Manzoor Qadir

• Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research

This open access book considers that the Central and South Asian region sits at the middle of geographical, geopolitical, economic and historical cross-roads. Since the independence of the Central Asian states in the 1990s, following the demise of the Soviet Union, and emergence of regional trade and political ties means that the region’s evolution...

In a Lysimeter experiment, the impact of CI-and SOt anions on. the movement/retention of lead and chromium in a sandy loam soil was studied. The treatments were: canal water application alone, solutions of PbCI 2 ,' CrCI 3 , Cr2(S0 4)3'PbCl2 + CrCl3 and PbCl 2 + Cr2(S04)3in canal water containing 10 mg of each metal. These leaching solutions were a...

The challenge of providing food, water, and nutritional security for households and communities in 2050 will be greater than the challenge today. The increasing demands, especially from urban areas, will place significant pressure on land, water, and energy resources. While water recycling and reuse offer the opportunity to augment water resources,...

Estimating the benefits and costs of planned or unplanned, ongoing or future, water reuse projects is not without challenges. In additional to the common difficulties of applying cost benefits analysis in agriculture or for justifying the use of reclaimed wastewater, the chapter tries to present some particular challenges with respect to the assess...

We describe policies, interventions, and institutions pertaining to wastewater use in agriculture, with particular emphasis on low and middle income countries. Designing policies and implementing interventions are challenging in such countries, where most of the wastewater used for irrigation is untreated and much of the use is informal and uninten...

Food security concerns and the scarcity of new productive land have put productivity enhancement of degraded lands back on the political agenda. In such a context, salt-affected lands are a valuable resource that cannot be neglected nor easily abandoned even with their lower crop yields, especially in areas where significant investments have alread...

Salinity and waterlogging have impacted agricultural production in arid areas for more than 2000 years. The causes of the problems are well known, as are the methods and investments required to manage salt-affected soils and shallow water tables. Yet the problems persist in many regions where farmers apply excessive irrigation water, and where farm...

Appropriate use of marginal-quality waters coupled with crop rotation(s) and management interventions on saline-sodic soils have the potential to transform such water and soil resources from environmental burdens into economic assets. Several long-term field studies in the Indus basin of Pakistan were carried out to evaluate different irrigation an...

Considering extreme events of climate change and declining availability of appropriate quality water and/or highly productive soil resources for agriculture in dryland regions, the need to produce more food, forage and fibre will necessitate the effective utilization of marginal‐quality water and soil resources. Recent research and practices have d...

Despite widespread irrigation with diluted, untreated, or partially treated wastewater in developing countries, health implications of such irrigation on children living in wastewater-irrigated area have rarely been addressed. In a survey study, we investigated health implications of wastewater irrigation on children (8–12 years) in peri-urban Alep...

Transient-state models that account for continually changing salinity and matric stress on crop yields have been developed by several research groups. The objective of this research was to compare the simulated yields of forage corn obtained from a common set of soil and water conditions for ENVIRO-GRO, HYDRUS, SALTMED, SWAP and UNSATCHEM. The phys...

We carried out three field experiments on salt-affected soils having tile drainage in place, which differed in ambient levels of electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio. The 3-year cropping sequence consisted of a rice–wheat rotation. These crops were irrigated with waters having different levels of salinity (EC 2.7–4.5 dS m⁻¹), and sod...

Soil salinity is an ever-increasing constraint to crop productivity worldwide especially in countries with irrigated agriculture. In contrast to all the soil reclamation strategies to decrease salt concentrations in root zone, the use of sodium (Na) in plant nutrition may be an interesting tactic. The roles of potassium (K) and Na in plant nutritio...

Water scarcity in agriculture sector forced farmers to use city wastewater without any regard of its quality effects on environment and resultant contamination of soils and plants, particularly with heavy metals. A survey of effluent, tube well and canal water irrigated areas in Faisalabad, Pakistan was conducted to appraise Cd concentration in the...

The levels of magnesium (Mg2+) in irrigation waters and soils are increasing in several irrigation schemes worldwide. Excess levels of Mg2+ in irrigation waters and/or in soils negatively affect soil physical properties (infiltration rate and hydraulic conductivity) and ultimately crop growth and yield. Although few studies have been undertaken on...

