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Effects of root growth on salt leaching and soil structure improvement in saline soils: A case study of Suaeda salsa

Author

Listed:
  • Wang, Yanyan
  • Guo, Tongkai
  • Tian, Changyan
  • Zhang, Ke
  • Zhao, Zhenyong
  • Mao, Xiaomin
  • Mai, Wenxuan

Abstract

Halophytes reduce soil salinity through significant shoot salt accumulation and facilitation of salt leaching. However, quantitative evidence on how Suaeda salsa L. (S. salsa) roots interact with saline soil to facilitate salt leaching remains limited. This study investigated the effects of S. salsa planting on salt removal, soil salinity, and soil quality under four soil salinity levels (0.1 % none-saline, 0.6 % lightly saline, 1.1 % moderately saline, and 2.6 % severely saline soils) using soil column experiments. Results showed that S. salsa planting significantly reduced soil salinity in the 0–20 cm layer. In lightly to moderately saline soils (0.6 %–1.1 % salt content), above-ground Na removal accounted for 12.1 %–19.3 % of soil total Na; in severely saline soils (2.6 % salt content), this dropped to 4.3 %. Compared with bare saline soil, S. salsa planting improved soil quality through increasing total soil porosity (TSP) by 51.6 %–109.6 %, pore connectivity (PC) by 144.5 %–550.7 % in the 0–20 cm layer; enhancing saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) by 100.7 %−373.8 %, and reducing bulk density (BD) by over 4.0 % in 0–100 cm soil profile. Correlation analysis revealed that root length (RL) and root average diameter (RAD) were positively correlated with TSP, PC, connected pore numbers (CPN), and Ks but negatively correlated with BD and soil moisture (SM). Root-induced soil quality improvements promoted salt leaching in the 0–20 cm layer, achieving desalination rates of 45.5 %–54.8 % in lightly to moderately saline soils and 24.6 % in severely saline soils. Furthermore, S. salsa planting reduced topsoil salt accumulation, decreasing salinity by over 55.0 % in the 0–20 cm layer compared to uncultivated soils. Therefore, continuous cultivation of S. salsa is an effective biological strategy for remediating saline-alkali land by improving soil quality and promoting salt removal.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Yanyan & Guo, Tongkai & Tian, Changyan & Zhang, Ke & Zhao, Zhenyong & Mao, Xiaomin & Mai, Wenxuan, 2025. "Effects of root growth on salt leaching and soil structure improvement in saline soils: A case study of Suaeda salsa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:314:y:2025:i:c:s0378377425002471
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109533
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Qian, Yingzhi & Zhu, Yan & Ye, Ming & Huang, Jiesheng & Wu, Jingwei, 2021. "Experiment and numerical simulation for designing layout parameters of subsurface drainage pipes in arid agricultural areas," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    2. Yanyan Wang & Shiqi Wang & Zhenyong Zhao & Ke Zhang & Changyan Tian & Wenxuan Mai, 2023. "Progress of Euhalophyte Adaptation to Arid Areas to Remediate Salinized Soil," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Xu, Qiang & Liu, Hongguang & Li, Mingsi & Gong, Ping & Li, Pengfei & Xu, Yibin, 2024. "Optimizing water and nitrogen management for saline wasteland improvement: A case study on Suaeda salsa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
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    7. Yilei Yu & Yinghua Zhang & Nana Zhao & Jia Guo & Weigang Xu & Muyuan Ma & Xiaoxia Li, 2020. "Remediation of Crude Oil-Polluted Soil by the Bacterial Rhizosphere Community of Suaeda Salsa Revealed by 16S rRNA Genes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-18, February.
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