Arid Zone Research ›› 2021, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (3): 682-694.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2021.03.10

• Soil Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effect of planting tomato in sand cave on water, heat and salt transport in different saline soil in Hanggin Rear Banner

HE Jing(),QU Zhongyi(),LIU Xia,LIU Zuting,SUN Yule   

  1. Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, Inner Mongolia, China
  • Received:2020-07-31 Revised:2020-12-07 Online:2021-05-15 Published:2021-06-17
  • Contact: Zhongyi QU E-mail:649247923@qq.com;quzhongyi@imau.edu.cn

Abstract:

There are many differences in the water infiltration, temperature, and salt content of the saline alkali soil in the Hetao irrigation district of Hanggin Rear Banner, which leads to different effects on soil improvement. This study aimed to examine the transport of soil moisture, temperature, and salt in different soil by “sand cave” planting tomatoes in saline soil by setting sand caves on three typical soils (sandy loam, silty loam, and clay loam) in the soil column. The results showed that sand cave planting has different effects on the distribution of water, heat, and salt in different soils. Sand cave planting significantly improves the water infiltration performance of silty clay loam soil, it increases the area and moisture content of root layer soil, and it can be increased by 24.15% at a depth of 20-40 cm. However, it reduced the water holding capacity of sandy loam and silty loam soil, and the water content of the soil profile was dry in the upper part and wet in the lower part. The temperature of undisturbed clay loam increased by 3.64 °C at the early stage of crop growth (P<0.05). These results show that there was no significant change in the temperature of sandy loam soil and silty loam soil, and the soil temperature showed a downward trend with the change in air temperature in the later growth stage. Additionally, the sand cave structure had a leaching effect on soil salt, the salt leaching effect of silt loam and clay loam was significant (P<0.05) at a depth of >20 cm, and the average relative desalination rate was 23.28% and 56.29%, respectively. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the law of water, heat, and salt transport of saline alkali soil in different soils by sand cave planting, it is concluded that among the three typical saline alkali soil in Hanggin Rear Banner, clay loam is the most suitable soil for sand cave planting. The research results inform the use of water-saving irrigation and the improvement of clay, saline soil to enable sustainable development of agricultural saline soil planting in arid areas.

Key words: sand cave, saline soil, Hanggin Rear Banner, soil texture, water movement, temperature change, salt leaching, processing toamto