Author(s)

Sayeda Sabrina Ali, Monira Begum, Shah Muhammad Imamul Huq^*

Department of Soil, Water and Environment, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A study was carried out to assess the interaction of Arsenic with excess Sulphur present in saline soil and their impact on plant growth. Two different types of saline soils S₁ (2.0 dS/m) and S₂ (5.061 dS/m) were collected from the southwestern part of Bangladesh. The experiment was conducted in two parts: in vitro incubation study and pot experiment. Arsenic treatments at the rates of 0, 0.05 and 1.0 mg/L were applied with water. The incubated soils were sequentially extracted with three different extractants, viz, distilled water, 0.01 M CaCl₂, and 1 M HCl. 1 M HCl was found to extract the maximum amounts of soluble salts as well as arsenic from the saline soil. Rice was selected as the test plant for pot experiment. An improved variety of rice (BRRI 41) was grown on the experimental soils. Sulphur in saline soil was found to reduce the accumulation of Arsenic by rice plant.

Sulphur, Arsenic, Saline Soil, Rice

Sabrina Ali, S. , Begum, M. and Huq, S. (2016) Plant Growth as Affected by Concomitant Movement of Arsenic and Sulphur in Saline Soils. Open Journal of Soil Science, 6, 59-67. doi: 10.4236/ojss.2016.64007.