Increasing Productivity of Bean by Healing Salinity of Soils

Authors

  • Mervat Said Hassan Central Metallurgical R & D institute
  • M. El Toney

Keywords:

Saline soils, Silicate –Based rocks, Bean, Incubation

Abstract

About one third of the cultivated land in Egypt is suffering from high sodicity, water logging, depletion of nutrient cations and deterioration of soil structure. Therefore, growing conditions for plants become more stressful. The article aims at application of crushed basalt as a cheap soil conditioner to increase cereal crops production Basalt from El Arish (Sinai) and Fayium collected and systematically characterized using X-ray diffraction and X-ray Fluorescence Equipments. Samples from the saline soils and soils adjacent to the ore localities collected and  characterized. The basalt crushed and ground to different sizes to determine the most effective grain size. The studied basalt consists essentially of plagioclase in addition to olivine and pyroxene minerals. The mineralogy of basalt based mainly on the degree of alteration. The phyllosilicates minerals as well as calcite and zeolite raised  as the degree of alteration increased. Also, the elementary data of basalt as well as loss in weight varied  with the degree of alteration. The chemical data revealed that, the basalt can provide a number of macro- and micro-nutrients (notably calcium, magnesium, sulphur, and the trace elements: iron, manganese, zinc, and copper). studied soils are saline, slightly to moderately alkaline, contain sufficient organic carbon, high K and low other nutrients. Essentially salts are NaCl + CaSO4 + MgSO4, moderate to high micronutrient especially Mn and Fe. Bean was cultivated in sandy and clayey saline soils incubated with crushed basalt and manure for 5 weeks. . The influences of crushed basalt of different sizes and doses in improving the vegetative growth of bean were investigated.

Author Biography

Mervat Said Hassan, Central Metallurgical R & D institute

Minerals Technology Department Ore Evaluation Lab.

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Published

2014-02-14

How to Cite

Hassan, M. S., & Toney, M. E. (2014). Increasing Productivity of Bean by Healing Salinity of Soils. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences, 2(1). Retrieved from https://www.ajouronline.com/index.php/AJAFS/article/view/848