Reclamation of Saline Soil
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"][COLOR="DimGray"]Salinity[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

Salinity is defined as excess accumulation of salts at the soil surface. Salts can be transported to the soil surface by capillary transport from a salt laden water table and then accumulate due to evaporation. They can also be concentrated in soils due to the use of potassium fertilizer. The crust over the soil surface becomes harder and harder. The roots of plants cannot be enlivened due to the external crust of salts. Thus the effected land becomes uncultivable.


[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"][COLOR="dimgray"]Reclamation of Saline Soil[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

[B]1. [U][SIZE="3"]Drainage[/SIZE][/U][/B]

Drainage is the primary method of controlling soil salinity. A small fraction of the irrigation water (about 10 to 20 percent) should be drained and discharged out of the irrigation project because of the salt concentration in water.


[B]2. [U][SIZE="3"]Lowering the Water Table[/SIZE][/U][/B]

Tube wells should be installed to lower the water table which pumps out the saline water from below the affected areas.


[B]3. [U][SIZE="3"]Use of Gypsum[/SIZE][/U][/B]

Some acidic fertilizers like gypsum are also being employed to neutralize the alkalinity of these soils.


[B]4. [U][SIZE="3"]Strip cropping[/SIZE][/U][/B]

In irrigated lands with scarce water resources suffering from water logging and soil salinity problems, strip cropping is sometimes practiced with strips of land where every other strip is irrigated while the strips in between are left permanently fallow.


[B]5. [U][SIZE="3"]Tolerant Plants[/SIZE][/U][/B]

If salinity level is moderate then salt tolerant plants should be cultivated in affected areas. These will help in reducing salinity. For example asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage etc


[B]6. [U][SIZE="3"]Tolerant Trees[/SIZE][/U][/B]

Trees like sea buckthorn, poplar etc should be planted in salinity affected areas to lower salt concentration in soil.