The volume of wastewater generated by domestic, industrial and commercial sources has increased with population, urbanization, improved living conditions, and economic development. The productive use of wastewater has also increased, as millions of small-scale farmers in urban and peri-urban areas of developing countries depend on wastewater or was...

Raw sewage is widely used on agricultural soils in urban areas of developing countries to meet water shortages. Although it is a good source of plant nutrients, such sewage also increases the heavy metal load to soils, which may impact the food chain. Management options for sewage contaminated soils includes addition of nontoxic compounds such as l...

Expansion of irrigated agriculture in the Aral Sea Basin in the second half of the twentieth century led to the conversion of vast tracks of virgin land into productive agricultural systems resulting in significant increases in employment opportunities and income generation. The positive effects of the development of irrigated agriculture were repl...

Irrational irrigation practices in the Arys Turkestan Canal command area in the southern part of Kazakhstan have led to the formation of soils with poor physical and chemical properties. To study whether irrigation and leaching practices and/or groundwater rise have contributed to the accumulation of Mg2+ on the cation exchange complex of these soi...

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is the driest region of the world with only 1% of the world’s freshwater resources. The increasing competition for good-quality water has cut into agriculture’s water share but since the use of freshwater for domestic, industrial and municipal activities generates wastewater, the volume of wastewater u...

A combination of appropriate crop rotation(s) and management interventions has the potential to transform saline-sodic soil and water resources from an environmental burden into an economic asset. We carried out 2-year field studies in the Indus Basin of Pakistan to evaluate different irrigation and soil management options of using saline-sodic wat...

Pb is one of the most widespread and metal pollutants in soil. It is generally concentrated in surface layers with only a minor portion of the total metal found in soil solution. Phytoextraction has been proposed as an inexpensive, sustainable, in situ plant-based technology that makes use of natural hyperaccumulators as well as high biomass produc...

Recent trends and future demographic projections suggest that the need to produce more food and fibre will necessitate effective utilization of salt-affected land and saline water resources. Currently at least 20 per cent of the world's irrigated land is salt affected and/or irrigated with waters containing elevated levels of salts. Several major i...

Evaluation of commonly grown cotton (Gossypium hir-sutum L.) genotypes under saline environment may help to cope with the venture of the crop failure in salt-affected soils. In a pot experiment, four cotton genotypes (MNH-93, NIAB-78. S-12, and B-557) were grown to compare their relative performance on a sandy clay loam soil (original ECe = 1.9 dS...

Salinisation of land resources is a major impediment to their optimal utilisation in many arid and semi-arid regions of the world including Iran. Estimates suggest that about 34 million ha, including 4·1 million ha of the irrigated land, are salt-affected in Iran as the consequence of naturally occurring phenomena and anthropogenic activities. The...

Lead solubilization in soil and accumulation by spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was studied in response to the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) application method. In this study, 4 mmol EDTA kg−1 was applied using two application methods (a single dose and split doses) either alone or in combination with elemental sulfur. Results indicate...

Waterlogging and salinization are major impediment to the sustainability of irrigated lands and livelihoods of the farmers, especially the smallholders, in the affected areas of the Indus Basin. These problems are the result of a multitude of factors, including seepage from unlined earthen canals system, inadequate provision of surface and subsurfa...

BACKGROUND: In most parts of Pakistan, untreated city effluent is utilised for growing vegetables around large urban settlements such as Faisalabad. Farmers use it as a source of irrigation water and plant nutrients. However, its continuous use may have serious environmental implications, since it also contains heavy metals. In this study the Faisa...

Recent evidences from some irrigated areas worldwide, such as Central Asia, suggest that water used for irrigation contains magnesium (Mg2+) at levels higher than calcium (Ca2+). Excess levels of Mg2+ in irrigation water and/or in soil, in combination with sodium (Na+) or alone, result in soil degradation because of Mg2+ effects on the soil's physi...

Sodicity-induced soil degradation is a major environmental constraint with severe negative impacts on agricultural productivity and sustainability in arid and semiarid regions. As an important category of salt-affected soils, sodic soils are characterized by excess levels of sodium ions (Na+) in the soil solution phase as well as on the cation exch...

