Enhancing the productivity of high‐magnesium soil and water resources in Central Asia through the application of phosphogypsum

Abstract Recent evidences from some irrigated areas worldwide, such as Central Asia, suggest that water used for irrigation contains magnesium (Mg 2+ ) at levels higher than calcium (Ca 2+ ). Excess levels of Mg 2+ in irrigation water and/or in soil, in combination with sodium (Na + ) or alone, result in soil degradation because of Mg 2+ effects on the soil's physical properties. More than 30 per cent of irrigated lands in Southern Kazakhstan …