Salinity And Sodicity

This volume covers such areas in the field of soil salinity and water quality as: origin and distribution of salt-affected soils; management of alkali soils; quality criteria of irrigation water; wastewaters as a source of irrigation; and grasses and trees in the management of salt-affected soils.

This open access book is an outcome of the collaboration between the Soil and Water Management & Crop Nutrition Section, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria, and Dr. Shabbir A Shahid, Senior Salinity Management Expert, Freelancer based in United Arab Emirates.The objective of this book is to develop protocols for salinity and sodicity assessment and develop mitigation and adaptation measures to use saline and sodic soils sustainably. The focus is on important issues related to salinity and sodicity and to describe these in an easy and user friendly way. The information has been compiled from the latest published literature and from the authors’ publications specific to the subject matter. The book consists of six chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the terms salinity and sodicity and describes various salinity classification systems commonly used around the world. Chapter 2 reviews global distribution of salinization and socioeconomic aspects related to salinity and crop production. Chapters 3 covers comprehensively salinity and sodicity adaptation and mitigation options including physical, chemical, hydrological and biological methods. Chapter 4 discusses the efforts that have been made to demonstrate the development of soil salinity zones under different irrigation systems. Chapter 5 discusses the quality of irrigation water, boron toxicity and relative tolerance to boron, the effects of chlorides on crops. Chapter 6 introduces the role of nuclear techniques in saline agriculture.

In keeping with the spirit of an Advanced Series in the Agricultural Sciences, we have attempted to address herein most of the current research areas being used to characterize, describe and manage salt-affected soils. Because of a certain amount of personal bias inherent in our individual viewpoints and backgrounds, some areas have been accorded more emphasis than others. It has been our goal, however, to provide either detail about, or at least a recent reference to, each major area of current soil salinity research. This information, coupled with what we hope to be a rather logical progression from descriptive material on equilibrium or near-equilibrium soil chemistry, through transport processes, to eventual management practices including some elementary economic decisions, should enable the reader to bridge the gap from introductory soil chemistry or soil physics texts to the basic literature of this area. The text will be perceived by the astute reader as somewhat uneven in its treatment of respective sections. We feel that this is to a certain extent appropriate, for it thus portrays the unevenness of progress to date in the corresponding areas of research. The management of saline and sodic soils remains largely an empirical semi-science or even art, whereas transport phenomena are normally dealt with in a much more theoretical (and also a much more highly mathematical) vein. Equilibrium soil chemistry has historically occupied an intermediate position with respect to its mix of empiricism and theoretical rigor.

Explore the growing problem of soil salinity and sodicity and its impact on the environment, profitability, the human population, and soil resilience In Salinity and Sodicity: A Global Challenge to Food Security, Environmental Quality, and Soil Resilience, a team of distinguished educators delivers an expert discussion of salinity and sodicity management. This book is designed to improve the problem-solving capabilities of students, soil health professionals, certified crop advisors, and other practicing professionals in this area. In addition to an introduction to the causes of a rapidly growing problem, Salinity and Sodicity explores different measurement techniques, provides answers to common questions, provides potential solutions in a way that’s appropriate for introductory classes on soil salinity and sodicity management. It’s an ideal reference manual for professionals, as well as an effective tool for classrooms and crop advisor workshops. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to the use of supplemental irrigation and the impact of salts on the environment Comprehensive explorations of the economic considerations for farming problematic soils Practical discussions of the effects of salinity and sodicity on erosion and greenhouse gas emissions Practical case studies, problem sets, and an instructor answer key Perfect for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and certified and practicing soil professionals and advisors, Salinity and Sodicity will also benefit industry and academic researchers with an interest in soil salinity and sodicity in dryland regions.

Origin,classification and distribution of salt-affected soils;saline soils and their management;sodic soils and their management;salinity problems of the dryland regions;water quality and crop production;socio-economic considerations in reclamation and management of salt-affectedsoils;

This edited volume focuses on the characterization, reclamation, bioremediation, and phytoremediation of salt affected soils and waterlogged sodic soils. Innovative technologies in managing marginal salt affected lands merit immediate attention in the light of climate change and its impact on crop productivity and environment. The decision-making process related to reclamation and management of vast areas of salt affected soils encompasses consideration of economic viability, environmental sustainability, and social acceptability of different approaches. The chapters in this book highlight the significant environmental and social impacts of different ameliorative techniques used to manage salt affected soils. Readers will discover new knowledge on the distribution, reactions, changes in bio-chemical properties and microbial ecology of salt affected soils through case studies exploring Indian soils. The contributions presented by experts shed new light on techniques such as the restoration of degraded lands by growing halophyte plant species, diversification of crops and introduction of microbes for remediation of salt infested soils, and the use of fluorescent pseudomonads for enhancing crop yields.

The dynamic and expanding knowledge of environmental stresses and their effects on plants and crops have resulted in the compilation of a large volume of information in the last ten years since the publication of the second edition of the Handbook of Plant and Crop Stress. With 90 percent new material and a new organization that reflects this incre

It is well known that arid-land soils are adversely affected by the presence of sodium, yet only recently has the behavior of sodium in the soils of humid and subhumid areas --where most of the world's cereal crop is grown--been recognized. This book of commissioned chapters will focus on the "non-classic" sodic soils, describing the processes of soil degradation resulting from sodium and other deleterious components (such as magnesium), and outlining strategies for ameliorating their effects on soil systems.