A Study on the Development of Salt-Affected Soils in a Typical Area

The salt-affected and adjacent apparently normal soils (cultivated) showed considerable difference in their physicochemical characteristics, particularly associated with sodium content. In general, the ground-water associated with salt-affected soil was either of the same quality or inferior to those associated with normal soil.

Accumulation of run-off water in land depressions, impeded drainage as a consequence of high Na content or initial poor soil structure, origional high sodium salt content in the soil profile, redistribution of salts with fluctuating water-table, shallow water-table and use of brackish water for irrigation were identified as some of the causes of the development of salt-affected soils in that area. This suggested that in any area infestation of salts cannot be attributed to one particular factor. The effect may be due to more than one factor acting at the same time in different locations.