Buried clay pot irrigation using saline water

Abstract

This study presents buried clay pot irrigation using saline water. Saline water solutions of different NaCl concentrations were prepared with equivalent electrical conductivity of 10, 15 and 20 dS/m and taken in buried clay pitchers. Mean daily percolation of water fell from 31 to 17% of pitcher (vol, 1.8 l) with increase in salinity of water from 10 to 20 dS/m. In the case of control water(without salinity), water percolation rate was 43%. It was observed that salt concentration in the soil increased with increasing horizontal distance from pitcher, but decreased with depth. Walls of pitchers were found partially retaining salt, indicating that water flowing out into the soil had less salinity as compared to water taken in the pitcher.