EFFECT OF SOIL CONDITIONERS ON WHEAT GROWTH AND NUTRIENTS UPTAKE UNDER SALINE CONDITION

The strategy of Egyptian government aims to reclaim degraded soils to overcome the big gap between demands and available for wheat crop. So, pot experiment was implemented aiming at evaluating the impact of some forms and rates of gypsum, compost and sugar lime mud (normal form i.e. Non-Nano as control at rate of 0.5% and another form (Nano) at rates of 0.25% and 0.5%) on the performance of wheat plants grown on salt affected soil at three periods from planting date (15, 30 and 45days after sowing). The results showed that soil addition of gypsum was the superior treatment as for wheat growth criteria and N, P, K and Mg percentages in wheat straw under all different growth periods followed by sugar lime mud conditioner and lately compost amendment. On the other hand, the Nano form was more superior to the normal form with all studied amendments as for wheat growth criteria and N percentage in wheat straw. On the contrary, soil addition of gypsum was the superior treatment for Ca% in wheat straw followed by sugar lime mud conditioner and lately compost amendment. Also, the Nano form gave Ca percentage values more than the normal form with all studied soil conditioners, where Ca percentage in wheat straw increased as the rate of Nano form increased. The lowest values of Na percentage in wheat straw were recorded with soil addition of gypsum followed by sugar lime mud, while the compost conditioner realized the highest values of Na percentage in wheat straw. The same trend of N, P, K , Ca, Mg and Na (%) was reflected on the values of N, P, K ,Ca, Mg and Na uptake by wheat plants at different growth periods. Economically, it can be concluded that treating wheat plants grown on salt-affected soil by sugar lime mud as soil addition before sowing is beneficial especially in Nano form due to lower dose and costs of use and also safe keeping environment from pollution.