Abstract form

Amelioration and land use possibilities of salt affected soils with structural B-
horizon
Lajos BLASKÓ*, József ZSEMBELI
Karcag Research Institute of Debrecen University H-5300 Karcag, Kisújszállási u. 166.
Salt affected soils (SAS) cover about 1 million ha in Hungary. SAS with structural B-
horizon („meadow solonetz soils”) represent the most widespread group of them. About
50 percent of these soils have been reclaimed and used as arable land until now. The
practice of reclamation of SAS is two centuries old. A book by Tessedik (1804) was the
first guide on this topic. In spite of this long history and the results the reevaluation of
the research is important because of the changing economical and ecological situation.
For a well established land use decision – among others – the following questions must
be answered:
What is the main trend of natural soil forming processes?
What is the degree of the soil quality changes for shorter and longer term after
amelioration?
What are the most effective means of soil improvement?
What are the most suitable cultivated crops on the improved SAS?
As a contribution to a proper answer of the above questions, the main research results of
the Karcag Research Institute on the topic of salinization and amelioration of SAS are
summarized. This paper is based on the research results achieved by the following
facilities:
Lysimeter experiment: the investigations are being made in containers filled with
meadow solonetz soil originating from Karcag-puszta large scale experimental field.
The amelioration possibilities of salt affected soils are investigated at Karcag-puszta
long term experiment.
The salt content of salt affected soil in a lysimeter experiment was decreasing both in
drained and non drained soil. From the soil drained with a tube the leaching was two
times greater. The greater decrease of salt content was at groundwater table of 120 cm.
Leaching depended on weather conditions as well. In dry years salt accumulation, in wet
years leaching was the dominant process.
On the bases of the results of the investigations carried out at the Karcag-puszta
Experimental Site the following statements can be made:
Solonetz soils with A-horizon deeper than 20 cm can be used as grain producing fields,
but without subsurface drainage they are not suitable for crops with deeper root system
even in case of chemical soil-amelioration.
Chemical reclamation of sodic soils with deeper leached upper horizon must be
preferred if drainage can not be applied. According to our results a 10 cm increase of
the fertile top layer can be expected in these soils in a ten-year-long period.
Key words: salt affected soils, land use
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