A Study of the Effects of Soil Salinity on the Growth and Development of Maize (Zea Mays L.) by using Sentinel-2 Imagery

Abstract

Salinization of soil cover and the constant increase in their area have become one of the most pressing problems year after year for irrigated agriculture regions. The degradation processes caused by the salinity of soils negatively affect the growth and development of food crops. Therefore, this study focused on the effects of soil salinity in the midstream of the Syrdarya on the growth and development of maize where the climate is continental and mostly arid, and the cultivation of crops is possible under irrigation conditions. The study made harmonious use of remote sensing and field survey methods based on modern and traditional approaches in terms of time and space. Based on Sentinel-2 satellite images, regression analysis was carried out to determine the dependency of vegetation indices on soil electronegativity and maize biomass from 73 sampling points in the representative area. As a result, in the study of the growth and development of maize, it was found that the dependence of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) on maize biomass within 18 vegetation indices was "high" (R2 = 0.76) in spring. The dynamics of maize biomass grown on soils of different salinity levels were developed. NDVI dynamics, which covers the entire growth phases of corn, showed that compared to corn grown in unsalted soils, it slows down the growth of corn in slightly saline soils-up to 11 days, in moderately saline soils - 35 days, and in heavily (highly) saline soils - 45 days. Characterization of soil salinity and other factors having a positive and negative influence on the growth and development of maize yield in the studied object is also given.