Pollution

Pollution

Phosphogypsum and Humic Acid Mixed with Saline Irrigation Water: A Strategy to Improve Some Chemical Properties of Soil and Cauliflower (Brassica Oleracea L.) Yield under Salt Stress Condition

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors
Khdyar Al-Kubissi 1
Muneer N. A. AL-Falahi 2
Saad Jabir Hafi 2
1 College of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, University of Anbar,31001, Anbar, Iraq
2 Upper Euphrates Center for Sustainable Development Research, University of Anbar, 31001, Anbar, Iraq
10.22059/poll.2026.417695.3404
Abstract
Using the saline water for irrigation purposes negatively affects soil properties; however, these effects can be mitigated through appropriate management practices A field experiment was conducted to determine the feasibility of mixing phosphogypsum and humic acid with saline irrigation water to mitigate its harmful effects on the soil chemical properties and cauliflower growth. The experiment was designed in a complete block design with three replications. The first factor involved three levels of water irrigation salinity, i.e., 2.70, 5.50, and 7.50 dS/ m. The second factor was the level of phosphogypsum-to-humic acid ratio, namely 0.0, 0.25, and 0.50 g/L for each of them. The treatment Phosphogypsum and Humic Acid were arranged as T1 (H0PG0) (control), T2 (H1PG1), T3 (H1PG2), T4 (H2PG1), and T5 (H2PG2), all applied Mixed with irrigation water, T4 (0.25 g/L phosphogypsum and 0.50 g/L humic acid) showed better performance over other treatments Specifically, such treatments decreased (EC, SAR, Na, Cl, HCO3) all soil depths; the highest reduction rate was observed at the 0.0–15 cm depth, reaching (26.52, 49.11, 38.70, 25.53, 15.46)% for each, respectively, while (Ca²⁺) increased at 29.70% the same depth. Treatment T4 was the most effective treatment in terms of increasing cauliflower plant components )height, head weight, and yield( compared to the control treatment across all salinity levels; the increases recorded were 26.57% for height, 22.79% for head weight, and 22.67% for yield.
Keywords
Phosphate Industry Byproduct
Humic Substances
Affected Irrigation
Chemical Soil Indicators
Plant Growth Parameters
Subjects
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Pollution
Volume 12, Issue 4
Autumn 2026
Pages 1234-1246