The impact of soil salinity on maize agriculture

An experimental archaeology approach

Dados Bibliográficos

ID11380262
AutoresKenneth B Tankersley (0000-0002-2474-6283, University of Cincinnati, autor correspondente), Isabel Hassett (University of Cincinnati), Elaine Platt (University of Cincinnati), Audrey Laiveling (0000-0003-4766-5360, University of Cincinnati), Emma Bradford (University of Cincinnati)
Ano2019
Volume40
Fascículo1
Páginas36-48
Data de publicação2019-01-01
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoNorth American Archaeologist (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0197-6931 • E-ISSN: 1541-3543
EditoraSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0197693119840086
OpenAlexW2924872439
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas11

This article uses experimental archaeology to provide empirical data on the impact of soil salinization on ancient maize agriculture. Hopi blue maize was experimentally grown in a drought-prone soil containing an extremely high level (50%) of evaporite mineral salts (CaCO 3 , CaSO 4 , and NaCl) in order to evaluate their effect on agricultural productivity. A control group of plants was grown in the absence of mineral salts. All of plants, which were companion planted with beans and squash, were adversely impacted by evaporite mineral salts. Maize grown alone in CaCO 3 −, CaSO 4 −, and NaCl-enriched soil exceeded the height of the control plants because the mineral salts acted as a fertilizer. Plants grown in NaCl-enriched soil produced cobbs that were reduced in size and kernel number. These findings suggest that CaCO 3 and CaSO 4 , the most common evaporite mineral salts found in soil, would not have adversely impacted Ancestral Puebloan maize agriculture

Agriculture · Agronomy · Alkali soil · Archaeology · Biology · Evaporite · Geochemistry · Geography · Mineral · Salinity · Soil salinity · Soil water · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Chemistry · Environmental Science · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies · Ecology · Geology · Soil Science