How to diagnose salinity problems in the field?

How to diagnose salinity problems in the field?

    • In the field, saline soils can be identified by:
        • Presence of white crust layer of salts on the surface of soils in a dry region. It is a mixture of NaCl and Na2SO4 salts.
        • Good physical conditions and high permeability of soil.
        • Natural vegetation consisting of mainly small bushes and some halophytes such as Cressa cretica, Cyperus rotudus, Chloris gayana etc.
        • In cultivated fields patchy and stunted growth of crops
        • Wilting sign due to water stress in plants even when the soil apparently contains enough water due to plasmolysis
        • A thin soil crust that may prevent emergence of seedlings of sensitive crops.
    Last modified: Saturday, 3 December 2011, 5:22 AM