Year 2026, Volume 72 Issue 1
| Year : | 2026 |
| Volume : | 72 |
| Issue : | 1 |
| Authors : | Nihal LEBBAZ, Djamel ANTEUR, Abdelkrim BENARADJ, Youcef FEKIR |
| Title : | THE IMPACT OF SALINE IRRIGATION ON SOIL SALINIZATION IN THE ARID REGION OF ALGERIA |
| Abstract : | Water and soil salinity are among the most important challenges facing the agricultural sector in arid and semi-arid regions. In water-scarce areas, the use of saline water for irrigation is a widespread practice. This study aimed to assess the quality of irrigation water in the arid region of Messaâd and evaluate its impact on soil salinity. The analysis revealed that the electrical conductivity (EC) of irrigation water ranged from 0.595 to 24.8 mS/cm, while the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values ranged from 1 to 12.37 mEq/L. In soil, EC values ranged from 0.117 to 13.69 mS/cm and SAR values ranged from 1.46 to 12.26 µmol/litre. According to the Piper plot analysis, the irrigation water in Al Messaâd is mainly of the calcium chloride and chloride type. The soil texture classification indicates that the soils in the vicinity of irrigated Al Messaâd are mostly sand, sandy loam, sandy loam, and sandy loam. The results indicate that there is a clear influence of irrigation water salinity on soil salinisation, especially in the eastern parts of the region where salinity levels are significantly higher. |
| For citation : | Lebbaz, N., Anteur, D., Benaradj, A., Fekir, Y. (2026). The impact of saline irrigation on soil salinization in the arid region of Algeria. Agriculture and Forestry, 72 (1): 21-38. https://doi:10.17707/AgricultForest.72.1.02 |
| Keywords : | Soil salinity, Irrigated Perimeter, PCA, Messaâd, Piper plot, Algeria |
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