Impact of sodium salts (NaCl and Na₂CO₃) on soil nutrients dynamics

The effect of sodium salts (NaCl and Na₂CO₃) on the N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Cl concentration in soil were studied on potted wild grape plants under experimental farm of the Department of Fruit Science, SKUAST, Jammu (J & K), India. Potting mixture prepared from the combination of Soil: Sand: FYM in 3: 2: 1 ratio. Seven level of sodium salts were also taken. These levels were control or tap water (T₁), NaCl 50 mM (T₂), NaCl 75 mM (T₃), NaCl 100 mM (T₄), Na₂CO₃ 50 mM (T₅), Na₂CO₃ 75 mM (T₆), Na₂CO₃ 100 mM (T₇). Result showed that nitrogen content significantly decrease with the increasing levels of both (NaCl and Na₂CO₃) sodium salts. Phosphorus continuously decrease with the increase concentration of NaCl and increase with Na₂CO₃, while potassium increase with the NaCl concentration and decrease with increase the level of salts. Calcium and sodium both are increase with the increase the concentration of both NaCl and Na₂CO₃ salts. Salinity induced an increase in magnesium content in soil, except at 75 mM of NaCl and Na₂CO₃. A significant increase in soil chloride concentration occurred when the NaCl stress level increase, while not influenced with the Na₂CO₃ level of salts. Our results showed that sodium carbonate reduced the soil nutrients health more significantly than the sodium chloride.