A study of the effect of irrigation water composition on soil properties

Babcock, K; Carlson, R; Schulz, R; Overstreet, R

A study of the effect of irrigation water composition on soil properties

Authors

K. L. Babcock
R. M. Carlson
R. K. Schulz
R. Overstreet

Authors Affiliations

K. L. Babcock was Assistant Professor of Soil Chemistry and Assistant Soil Chemist in the Experiment Station, Berkeley; R. M. Carlson was Senior Laboratory Technician in the Experiment Station, Berkeley; R. K. Schulz was Assistant Specialist in Soils and Plant Nutrition in the Experiment Station, Berkeley; R. Overstreet was Professor of Soil Chemistry and Soil Chemist in the Experiment Station, Berkeley.

Publication Information

Hilgardia 29(3):155-170. DOI:10.3733/hilg.v29n03p155. October 1959.

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Abstract

Lysimeter experiments designed to study the quality of irrigation waters were initiated in 1953. The principal objective was to observe the effects of Na⁺ and HCO₃^- in the water on the chemical properties of the soil. After being cropped to alfalfa for four years, the soil was found to have significant salt gradients with depth. In many cases, there was an appreciable formation of exchangeable Na⁺, and “excess cation saturation” had been induced. Extensive chemical analyses are reported.

Literature Cited

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