Engineering Soil Quality and Water Productivity Through Optimal Phosphogypsum Application Rates
Water scarcity and soil degradation pose challenges to sustainable agriculture. Phosphogypsum, a low-cost solid waste, shows potential as a soil amendment, but its impact on water saving and soil quality need further study. This research assessed the effects of phosphogypsum application rates (CK: n...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| author | Anrong Luo Jun Li Yanan Xiao Zijian He Jiaping Liang |
| author_facet | Anrong Luo Jun Li Yanan Xiao Zijian He Jiaping Liang |
| author_sort | Anrong Luo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Water scarcity and soil degradation pose challenges to sustainable agriculture. Phosphogypsum, a low-cost solid waste, shows potential as a soil amendment, but its impact on water saving and soil quality need further study. This research assessed the effects of phosphogypsum application rates (CK: no phosphogypsum, 0.075%, 0.15%, 0.3% and 0.6%) on soil infiltration, water retention, salinity, soil quality, crop yield and irrigation water productivity (IWP) to identify the optimal rate. Phosphogypsum application altered pore structure and water potential gradients, slowing wetting front migration, increasing infiltration duration (102 to 158 min), cumulative infiltration (17.37 to 27.44 cm) (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and soil water content (18.25% to 24.33%) (<i>p</i> < 0.05) as the rate increased from CK to 0.6%. It also enhanced water retention by enhancing soil aggregation and reducing evaporation.By promoting the formation and stabilization of soil aggregates, phosphogypsum application (CK to 0.6%) reduced bulk density from 1.20 g/cm<sup>3</sup> to 1.12 g/cm<sup>3</sup> (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while porosity, available nitrogen and urease activity increased by 3.70%, 39.42% and 82.61%, respectively (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These enhancements provided a strong foundation for improved crop performance. Specifically, phosphogypsum enhanced yield through three pathways: (1) improving soil physical properties, which influenced soil nutrients and then improved enzyme activities; (2) directly affecting soil nutrients, which impacted enzyme activities and increased yield; and (3) directly boosting enzyme activities, leading to increased yield. The comprehensive benefits of phosphogypsum initially increased and then decreased, with an optimal application rate of 0.45% determined through TOPSIS, a method that ranks alternatives based on their proximity to an ideal solution, considering factors including soil quality, crop yield and IWP. These findings confirm the feasibility of phosphogypsum as an effective resource to enhance water efficiency and soil quality, promoting sustainable agricultural practices. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7c36a6aa1bed46038469f81403387ad3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-7c36a6aa1bed46038469f81403387ad32025-01-24T13:16:26ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952024-12-011513510.3390/agronomy15010035Engineering Soil Quality and Water Productivity Through Optimal Phosphogypsum Application RatesAnrong Luo0Jun Li1Yanan Xiao2Zijian He3Jiaping Liang4Yunnan Phosphate Chemical Croup Co., Ltd., National Engineering and Technology Center for the Development & Utilization of Phosphorous Resources, Kunming 650600, ChinaSchool of Ecology, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaYunnan Phosphate Chemical Croup Co., Ltd., National Engineering and Technology Center for the Development & Utilization of Phosphorous Resources, Kunming 650600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas, Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaFaculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, ChinaWater scarcity and soil degradation pose challenges to sustainable agriculture. Phosphogypsum, a low-cost solid waste, shows potential as a soil amendment, but its impact on water saving and soil quality need further study. This research assessed the effects of phosphogypsum application rates (CK: no phosphogypsum, 0.075%, 0.15%, 0.3% and 0.6%) on soil infiltration, water retention, salinity, soil quality, crop yield and irrigation water productivity (IWP) to identify the optimal rate. Phosphogypsum application altered pore structure and water potential gradients, slowing wetting front migration, increasing infiltration duration (102 to 158 min), cumulative infiltration (17.37 to 27.44 cm) (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and soil water content (18.25% to 24.33%) (<i>p</i> < 0.05) as the rate increased from CK to 0.6%. It also enhanced water retention by enhancing soil aggregation and reducing evaporation.By promoting the formation and stabilization of soil aggregates, phosphogypsum application (CK to 0.6%) reduced bulk density from 1.20 g/cm<sup>3</sup> to 1.12 g/cm<sup>3</sup> (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while porosity, available nitrogen and urease activity increased by 3.70%, 39.42% and 82.61%, respectively (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These enhancements provided a strong foundation for improved crop performance. Specifically, phosphogypsum enhanced yield through three pathways: (1) improving soil physical properties, which influenced soil nutrients and then improved enzyme activities; (2) directly affecting soil nutrients, which impacted enzyme activities and increased yield; and (3) directly boosting enzyme activities, leading to increased yield. The comprehensive benefits of phosphogypsum initially increased and then decreased, with an optimal application rate of 0.45% determined through TOPSIS, a method that ranks alternatives based on their proximity to an ideal solution, considering factors including soil quality, crop yield and IWP. These findings confirm the feasibility of phosphogypsum as an effective resource to enhance water efficiency and soil quality, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/35phosphogypsumsoil qualityyieldirrigation water productivitycomprehensive evaluation |
| spellingShingle | Anrong Luo Jun Li Yanan Xiao Zijian He Jiaping Liang Engineering Soil Quality and Water Productivity Through Optimal Phosphogypsum Application Rates Agronomy phosphogypsum soil quality yield irrigation water productivity comprehensive evaluation |
| title | Engineering Soil Quality and Water Productivity Through Optimal Phosphogypsum Application Rates |
| title_full | Engineering Soil Quality and Water Productivity Through Optimal Phosphogypsum Application Rates |
| title_fullStr | Engineering Soil Quality and Water Productivity Through Optimal Phosphogypsum Application Rates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Engineering Soil Quality and Water Productivity Through Optimal Phosphogypsum Application Rates |
| title_short | Engineering Soil Quality and Water Productivity Through Optimal Phosphogypsum Application Rates |
| title_sort | engineering soil quality and water productivity through optimal phosphogypsum application rates |
| topic | phosphogypsum soil quality yield irrigation water productivity comprehensive evaluation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/35 |
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