Soil Salinity Assessment and Irrigation Water Quality of Humbo woreda, Wolaita Zone, South Ethiopia

Soil salinity affects the majority of Ethiopia's irrigated farmland and chemical properties of irrigation water quality has major role in assessing the irrigation land salinity. The study had objective of determining the soil salinity and irrigation water quality. The study was conducted south peoples regional state wolaita zone Humbo a woreda. The study used standard analytical techniques and methods to analysis different physiochemical parameter of both irrigation water and soil of irrigated areas. The mean analysis result of irrigated soil parameter like pH, ECe, TDS, Ca, OC, TN, CEC Na, and SAR 7.9 to 9.5 for pH, 5.97 to 8.96 dS/m for ECe, 180 to 794 ppm for TDS, 1.3 to 1.6g/cm3 for BD, 1.2 to 1.75 % for OC, 0.083 to 0.14% for TN, 4.2 to 6.54 meq/100g for Na and 2.13 to 2.96 for SAR respectively. The mean analysis results of irrigation water used at study site physiochemical parameter for pH, ECe, TDS, Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+, K+, SAR, HCO3-2, CO3-, SO4-2 and Cl- were 7.77±0.12, 2.51±0.22dS/m, 1241.5±56.95 mg/l, (5.15±0.52, 3.06±0.56, 2.28±0.36 , 0.15±0.02) meq/100g, 1.13±0.2, 5.4±0.34, (0.56±0.06, 0.05±0.01 and 2.79±0.61) ppm respectively. From Analysis result of soil physiochemical parameter indicate the irrigated soil of study was moderate to strongly saline and from water analysis also shows the irrigated water also moderately saline. The study conclude that the irrigated land was moderate saline due to irrigation water salinity and better to treat irrigation water before irrigating land. Study recommends that irrigation water better to treat and plant salinity tolerates grass to treat soil salinity.