PAID ACCESS | Published on : 06-Jan-2026 | Pages: 58-70 | Doi : 10.37446/edibook222025/58-70
Soil salinity and alkalinity are major factors limiting agriculture's potential to provide food, especially in areas with dry and semi-dry climates. These conditions result mainly from activities of humans and nature that increase the levels of soluble salts and sodium in the soil. The chapter describes in detail what salt-affected soils are, explaining the different types of such soils, namely saline, sodic, saline-sodic, and degraded alkali, based on their differences. In addition to natural causes such as source rock and precipitation, it recognizes human causes like insufficient irrigation and deforestation. The adverse effects on soil structure, nutrient availability, and microbial activity are explained, with examples of how salinity and sodicity prevent plants from growing by causing osmotic stress and ion toxicity. Diagnostic indices like Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) are mentioned for measurement. The management of these problems entails using different methods, viz., physical, chemical, and biological, which primarily aim at implementing sustainable practices, such as crop rotation and the use of salt-tolerant species, in order to rehabilitate the soil efficiently. The use of integrated management is crucial to achieving long-term solutions.
Salt-affected soils, characteristics, formation, reclamation, sustainable management
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