Abstract

GUIDA-JOHNSON, Bárbara. Productive restoration of irrigated areas in arid zones: detection of sites affected by soil salinity using remote sensors. Multequina [online]. 2021, vol.30, n.2, pp.181-198. ISSN 1852-7329.

Certain practices related to the artificial irrigation of drylands, which is essential for the production of food, can trigger degradation processes. In particular, excessive watering and lack of adequate drainage cause soil secondary salinization. It is a frequent problem in drylands and very problematic since it restricts agricultural productivity and can lead to land abandonment. In this context, productive restoration has remarkable potential to recover these agroecosystems and promote food security for the population. Landscape-scale planning with the support of remote sensing enables the identification of priority sites and the monitoring of implemented measures, increasing the chances of success. The objective of this paper is to outline a tool to detect and monitor sites affected by soil salinity from remote sensors in an irrigated arid and semi-arid region, the North Oasis of Mendoza. To this end, multiple regressions between the electrical conductivity of the soil and certain bands of satellite images, salinity indices, and vegetation indices were evaluated, including environmental and anthropic factors as covariates. The explanatory variables that were statistically significant included: the green band, salinity indices (some expressions of the Salinity Index, Brightness Index, and Intensity index), and vegetation indices designed to detect vegetation affected by salinity (Vegetation Soil Salinity Index, Canopy Response Salinity Index, and Combined Spectral Response Index); while the significant covariates were related to the soil moisture content. This type of tool could guide productive restoration actions in irrigated lands in arid and semi-arid regions.

Keywords : Salinity index; Vegetation index; Restoration planning; Secondary salinization.

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