engleski

ENVIRONMENTAL SALINISATION PROCESSES IN AGROECOSYSTEM OF NERETVA RIVER ESTUARY

Agriculture in Neretva River estuary (Republic of Croatia) is an important economic activity for more than 30, 000 people. Due to proximity to Adriatic Sea and porous (karst) hydrogeological structure of alluvial river valley, sea water intrusion is common. As a consequence, most water sources used for irrigation are saline (EC>2 dS m-1) periodically or even continuously, which can have enormous effects on soil physical and chemical properties as well as on viability of ecosystems in the estuary. Salinisation of the soil that surrounds roots (rhizosphere) diminishes growth and development of most crops, impairing yield and quality. Moreover, increased soil salinity may enhance uptake and accumulation of certain biotoxic elements (e.g. Cd) in edible crop parts and thus in the human food chain. In this study, chemical analyses of water (open channels and groundwater) and topsoil saturation extracts indicated potential secondary salinisation processes on around 2, 500 ha of irrigated land in Neretva River estuary, with EC and SAR values exceeding those recommended for agriculture by FAO. However, intensive rainfall (>650 mm) during winter and homogenous and stable solum structure with favourable water permeability properties enable salt leaching and underpin resilience of agricultural ecosystems. Nevertheless, it is of utmost importance to control water and land salinisation processes in Neretva River valley to ensure sustainable agricultural production in the future.

secondary salinity; salt leaching; EC; SAR

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