Abstract

Magnetically-treated water (MTW) has been used for many years and has shown promise in leaching some ions from soil. However, contradictory or paradoxical results are often available, debates about this issue have never ceased so far. In this study, a soil cylinder incubation experiment and a magnetic treatment experiment were conducted to explore the effect of magnetic water irrigation on soil salt leachate in Shihezi, Xinjiang, China. Treatments included magnetic-treated water irrigation at four levels of magnetic field intensity (0, 100, 300 and 500 mT). The convection-dispersion equation was employed to simulate soil salt and soil water movement at the soil profile. Results showed that magnetic treatments increased water pH, decreased water electrical conductivity (EC) and altered water absorbance value. The leachate volume and salt amounts leached with magnetized water treatments were significantly increased and improved when compared to the control. The time required for complete breakthrough in the control treatment was greater than in the magnetized water treatments. The mean pore velocities with the T₁₀₀, T₃₀₀ and T₅₀₀ treatments increased by 7.6, 14.7 and 1.6% respectively to the control treatment, while the average dispersion coefficient across the three magnetized water treatments increased by 48.6% in contrast to the control. These findings provide solid evidence that magnetic water irrigation technology could be used to prevent soil salinization with a recommended magnetic intensity of 300 mT.