Effects of muddy water irrigation with different sediment gradations on nitrogen transformation in agricultural soil of Yellow River Basin

Abstract

Muddy water irrigation has been widely practiced in the Yellow River Basin for agricultural production and is an important method of economical and intensive utilization of water resources. In this study, the effects of sediment gradation, sand content, and soil moisture content on nitrogen (N) transformation were studied through a series of experimental tests. The results indicated that muddy water irrigation significantly affected agricultural soil physical and biological properties as well as N transformation. Soil bulk density, total porosity, pH, and microbial enzyme activities significantly correlated with N transformation as affected by the interaction between sediment and soil moisture. Sediment addition generally increased the soil bulk density and reduced the soil porosity and pH significantly, and the optimum moisture for promotion of the N transformation rate was 80% of the water-filled pore space. Therefore, muddy water irrigation has a potentially long-term influence on agricultural N cycles in semi-arid regions of northwestern China. This could provide a theoretical basis for scientific and rational use of muddy water for irrigation.