Sodic and alkali soils are characterized by the occurrence of excess sodium (Na +) to levels that can adversely affect soil structure and disturb the availability of nutrients for plant growth. Structural problems in these soils are created by certain physical processes (slaking, swelling and dispersion of clay minerals) and specific conditions (su...

Sustainability of irrigated agriculture in Iran is threatened by the salinization of land and water resources. These problems are the result of seepage from unlined canals, inadequate provision of surface and subsurface drainage, poor water management, and cultural practices and use of saline water for irrigation. Approximately, half of the irrigat...

Given current demographic trends and future growth projections, as much as 60% of the global population may suffer water scarcity by the year 2025. The water-use efficiency techniques used with conventional resources have been improved. However, water-scarce countries will have to rely more on the use of non-conventional water resources to partly a...

Currently at least 20 per cent of the world's irrigated land is salt-affected. However, projections of global population growth, and of an increased demand for food and fibre, suggest that larger areas of salt-affected soil will need to be cropped in the future. About 60 per cent of salt-affected soils are sodic, and much of this land is farmed by...

A lysimeter study was conducted to assess the impact of some crop rotations and gypsum on amelioration of a calcareous saline-sodic soil (pH s = 8.4, EC e = 8.6 dS m-1 , SAR = 37.7, CaCO 3 = 81.1 g kg-1) irrigated with marginal-quality water (EC = 1.0 dS m-1 , SAR = 4.2, RSC = 3.1 mmol c L-1). There were five treatments: (1) control (no crop or che...

Agriculture in the Middle East region, specifically crop production (mainly cereals and food and forage legumes), is invariably limited by low rainfall and thus soil moisture. Although irrigation is contributing to increased yields, its potential is also limited because of few surface‐water sources (rivers, lakes) and declining groundwater tables....

Consequent to population growth and high living standards in several arid and semi-arid regions, competition for freshwater among different water-use sectors is expected to increase vis-à-vis its decreased allocation to irrigation. Non-conventional water resources, such as saline and/or sodic drainage and groundwater represent complementary supply...

Salt-affected soils occupy nearly 20% of irrigated area worldwide [1]. As a major category of salt-affected soils, sodic and saline-sodic soils are characterized by the occurrence of sodium (Na+) at levels that result in poor physical properties and fertility problems, thereby threatening agricultural productivity in many arid and semi-arid regions...

Sodic and saline–sodic soils are characterized by the occurrence of sodium (Na+) at levels that result in poor physical properties and fertility problems, adversely affecting the growth and yield of most crops. These soils can be brought back to a highly productive state by providing a soluble source of calcium (Ca2+) to replace excess Na+ on the c...

Article in Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science 52:114-117 Ghafoor, A., M. Qadir, M. Sadiq, G. Murtaza and M.S. Brar. 2004. Lead, copper, zinc and iron concentrations in soils and vegetables irrigated with city effluent on urban agricultural lands. J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci. 52(1):114-117. Not available

Irrigation has long played a key role in feeding the expanding world population and is expected to play a still greater role in the future. As supplies of good-quality irrigation water are expected to decrease in several regions due to increased municipal-industrial-agricultural competition, available freshwater supplies need to be used more effici...

Agriculture commands more water than any other activity on this planet. Although the total amount of water made available by the hydrologic cycle is enough to provide the world’s current population with adequate freshwater, most of this water is concentrated in specific regions, leaving other areas water-deficient. Because of the uneven distributio...

Murtaza, G., A. Ghafoor, M. Qadir and M.K. Rashid. 2003. Accumulation and bioavailability of Cd, Co, and Mn in soils and vegetables irrigated with city effluent. Pakistan J. Agri. Sci. 40(1-2):18-24.

Saline–sodic and sodic soils are characterized by the occurrence of sodium (Na+) to levels that can adversely affect several soil properties and growth of most crops. As a potential substitute of cost-intensive chemical amelioration, phytoremediation of such soils has emerged as an efficient and low-cost strategy. This plant-assisted amelioration i...

The worldwide occurrence of saline sodic and sodic soils on more than half a billion hectares warrants attention for their efficient, inexpensive and environmentally acceptable management. These soils can be ameliorated by providing a source of calcium (Ca2+) to replace excess sodium (Na+) from the cation exchange sites. Although chemical amendment...

