YIELD AND ITS COMPONENTS OF CORN AT SALINE SODIC SOIL WASHED WITH ENRICHED WATER BY A COMBINATIONS OF PHOSPHOGYPSUM AND HUMIC ACIDS

Abstract

A field study was conducted during the spring season of 2020 in saline sodic soils with clay loam texture, to study 16 combinations of phosphogypsum and humic acids. A randomized complete block design according to the order of treatment added to the factorial experiment was used with three replications. The experiment included the use of humic acids (HA₁, HA₂, HA₃, and HA₄) and phosphogypsum (G₁, G₂, G₃, and G₄) in four levels (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 g L^-1) for both of them mixed in washing water to make 16 combinations, in addition to washing with a commercial clean salt (CS) treatment and Euphrates water only (W) to become 18 treatments. All experimental units were washed with enriched water with combinations and with a commercial clean salt and water. The results showed that washing with HA₄G₄ combination showed the highest significant increase in Calcium and Magnesium concentration, which reached 194.20 and 60.40 mmol L^-1 compared to the rest of the combinations. Also there was a significant decrease in the Sodium adsorption ratio, which reached 0.83. Combination HA₄G₄ gave a highest significant increase in plant height, dry matter weight, grain yield, the weight of 300 grains, and an increase of 84.605%, 67.00%, 190.79%, and 67.92% compared to washing with water alone (W), respectively. The same combination also showed a highest significant increase in the Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium content of grains, with an increase of 26.23%, 133.83%, and 150.68% compared to washing with water (W), respectively.