Evaluation of salinity and Sodicity of different water sources used for irrigation in Yamaltu Deba, Gombe State, Nigeria
Abstract
The unpredictable pattern of rainfall coupled with population increase has encouraged farmers to cultivate more farmlands through irrigation to meet food demand. But the prevalence of soluble salts in water is a threatening factor for soil fertility as a result of an increase in soil salinity and sodicity causes land degradation due to the rise in soluble salts in water. This study evaluates salinity and sodicity from different irrigation water sources in areas of Yamaltu-Deba: Zambuk, Kunuwal and Yamautu east. Samples were collected from eight irrigation water sources in each selected area and analyzed for physicochemical, major cations (K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+) and anions (Cl-, HCO3-, CO32-, NO3-, and SO42-). pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature of water samples were measured in situ. pH, temperature, and alkalinity were in the ranges 5.2-7.4, 20.1-30.2oC and 4.0-58.0 mg/L, respectively were within FAO permissible limits for irrigation purposes, except pH in some samples. The cations ions except K+ were within acceptable limits in the studied samples. Nitrate was high in all water sources as a result of farming activities close to those water sources. The high concentration of K+ in the samples may attribute to the same EC, with values ranging from 8.33 to 480 μS/cm. The results imply that the content of water sources in these study areas is not at the level to cause drastic salinity and sodicity to the soil of the area even when used for irrigation and other farming activities.
How to Cite This Article
Hammani Babangida, Audu Danladi, Abdulkadir Mustapha, Muhammad Zaliha (2023). Evaluation of salinity and Sodicity of different water sources used for irrigation in Yamaltu Deba, Gombe State, Nigeria . International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation (IJMRGE), 4(1), 202-207.