Accumulation of excess sodium (Na+) in a soil causes numerous adverse phenomena, such as changes in exchangeable and soil solution ions and soil pH, destabilization of soil structure, deterioration of soil hydraulic properties, and increased susceptibility to crusting, runoff, erosion and aeration, and osmotic and specific ion effects on plants. In...

Chemical amendments have been used throughout the world for almost 100 years to reclaim saline-sodic and sodic soils. Some amendments supply calcium (Ca2+) directly to the soil, which then replaces excess exchangeable sodium (Na+), while others help solubilize calcite (CaCO3) in calcareous soils. Chemical reclamation has become costly for subsisten...

Pakistan is basically an agricultural country blessed with reasonably good soil, water, environment and man power resources and Punjab is superior one in this respect to the other three provinces. The anthropogenic activities have been and are interacting with other crop production factors and, in general, have put burden on soil and water availabi...

The Indus Plains of Pakistan are situated in arid to semi-arid climate where monsoon rains are erratic and mostly fall in the months of July, August and March, which are quite insufficient to grow even a single crop without artificial irrigation. To make the agriculture a success under the ambient agro-environment, a net work of gravity flow surfac...

Use of poor-quality groundwater has become inevitable for irrigation to compensate rapidly increasing water demands in many arid and semiarid regions. Salinity and sodicity are the principal soil and water quality concerns in such areas. Many saline–sodic and sodic soils have saline or saline–sodic subsurface drainage waters. Amelioration of these...

Soils carry positive and negative charges simultaneously but vary in space and time. Samples from the A and B horizons of a normal (Typic Calciargids having natric horizon) and a saline-sodic (Calcic Haplosolids) soils were collected. Positive and negative charges were determined by saturating the soils with IN KCl at soil-suspension pH 6, 8 and 10...

Sodic soils are characterized by the occurrence of excess sodium (Na+) to levels that can adversely affect soil structure and disturb availability of some nutrients to plants. Such changes ultimately affect crop growth and yield. There are large areas of the world that exist under sodic soils and need attention for efficient, inexpensive and enviro...

Sodic soils are characterized by the occurrence of excess sodium (Na+) to levels that can adversely affect soil structure and disturb availability of some nutrients to plants. Such changes ultimately affect crop growth and yield. There are large areas of the world that exist under sodic soils and need attention for efficient, inexpensive and enviro...

Soil salinization is one of the major causes of declining agricultural productivity in many arid and semiarid regions of the world. Excessive salt concentrations in soils, in most cases, cannot be reduced with time by routine irrigation and crop management practices. Such situations demand soil amelioration. Various means used to ameliorate saline...

Soil salinization is one of the major causes of declining agricultural productivity in many arid and semiarid regions of the world. Excessive salt concentrations in soils. in most cases, cannot be reduced with time by routine irrigation and crop management practices. Such situations demand soil amelioration. Various means used to ameliorate saline...

Cadmium (Cd) is considered as a potential toxin that is principally dispersed in natural and agricultural environments through anthropogenic sources. Untreated municipal sewage, often a potential source of Cd, is generally used to irrigate urban agricultural soils in many developing countries. A study was carried out to determine Cd concentration i...

Highly dispersed hard saline-sodic soils are very important agricultural soils in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world. These soils are almost impermeable to infiltrating water. Conventional reclamation procedures using gypsum amendment followed by vertical leaching (GVL) resulted in uneconomical returns from these soils. A technique was developed a...

Nutrient behavior in saline‐sodic/sodic soils during reclamation by different crop and chemical amendments requires detailed evaluation because of changes in soil salinity/sodicity and the loss of some nutrients via the leaching of soluble salts and exchangeable Na. A saline‐sodic field [electrical conductivity (ECe) = 7.4–9.0 dS m, sodium adsorpti...

Reclamation is needed on three million ha of slowly permeable saline-sodic soils in the Indus Plain of Pakistan. Previous studies measured an increased field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) in the soil under study with cropping and gypsum application. This field experiment was conducted on a low permeability, saline-sodic soil (a fine-loamy,...