions is a serious challenge for sustainable production, owing not only to drought and climate change but also to water availability. Irrigated perimeters in these regions are subject to secondary salinization that negatively impacts soil quality and agricultural productivity. Monitoring and diagnosing the extent of soil contamination requires a more innovative approach to optimize rehabilitation of affected areas. In the present study, diagnosing of saline soil degradation is conducted by using two key indicators: electrical conductivity of saturated paste extract (ECe) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (HCs). The results of the study reveal that the value of ECe in 85% of the Lower Chellif Plain area (north-west Algeria) is ECe < 2 dS m−1, while 78% of the area is moderately permeable. These findings underscore high spatial variability in salinity distribution, indicating that the process of salinization has not yet reached a critical stage. Furthermore, it is concluded that ECe and HCs are appropriate indicators for diagnosing salinity of soil in relation to its structural and permeability characteristics.

Diagnosis of Soil Salinity in the Low-Chellif Plain, North-West Algeria, By Joint Measurements Of Electrical And Hydraulic Conductivities

Contemporary Agriculture

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Land use in arid and semi-arid regions is a serious challenge for sustainable production, owing not only to drought and climate change but also to water...

Diagnosis of Soil Salinity in the Low-Chellif Plain, North-West Algeria, By Joint Measurements Of Electrical And Hydraulic Conductivities

Article Category: Case Report

Published Online: May 21, 2024

Page range: 95 - 103

Received: Aug 02, 2023

Accepted: Dec 26, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/contagri-2024-0012

Keywords
electrical conductivity, saline soil, saturated hydraulic conductivity, lower Chellif plain

© 2024 Dalila Fettouch et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Diagnosis of Soil Salinity in the Low-Chellif Plain, North-West Algeria, By Joint Measurements Of Electrical And Hydraulic Conductivities

Article Category: Case Report

Published Online: May 21, 2024

Page range: 95 - 103

Received: Aug 02, 2023

Accepted: Dec 26, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/contagri-2024-0012

Keywordselectrical conductivity, saline soil, saturated hydraulic conductivity, lower Chellif plain

© 2024 Dalila Fettouch et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
electrical conductivity, saline soil, saturated hydraulic conductivity, lower Chellif plain