Management of Salt Affected Soils through practices

Salt affected soils containing soluble or insoluble salts in concentration high enough to restrict normal seed germination, emergence, growth and development of crops and in some cases, wilting followed by death occurs.

Management of Salt Affected Soils through practices

Such soils prevent the movement of water in plants due to osmotic potential while in the presence of plenty of water in soil. The comparison between normal soils fit for agriculture and salt affected soils shows that the saline soils have more potential for electric conductivity (4000 µmhos/cm) that is far less in normal soils 1000 µmhos/cm.

Cultivation of salt affected soils not only mitigate yield potential but also create different soil compaction problems due to continuous cultivation and a hard pan due to deposition of excess amount of unnecessary salts in root zone that limit roots growth as well as restrict roots penetration in crops having deep and extensive root system.

Soils in which the cation trade destinations are possessed by in excess of 15 percent of sodium and have a pH of 8.5 or above are called sodic soils. Sodium in the dirt scatters mud and comparable soil particles and keeps them from conglomerating.

These scattered particles turn out to be effortlessly suspended in water and attachment soil pores. This makes poor waste for sodic soils, which makes them have dry subsoil and a wet surface layer. Indeed, even with enough precipitation or water system, yields may flop because of these components.

Reclamation and management options that should be considered are:

  • Salt can be drained out of the root zone through great quality water system water or by overwhelming precipitation.
  • Make great surface and inward seepage. The utilization of tile depletes and open discard in the fields can build waste and expel a portion of the salts.
  • Break the compacted layers that happen close or at the dirt surface.
  • Include natural issue, for example, decayed feed or feedlot compost, at 10-15 tons/section of land to enhance soil porosity.
  • Recovery of sodic soils is like saline soil in filtering the salts out of the root zone, then again, gypsum ought to be added to expel the sodium.
  • The measure of gypsum required relies upon the dirt surface and ESP. Recovery of these salt-influenced soils is an exceptionally troublesome thing and can take quite a long while, so be persistent.

By Talha Javed

I am working as Research Associate at University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. My research directions are Seed Enhancement, Storage and Seed longevity.