Abstract:
A compact basic account of four related aspects. 1) Properties of irrigation water: total salts, ionic composition, sodium concentration, boron; 2) soil properties affecting water quality: clay minerals, hydraulic conductivity, ion exchange equilibria; 3) crop growth and salinity: plant response, salt tolerance; 4) irrigation management for salt control: leaching requirement, sodicity hazard, irrigation methods in relation to salinity control, reclamation. Includes a table of yield decreases from given salinity levels for 60 fruit, vegetable, forage and field crops. There are no worked examples. - A. Young