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<br />26
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<br />J.D. RHOADES ET AL.
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<br />enhance the feasibility of using saline waters for irrigation. Considerable quan-
<br />tities of saline water are available, including drainage waters from irrigation
<br />projects and shallow groundwaters, in many places throughout the world, in-
<br />cludingthe United States, the Soviet Union, Pakistan, India, Egypt and Aus-
<br />tralia. Use of such water would not only permit the expansion of irrigated ag-
<br />riculture but would also reduce drainage disposal and associated pollution
<br />problems as well (Rhoades, 1983).
<br />This paper presents evidence of the potential to use saline water for irriga-
<br />tion, along with a management strategy to enhance such use. A brief review of
<br />relevant literature is given to document the successful use of saline waters for
<br />irrigation by conventional means, followed by results of a relatively long-term
<br />field test where saline drainage water was used for irrigation.
<br />
<br />REVIEW OF LITERATURE
<br />
<br />Some have claimed that sea water can be used directly for irrigation (Boyko,
<br />1967; Epstein and Norlyn, 1977), but the reported data are far from convinc-'
<br />ing. Ayers et al. (1952) were able to grow barley in field plots without yield
<br />reduction with irrigation water salinities as high as two-thirds the concentra-
<br />tion of sea water (20000 mgjL), but only when non-saline water was used for
<br />stand establishment. Dhir (1976) reported the use of irrigation waters with
<br />electrical conductivities (EC) as high as 15 dSjm for wheat production in India.
<br />Reports such as this one can easily be misinterpreted because the wheat was
<br />grown in a climate with an annual monsoon which provided extra quantities
<br />of non -saline water during the growing season for both transpiration and
<br />leaching. .
<br />In the U.S., extensive areas of alfalfa, grain sorghum and wheat are irrigated
<br />in the Arkansas Valley of Colorado with water containing not less.than 1500
<br />mgjL of total dissolved solids (TDS) and up to 5000 mgjL (Miles, 1977). In
<br />the Pecos Valley, water averaging 2500 mgjL has been used for irrigation for
<br />decades (Moore and Hefner, 1976). Paliwal (1972) gives a number of examples
<br />of continuing irrigation in India with waters of even higher salinity. Hardan
<br />(1976) reports the irrigation of pear trees in Iraq with waters ranging up to
<br />4000 mgjL without yield reduction. Frenkel and Shairiberg (1975) and Keren
<br />and Shainberg (1978) reported that cotton is grown commercially in Israel
<br />with water having an EC of 4.6 dSjm (-2800 mgjL). The report that 10 tjha
<br />yields of alfalfa are achieved in the USSR with water of 12500 mgjL (Bressler,
<br />1979) may be the result of poor translation or interpretation. Data on cotton
<br />irrigation from the same source are more consistent with experience from the
<br />U.S.; good yields were obtained in Uzbekistan over long-term periods with
<br />waters having 5000-6000 mgjL total dissolved solids. Jury et al. (1978) grew
<br />wheat in lysimeters with waters of up to 7.1 dSjm EC without deleterious ef-
<br />fects on yield. Pillsbury and Blaney (1966) concluded that the upper limit for
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