Alkaline Soils Clay soils with a pH of more than 8.5 are classified as alkaline soils. The higher pH is caused by high quantities of salt, magnesium, and calcium. Furthermore, hard water can cause the pH of soils to rise to alkaline proportions. On the other hand, sodium carbonate is the dominant component in alkaline soil. Therefore, alkaline soils inflate when exposed to sodium carbonate. Saline Soils When there is an overabundance of sodium ions in the clay and soil complex that still includes exchangeable calcium, the soil is referred to as saline soil, brown alkali soil, or white alkali soil. This soil continues to be flocculated or granulated. As a result, it has air and water permeability. Agriculture on Saline and Alkaline Soils Coconut trees may be found in abundance in coastal settings. In addition, as previously stated, farming salt-tolerant crops such as dhaincha, berseem, and other grain legume crops may aid in the reclamation of these soils. Moreover, some of the suitable agriculture on saline-alkaline soil is mentioned below: Suitable Crops: Barley, Cotton, Sugar beet, Sugarcane, Rice, Mustard, Maize, Green Gram, Red Gram, Sunflower, Sesame, Linseed, Sorghum, Bajra, etc. Suitable Vegetables: Tomato, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Cucumber, Bitter guard, Pumpkin, Spinach, etc. Suitable Fruits: Guava, Beetroot, Asparagus, Coconut, Banana, Grape, Pomegranate, Date palm, etc. Features of Saline and Alkaline Soils The topsoil of Saline and Alkaline Soil is permeated (saturated or soaked with a material) with alkaline and saline efflorescences. Weathering produces calcium salts, magnesium, sodium, and sulfurous acid from inert rock pieces. In areas with a lower water table, salts permeate the subsurface, but in areas with high drainage, salts are washed away by running water. Certain salts are delivered in suspension by rivers. In places with a higher subsoil surface water, harmful salts are carried below by capillary forces during the summer months due to evaporation. Water with a high salt content becomes stationary in places with inadequate drainage and accumulates all of the salt contents in the soil layer as it dissipates. Alkaline and Saline Soil Areas in India Saline and Alkaline Soil covers an area of 68,000 square kilometers. These soils are formed in canal rinsed lands and locations with a higher subsurface water table. This type of soil may be found in parts of Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Maharashtra. However, the build-up of the salts leaves the soil unproductive and unsuited for cultivation. The sea tides transporting salt-laden sediments damage the lands near the Khambhat Gulf of Gujarat. As a result, vast portions of the Mahi, Tapi, Narmada, and Sabarmati rivers are unproductive. When severe storms, salty sea waves invade coastal locations, rendering the soil unsuitable for farming.