Salt affected soils occur in arid and semi-arid regions where evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation, accumulating ions like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chlorides. These soils are primarily classified as saline soils or sodic soils. India has 10.018Mha of salt affected soils, mostly in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The origins of these soils include parent material, low rainfall and high evaporation, and poor quality irrigation water. Saline soils contain toxic salt concentrations and have pH below 8.5, while sodic soils have pH above 8.5 and high exchangeable sodium. Management practices include physical treatments, chemical amendments like gypsum, biological additions of organic matter,

1. Salt affected soil
MDSUAJMER
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY
Dr. SHUBHRA SINGH DIVYA KUMAWAT

2. SALT AFFECTEDSOIL
Salt affected Soils
The salt-affected soils occur in the arid and semiarid
regions where evapo-transpiration greatly exceeds
precipitation. The accumulated ions causing salinity
or alkalinity include sodium, potassium, magnesium,
calcium, chlorides, carbonates and bicarbonates. The
salt affected soils can be primarily classified as
saline soil and sodic soil.

4. Area in India
10.018Mha
5.50Mha(saline )
4.50Mha(sodic /
Alkaline )
• Gujarat (1.649Mha)
• Rajasthan (1.183Mha)
• Uttar Pradesh
Maximum area salt affected soil

5. • Parent material
• Climatic factor’ s, arid, semi arid ,
low rainfall, higher evaporation.
• Poor qualitative irrigation ground
water
• Costal area (flooding of sea water )
Origin of salt affected soil

6. Saline Soil
The process by which the saline soil formed is
called Salinization. The saline soils contain toxic
concentration of soluble salts in the root zone.
Soluble salts consist of chlorides and sulphates
of sodium, calcium, magnesium. Because of the
white encrustation formed due to salts, the
saline soils are also called white alkali soils.

7. Characteristics:
Saline soil has soil pH of less than 8.5
EC is more than 4.0 dSm-1 at 25 0C
ESP (exchangeable sodium per cent) is less than 15
Dominated by sulphate and chloride ions and low in
exchangeable sodium
Flocculation due to excess soluble salts.
High osmotic pressure of soil solution
Presence of white crust
It has white colour that why it is also called as
White alkali soil.

8. Crops Suitable for Cultivation in Saline Soils:
Barley, Sugar beet, Cotton, Sugarcane, Mustard,
Rice, Maize, Red gram, Green gram, Sunflower,
Linseed, Sesame, Bajra, Sorghum, Tomato,
Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Pumpkin,
Bitter guard

9. Alkali / Sodic Soil
Alkali or sodic soil is known as solonetz. In the
sodic soil the presence of high amount of
exchangeable sodium, and as a result the
physical property of soil is poor (structure,
aeration ,permeability)

10. Characteristics:
Sodic soil has soil pH of more than 8.5.
EC is less than 4.0 dSm-1 at 25 0C.
ESP (exchangeable sodium percent) is more
than 15.
Dominated of carbonate and bicarbonate ions.
Black colour so also called black alkali.

11. Management of salt affected Soils
Physical /mechanical practices
Scraping
Deep ploughing and land levelling (Bunding &
Bed formation)
Sub-soiling
Improving planting technique

12. Chemical practices ( use of amendments)
gypsum
Iron pyrite
sulphur
Iron sulphate

13. Biological / farming practices
Addition of organic matter
FYM (10-20 t ha-1)
Green manuring (Dhaincha)
Mulching
deep tillage
Planting salt tolerant crops eg. Barley,
sugarbeet, cotton

14. Hydraulic practices
Flushing
Leaching
Good irrigation water
Drainage